Girl Scouts of Northern California recognizes that the cost of sending a child to camp is a significant consideration for families during the registration process. As part of our mission, we are dedicated to making sure that our programs are financially accessible. A seamless sliding fee scale is embedded into our registration process.
How do I apply for financial aid?
Campers pay sliding fees based on income eligibility and county. When registering for camp through Camp-In-Touch, one of the first questions you will be asked is, “Would you like to apply for financial aid?” When you select “yes,” the system will reduce your deposit to a flat $50 fee. This holds your camper’s spot while your financial aid application is processed. After you complete registration, you will find the Financial Aid Form in your account to complete.
What details will I be asked to provide in my application?
- Income – Your current total family income per year, before taxes. This may not necessarily be what was listed on your previous tax return. If you experienced a lay-off or job change since your last tax filing, please put what your current income is as if it was earned for the year.
- Dependents – Include both child and adult dependents. Examples of adult dependents include grandparents living in the home who you fully support, adults in the home over 18 with disabilities, or other adults in your household that you claim as dependents on your taxes.
- Amount Requested – This is the amount that you are requesting for financial aid. If you are eligible for more financial aid than you requested, you will automatically be given the higher amount. If you are eligible for less financial aid than you requested, GSNorCal will try to provide as close to your requested amount as possible.
- Additional Factors – Here is where you can provide a brief comment about what other factors might affect your income or take-home pay. Examples could include medical expenses, emergency circumstances, employment changes, etc. We review each comment and will reach out to you directly if we require more clarification or details.
Financial Aid Eligibility
Financial aid is available to campers who reside in the service counties of Girl Scouts of Northern California. Because most of our funds are provided by location-based grants or local donations, we are currently unable to provide aid to families outside of our service counties. Below you can find the general income eligibility requirements for each service county, which is based on cost-of-living data.
Even if your income exceeds the upper limits listed below, we still encourage you to apply! We are flexible and extenuating circumstances can substantially affect your eligibility.
- For campers residing in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, financial aid is available to families with a household income under $260,000 per year.
- For campers residing in Napa, Solano, and Sonoma counties, financial aid is available to families with a household income under $180,000 per year.
- For campers residing in Butte, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity counties, financial aid is available to families with a household income under $140,000 per year.
For a better idea of what you might be paying, learn more here.
Application Processing Time
Financial aid applications are processed manually and individually, so it usually takes about a week to process a financial aid application and apply funds to your camp registration. At the beginning of the registration period, it can sometimes take two weeks or more. Once a financial aid amount is determined, families are notified by email how much financial aid was awarded and applied to their account, as well as their remaining balance. If your financial aid award is shy of what you need, we can discuss, on a case-by-case basis, if GS NorCal is able to award further aid, or, you may cancel your registration for a full refund, including the deposit.
Questions?
We welcome the opportunity to work with your family to send your child to camp. We are committed to ensuring camp is inclusive and accessible to all Girl Scouts. For questions or assistance with the financial aid process, please email us at registration@gsnorcal.org. We look forward to seeing your camper this summer!