Scholarships
We are committed to providing access to outdoor recreation, education, and conservation opportunities for all members and youth in the communities we serve. Thanks to our generous donors, we have scholarships available for all of our courses, programs, and memberships.
Our courses are priced to cover our costs, but we know that costs add up quickly. Our scholarships will cover up to 70% of the price of your course or membership. Note: scholarships can NOT be applied retroactively to courses, activities, or memberships for which you have already registered/paid.
Eligibility Guidelines
These eligibility guidelines are in place so that we can serve as many people as possible with the funds we receive from our generous donors.
- Eligibility - Our scholarships are granted on a needs basis, and all are encouraged to apply. We take into consideration a variety of factors, including income and other participation barriers, student status, and family circumstances.
- 30% to 70% - The Mountaineers typically awards scholarships of 30-70% of the program cost, based on need. In certain cases, we may be able to provide more than 70%, but this is rare. In order for us to serve as many people as possible, we ask applicants to ask for only what they need in order to participate.
- Maximum 3 per year/person - In order to serve as many people as possible, we award scholarships for individuals to participate in a maximum of three courses or programs per year.
- Apply at least two weeks before you wish to register for the course. We will not be able to refund the difference if you receive a scholarship after paying for the course in full.
- First come, first served - While we do our best to provide scholarships throughout the year, in the event that we receive an unusually high number of requests, we may need to stop awarding scholarships until the October course season starts for the next fiscal year.
- Using your scholarships - scholarships can only be applied to programs for which you apply. For example you cannot use a scholarship granted for a membership to pay for a course.
The Liesl waldhausen basic alpine climbing scholarship
The Liesl Waldhausen Basic Alpine Climbing Scholarship provides one student per year with a 100% scholarship for any Basic Alpine Climbing course. The awardee will be chosen at random from the pool of qualified scholarship applicants. By opting in for consideration of this scholarship, the applicant agrees to partner with The Mountaineers development staff to meaningfully thank the donor of the Liesl Waldhausen Basic Alpine Climbing Scholarship within three months of completing the course.
Note: Even if you enroll in the random drawing for the Liesl Waldhausen Scholarship, your scholarship application will be processed as normal. If awarded a Mountaineers scholarship, you will receive a code to redeem that scholarship. Because branches vary in their course enrollment periods, you may need to enroll before December 15. Please use your code given to you. If you are the recipient of the 100% Liesl Waldhausen Scholarship, your payment will be refunded to you.
Applications are currently open for the Liesl Waldhausen Scholarship.
group and organization scholarships
Apply for a scholarship for your group.
Leadership Development Fund
Each year, The Mountaineers designates funds to support the professional growth of our leaders. These funds are made available to individual leaders – as well as small groups of leaders – to support their attendance at conferences, workshops, courses, and other programs that are relevant to their volunteer leadership. Learn more.
The map Scholarship fund
The Mountaineers Access Program (MAP) is a scholarship fund that subsidizes individuals or groups who otherwise would not be able to afford The Mountaineers programs.
MAP is made possible by generous contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, including the REI Foundation, Treeline Foundation, and Bradley Foundation. We count on these donations from our members and partners to fulfill this very important part of our mission.