Financial Assistance

As you are considering a summer opportunity for your child, we are well aware of the financial barriers that are present for many families when considering an opportunity such as this. ARCC is committed to providing meaningful experiences for all of our students, regardless of their financial means to attend, and do everything that we can to make these opportunities accessible for all students. We strive to uphold these values of our organization through a variety of means, including scholarships, financial aid, flexibility with payments, and support with gear expenses.

ARCC Summer Financial Aid Application Steps

To be considered for financial aid, families must complete the financial aid steps outlined below, and then submit their materials by the deadline of March 15th. ARCC sends out Financial Aid Awards two weeks later (April 1, 2025). Typical amounts of aid range from $500 to $2,000. ARCC will consider financial aid applications submitted after these deadlines but aid will be more limited. Please note that you do not need to put down a deposit for a program until financial aid has been awarded so that you can determine if the aid available is sufficient for your family. 

To apply for financial aid, please submit the following by March 15th:

  • Fill Out Our Brief Online Application

    Select “paying by check” to waive the $800 deposit, which is not required to begin the financial aid process.

  • Complete Financial Aid Application

    Upon receipt of your online application, an ARCC staff member will reach out to you to discuss the next steps in the application process, which include filling out our Financial Aid Application. You can access ARCC's Financial Aid Application HERE.

  • Parent/Guardian and Student Statements

    Your student statement should include your reasons for why you’d like to participate in an ARCC program and why we should consider you as a financial aid recipient. Your parent statement should include how much tuition your family can contribute toward an ARCC program and why you are requesting aid. Please feel free to include anything else we should know about your family’s financial situation.

  • Copy of Tax Return

    Please submit tax return documents from 2023 or 2024 for both Parents/Guardians (whichever year is the completed tax return that you currently have).

  • Send Us All Documents

    Submit all materials listed above to [email protected].

  • Receive your Award!

    Once all materials have been received, a member of the ARCC team will reach out to you regarding our ability to provide an aid award and will follow up via email.

Note: You do NOT need to submit the usual $800 deposit until April 13th if you’ve been awarded financial aid.

If you have any questions about the ARCC Financial Aid process, please call (415) 332-5075 or email us and we’ll be happy to support you!

Additional Information

Confidentiality:

All financial aid applications will be kept in strictest confidence. Only senior staff will evaluate them. They will be destroyed at the end of the season. No participants on the program will know of the financial aid awarded to your family.

Binkley Foundation Grants & Scholarships:

ARCC is excited to highlight a wonderful scholarship opportunity through the Binkley Foundation. Here is a bit more information about the foundation as well as the financial assistance available:

“The Binkley Foundation was established by Frederick M. Binkley and Marian F. Binkley in 1987.
The primary objectives and purposes of this corporation are to provide funding for education
and charitable assistance to the general public by granting academic scholarships and funding
various educational endeavors. The Foundation has routinely made distributions to the
University of California Berkeley and to the Vascular Surgery Department at the University of
San Francisco.

Today, Sharon Binkley Straus, the founders’ daughter, is the Director of the Foundation.
In addition to supporting the above entities and others, Sharon has created a Scholarship
Program specifically for individuals from historically marginalized communities. This includes,
but is not limited to, people of color, those from under-resourced municipalities, women and
girls, LGTBQ+ persons, and individuals covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The
Foundation wishes to assist such individuals if there is financial need in order to create, attend
or to participate in programs designed for personal or community growth in terms of academic
or work-related advancement or cultural awareness.

AWARD AMOUNTS
The number and amounts of individual awards will vary from year to year. It is anticipated that
2-12 awards will be given out annually and that the dollar amount will range from $500 to
$10,000. Scholarships will be granted on an annual basis and will be renewable based upon
need and successful completion (passing) of the program attended or a positive reception
(majority approval) of the event/creation.”

You can access the application HERE, as well as the eligibility critera HERE.

Payment Plans:

We offer students and families the option to pay for their program tuition in small increments over a period of time to lessen the burden of having to pay for the tuition in full upfront. Please ask us for more information regarding this option.

Gear Lending Program:

Gear for a summer program can end up amounting to a large financial commitment for some families. ARCC has a gear lending program where students can borrow certain items that we have in-house for the duration of their program, which are then returned at the end of the program for use by another student. Gear available includes backpacking packs, tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and mess kits. Please send gear requests to your Summer Director by May 1st. Please note that gear lending is only applicable for financial aid recipients.

Furthermore our packing list includes a list of online discount gear options to help ease that financial burden as well.