Paying for Programs and Financial Assistance

Paying for Programs

Payment Policy:

Deposit required to hold registration or housing.
100% of payment due 2 weeks prior to program.
For participants using payment plan option, at least 50% of payment due 2 weeks prior to program. Balance may be paid in monthly installments, taking up to 6 months to pay in full.
Participants are encouraged to make an additional payment as a donation to help provide financial support for others to attend programs.
To be eligible for a payment plan, any outstanding balance on existing payment plans should be less than $500 and payments should be current.
To be eligible for a scholarship, any existing payment plans should be current.
Karmê Chöling is not able to grant scholarships on or after arrival. Financial aid arrangements must be made in advance, at least 2 weeks prior to the program.
Karmê Chöling discourages debt. Participants wishing to attend a program who have an existing outstanding balance of $500 or more or who are not current on any payment plans are required to pay for the new program in full 2 weeks prior to the arrival date.

Cancellation Policy:

Programs that cost under $500 require a $100 deposit.
Programs that cost $500 or more require a $200 deposit.
Deposits and payments are refundable up to two weeks prior to the program start date, minus a $25 cancellation fee.
After the two week deadline, Karmê Chöling will deduct a $25 cancellation fee and retain the rest of your deposit as credit towards another program. This credit will expire after two years. Any payments over the deposit will be refunded.
No refunds or credits are given for cancellations on or after arrival day.

Financial Assistance

Our financial assistance is partially made possible by the generosity of our donors. To donate to the scholarship fund, click here or contact our Development department.

In an effort to keep programs available and affordable to all, we have established a sliding scale finanical aid program and payment plan.

Income discount Level 1: 10% off the discounted program fee if your annual personal income is between $20,000 and $30,000.

Income discount Level 2: 20% off the discounted program fee if your annual personal income is under $20,000.

Student: 25% off of the discounted program fee for participants aged 18 or older who are full-time college students. This does not work in conjunction with other discounts.

Matching scholarships: We also match scholarships from Shambhala city centers. For example, if your local center offers you a $200 scholarship, Karmê Chöling will match that amount.

All matching scholarships need to be approved by the scholarship committee at least two weeks ahead of time. Please apply online to inquire about the possibility of receiving a matching scholarship from us.

If you qualify for a discount based on income or wish to use the payment plan option, you do not need to fill out an application. Please notify our Registration department that you would like to take advantage of the option and your account will be adjusted.

If you still find the cost prohibitive, you may complete the application below to request additional assistance. With this we ask you to think about what amount you can pay keeping in mind the payment plan option.

Notes

Please notify registration before you arrive if you'd like an income discount, student discount, or are interested in a payment plan or matching scholarship. If you still feel these options are not sufficient you may apply for a scholarship at least two weeks in advance. Please pick from one of our offers but please note we do not mix and match the offers.
There is no financial assistance for accommodations, materials, or teaching gifts.
All inquiries and applications for financial assistance must be submitted at least two weeks before the start of the program.
Some programs have specific deadlines for scholarship applications in the program description.
There is a separate application and financial assistance pool for Mukpo Institute and Shambhala International retreats; normal financial aid or discounts do not apply to these programs. Please read these programs' fact sheets for instructions on applying for financial assistance.

Application Form

First Name:
Last Name:
Address:

City, State, Zip:
Phone:
Cell or 2nd Phone:
Email Address:
Preferred Method of Contact:
Are you an employee of Shambhala?	Yes No
If yes, what is your position?
If yes, what is your Term of Employment?
Name and date of program you are requesting a scholarship for:
What is your annual income?
What is your household income?
How many adults are in your household?
How many children are in your household?
What is your current available cash (cash, checking, etc)?
Please list any current Shambhala debts indicating to whom the funds are owed and total outstanding balance.
Are you affiliated with a Shambhala Center?	Yes No
If yes, which center?
Please describe your center activities or other dharma work, including if you are an MI, AD, SG or a member of the Kasung:
Current Employer:
Occupation:
Monthly Salary:
How much can you pay?
What other sources of financial assistance have you investigated? (For example, your Shambhala Center may have a scholarship program)
Include any other details about your financial situation the review committee should know in order to properly assess your scholarship needs:

Thank you! We will contact you shortly. If you do not hear from us within one week, please call our Front Desk at (802) 633-2384 to ensure that we received your application.