Financial Aid
If you are admitted to Mathcamp, we will make sure that you are able to attend, regardless of financial circumstances. We are deeply committed to this policy.
Mathcamp 2024 will be FREE for all US and Canadian families with household gross income under $100,000 with assets typical of that income level. We will also offer travel grants for families who cannot afford transportation to and from Tacoma.
For families with household income of $100,000 and above, the amount of each scholarship is decided on an individual basis: we take into account household gross income, the number of adults and children supported by this income, college costs, cost of travel to and from camp, and special circumstances.
International students are also eligible for full and partial scholarships. Since it's an apples-to-oranges comparison for the cost of camp across countries and currencies (and since cost of living, range of household incomes, and so on vary so widely), we do not use a standard formula for determining financial aid amounts, but rather review each family's request individually.
The simplest approximation of financial aid is based on gross household income (before taxes). Here is an approximation of expected family contribution to tuition based on recent past summers:
| If your household income is... | ...the average award is: | Typical family costs |
|---|---|---|
| Under $75,000 | Full award, covering 100% of tuition, travel costs (e.g. plane tickets or mileage reimbursement) and incidental expenses (e.g. luggage, visa fees, medical insurance) | Zero family contribution |
| $75,000–$100,000 | Scholarship covering 100% of tuition fees | Cost of travel to camp |
| $100,000–$150,000 | Scholarship covering 50% of tuition fees | $2,750 towards tuition, plus travel costs |
| $150,000–$200,000 | Scholarship covering 25% of tuition fees | $4,125 towards tuition, plus travel costs |
| $200,000 and above | May qualify for aid under special circumstances | |
Please bear in mind that the size of the award depends on each student's individual circumstances, and is based on demonstrated need; the table can only give you a general sense of the amounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for financial aid?
It's easy. After you start an application for admission to camp, your home page will have a link to begin the financial aid application, which is a short, simple form for a parent or guardian to fill out. If we need more information, we'll ask. All financial aid applications submitted by the deadline receive full consideration for both admission and financial aid. (The application deadline for first-year campers is March 6, 2024.)
Will applying for financial aid affect my chances of being admitted?
No! We adhere to a strict policy under which 100% of admission decisions are made without regard to the student's financial situation. That means that when we are considering your application (your Qualifying Quiz, "About You" section, and math background), we won't even know whether or not you applied for financial aid. After we have made admissions decisions, we will put together financial aid packages for our admitted students (and let you know right away).
Are international students eligible for financial aid?
Yes! We reserve a substantial portion of our financial aid budget for international students, and award many partial and full scholarships, as well as travel grants, every year. Mathcamp does not take financial need into account at all in our evaluations during the admissions process, including for international students. If you are admitted, we will meet 100% of your financial need (including for international students). Please don't let financial considerations deter you from applying!
Are alumni eligible for financial aid?
Yes. When we admit you to Mathcamp, we are committing to meeting your full financial need for every summer that you attend as a student.
Where does Mathcamp's scholarship funding come from?
We are grateful to acknowledge support from the AMS Epsilon Fund and from the National Science Foundation grant DMS-1454767, as well as from gifts small and large from individual donors (who are largely Mathcamp alumni and their families!).
Other Sources of Support
We also encourage students to pursue external sources of funding! Here are a few sources to consider.
- Mu Alpha Theta summer grants: Admitted students who are members of their school's Mu Alpha Theta club can apply for Mu Alpha Theta's summer grants. MAT offers up to $2,000 for members to attend summer math programs. Visit Mu Alpha Theta for more information.
- Spirit of Ramanujan awards: The Spirit of Ramanujan Global STEM Talent Search offers grants to talented students world-wide to help empower those outside traditional support networks with grants to support participation in programs like Mathcamp (including both full tuition and travel awards). Learn more at spiritoframanujan.com.
- Lathisms: Grants of $500 for Hispanic/Latinx pre-college (and college) students which can be used to support participation in math programs. The deadline to apply for 2024 is Feb 29th. Visit lathisms.org for more information.
- Davidson Institute: The Davidson Institute has provided financial aid to attend Mathcamp to qualified Davidson Young Scholars. Visit davidsongifted.org for more information.
- Jack Kent Cooke: The Young Scholars program at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation provides funding for summer programs like Mathcamp from eighth grade through senior year of high school. Visit jkcf.org for more information.
In addition to our need-based aid, Mathcamp offers one small merit scholarship, to the top scorers on the Math Prize for Girls who earn admission to Mathcamp. Qualifying candidates will receive an invitation to apply.
When You Apply
Students will see, on their welcome page on appsys.mathcamp.org, a link to the financial aid application. The financial aid application should be filled out by a parent or guardian; you will have the opportunity to enter a parent's email address (so that they can fill out the form themselves), or you can fill out the form together within the student's account (e.g. if the student is helping to translate between languages). In the financial aid application, we will ask you to provide the following information:
- Annual household income from 2023, and your estimate for 2024
- A list of the household members who are supported by the above income.
- The cost of schooling, if any, for all family members (private school, college, etc.).
- Major assets and liabilities.
- The estimated cost of round-trip travel to Mathcamp for the applicant.
- The portion of the cost of Mathcamp (including the travel you estimated above) your family can afford to pay.
- Any special circumstances that you would like us to consider.
Occasionally, there are cases where we feel the short form doesn't give us enough information about the candidate's financial situation. In that case, we will ask the parent/guardian to fill out a longer form.
