Standard policy for all our retreats is:

• we offer the equivalent of 2 full-time scholarships per retreat (total dollar amount being the low end of the regular sliding scale * 2)
• anyone who asks for a scholarship before the posted deadline is offered a 1/4 scholarship right away - generally the Registrar can make this call
• if funds allow and they need more help the offer is upped to 1/2 scholarship - often the Retreat Manager is involved at this point
• should funds be used up and more requests made we can extend scholarships further - this requires a conversation with Registrar, Retreat Manager, and Spiritual Director

For the larger retreats where more money is involved it is helpful to set a date for awarding the 1/2 scholarships. Or in some occasions we've divided the total amount available in half and done one round of 1/2 scholarship awards on one date, and the remaining awards at a later date. (remind the dates we used for Samish, Karen?).

Example for Samish -

Let's say Registration opens April 1st, Scholarship deadline June 1st.

1. Tell initial scholarship requests received in April that they can have 1/4 scholarship and let us know if they need more in order to be able to attend, tell those who say they will need more that a first round of awards will be held on May 1st. Those the 1/2 scholarship requires two requests from them.
2. On May 1st give out some 1/2 scholarships, using up not more than half of the total budget
3. As more scholarship requests come in during May tell them same thing: 1/4 now, possibility of 1/2 if they tell us they need it
4. On June 1st, give away additional 1/2 scholarships as funds allow.

We have gone up to 3 full time scholarships on several occasions at Samish.