Bringing Sliding Scale Pricing to More Camps

At Mass Audubon, we are committed to ensuring that every family that wants their child to experience the friendships, community, confidence, and connection to nature that takes place at summer camp should have the opportunity to do so.

To that end, we have long made scholarship funds available to support families facing financial barriers to sending their children to camp.  

We are expanding this effort by providing a sliding scale pricing structure, which will remove more financial barriers and expand access to camp for families in an easy and dependable process.  

History of Sliding Scale Pricing

The sliding scale program began in 2003 at the Boston Nature Center Day Camp. In 2020, we moved two summer camps in our Central Mass region (Wachusett Meadow and Broad Meadow Brook) to a sliding scale model, immediately tripling the number of campers who received assistance at those two sites. 

In 2022, we scaled the program to six more camps, serving families in the Metro West, South East, and Western Massachusetts regions. Our goal is to have a sliding scale pricing model at all of our day camps by the summer of 2023. 

How it Works

With the sliding scale structure, every family will enroll for camp at a tuition rate based on their annual gross income. At registration, you will have the opportunity to select the price that best fits your family’s income tier. The registration system will calculate the balance due based on your selection. 

The deposit will be due at the time of registration; you have until May 15 to pay your balance in full. At the second stage of registration, when we request information about your camper securely via CampDoc, a new section allows for the upload of income verification documents, including tax returns, pay stubs, or alternative forms of income verification. 

Camp administrative staff with Personal Information Protection (PIP) training will privately review the provided income verification and confirm or adjust the tiered rate based on your reported adjusted gross income. Registrants at Tier 5 are not required to submit income verification.

Additional Financial Aid & Payment Plans Available

If cost is still a barrier under the sliding scale structure, additional financial assistance is also available in the form of scholarships, thanks to the generous support of our community. Payment plans can also be arranged. Please contact the camp director for further information.