Appel Farm Arts Camp Scholarship Program

Young people who would not otherwise have the resources to participate in Appel Farm Arts Camp are welcome to apply for tuition assistance. We are committed to ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent campers from experiencing the creativity, community, and belonging that Appel Farm provides.

For Summer 2026, we have introduced tiered pricing to offer families flexible options based on financial capacity. Please review the tiered pricing structure below before submitting a scholarship application. If your needs can be met within one of the pricing tiers, we ask that you reserve scholarship funding for families with greater financial need so that we can support as many campers as possible.

Summer 2026 Tuition Rates

2-Week Session

Supported Rate: $3,750 — This is a partially subsidized tier that does not reflect the true costs of operating our camp programs.

True Cost Rate: $4,000 — This tier more closely accounts for the true costs of camp, including wear and tear of facilities and grounds and equitable pay for staff.

Sustaining Rate: $4,250 — This tier includes a tax-deductible donation that helps pay camp tuition forward to families unable to attend at the true cost rate.

4-Week Session

Supported Rate: $6,500 — This is a partially subsidized tier that does not reflect the true costs of operating our camp programs.

True Cost Rate: $6,750 — This tier more closely accounts for the true costs of camp, including wear and tear of facilities and grounds and equitable pay for staff.

Sustaining Rate: $7,000 — This tier includes a tax-deductible donation that helps pay camptuition forward to families unable to attend at the true cost rate.

We are only able to offer scholarships that cover the cost of a 2-week session. If you would like your camper to attend for 4 weeks, you are welcome to register, and you will be responsible for paying the difference in tuition.

Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis. The first round of decisions will be made in February 2026, and the final round of decisions will be made in April 2026. All scholarship awards are contingent upon the availability of funding from Appel Farm and our scholarship partners.

Please set aside adequate time to complete this application thoughtfully, as we receive many submissions and want to understand each family’s unique circumstances. If you are applying for more than one camper, please submit a separate application for EACH child.

Apply here
What is the philosophy behind Appel Farm’s scholarship program?

While financial need is a driving factor in our selection of scholarship recipients, prioritizing the needs of historically underrepresented community members is fundamental to Appel Farm’s mission.

How are scholarship recipients selected?

Appel Farm has a committee of staff who select our scholarship recipients each year. Applications are received on a rolling basis beginning in October. The committee meets three times – early January, mid-February, and late March – to review applications and make selections. The committee uses a rubric to help determine how each applicant scores across categories including level of need, interest in the arts, availability of arts programs in their community, and socio-economic background. Based on scoring and the number of applications received, and in consideration of available funds, the committee then determines which applicants will be awarded scholarships each summer. Applicants will be notified of their status once selections have been finalized.

When will I find out if I’m getting a scholarship?

    • 1st round selections will be made in February.
    • Final round of selections will be made in April.

You will be notified once your scholarship has been awarded. If you are not selected to receive a scholarship within the first round, your application will be considered during later selection rounds. If you are not selected to receive a scholarship this year, you will be notified by early April.

How are Appel Farm scholarships funded?

The primary source of scholarship funding is individual donations from the Appel Farm community. We also seek additional funds from a number of organizations who provide funding toward camp scholarships. These funds are sometimes earmarked for campers from specific geographic regions, age/genders, school types, art disciplines, and other criteria.

Make It Do Scholarship

Each August 1, friends and family honor Brian’s memory on his birthday with contributions to this scholarship fund. For more information, head to makeitdo.org

Scholarship Partner Organizations

Appel Farm also partners with several organizations who select and sponsor applicants from their own communities. We encourage you to explore these opportunities to see if your camper qualifies:

    • GoTo (NYC-based middle school students)

    • Ellis Trust (assigned-female-at-birth under-resourced youth from the city of Philadelphia)

Do you know about a Foundation who may want to help fund a child coming to camp? We are also looking for new funding opportunities, please email us at camp@appelfarm.org if you have suggestions or connections to Foundations!

More Scholarship Info

The "Make It Do" Scholarship was created as a tribute to Brian Hill who was a creative soul, a voracious reader, a passionate writer, and fiercely loyal friend. As a tribute to Brian's passion for all things creative, we aim to empower LGBTQIA+ youth through this scholarship.

Support a Camp Scholarship

Corporate/Business Sponsorship- Whether the business provides 100% of the funds, or chooses to participate in Appel Farm’s Matching Program, each summer Appel Farm is proud to award scholarship funds from the generous support of local and corporate businesses.

Did you know your workplace could sponsor a scholarship? Maybe your church/synagogue group, PTO, or Rotary club would like to send a kid to camp! Email us at camp@appelfarm.org.

Foundation Support- Are you a mission aligned foundation interested in funding scholarships for campers to attend Appel Farm Arts Camp? We are looking for new funding opportunities, please email us at camp@appelfarm.org

  • Appel Farm Arts & Music Center