We are pleased to be able to offer financial assistance to families in our community. Our scholarship fund is generously supported by local businesses and families who share our values in supporting youth and families to have access to and enjoy a truly wonderful outdoor experience.
This year, we are updating our financial aid model to include support for families who qualify for WIC, MaineCare, or who identify as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), as well as individuals with other circumstances that make the cost of care difficult. Our goal is to expand access to our programs for new families and to deepen the support we offer current families.
Guidelines
Financial Assistance Is Available
Ketcha Outdoors’ mission is to provide equitable access to outdoor experiences that promote well-being, sustainability, and resilient communities. As part of this mission, we believe the cost of attending Camp Ketcha should never be an insurmountable barrier. Every child deserves the opportunity to experience the adventure, connection, and friendships that summer camp can foster.
We offer a financial assistance program and strongly encourage families to apply if the cost of camp would otherwise prevent their camper from attending. Financial assistance is available as partial support, ranging from approximately 40% to over 90% off the cost of camp, depending on individual circumstances and available funding.
What Are the Standards to Receive Financial Assistance?
When funding is available, we offer the following standard assistance awards:
- $75* off per full camp week for families at or below the ALICE household survival budget threshold: Maine | UnitedForALICE
- $150* off per full camp week for families or guardians enrolled in MaineCare
- $325* off per full camp week for families or guardians receiving SNAP or WIC benefits
- Other funding may be awarded for additional financial concerns, and we welcome applications for other reasons than those mentioned above. We encourage any family to apply if they believe financial assistance could be the deciding factor in whether their child is able to attend camp.
*These amounts are prorated for shorter camp weeks and for the Counselor-in-Training program.
Our goal is to support as many families as possible. While we do our best to offer meaningful assistance, funding is limited and we may not be able to award aid to every applicant. For this reason, we strongly encourage families to apply as early as possible. The 2026 Scholarship Application will be available through Campminder as a form during registration. If you need a PDF document, you can find it here.
2026 Financial Aid Application – Camp Ketcha
2026 Financial Aid Application – Ketcha Farm & Forest Preschool
How Do I Apply for Financial Assistance?
All campers must be registered through our camp registration system, CampInTouch, and must pay the annual $25 registration fee along with a $50 deposit per camper per week.
To apply for financial assistance, please complete and submit the Optional: Financial Assistance Application found in the Forms & Documents section of your CampInTouch account.
Financial assistance applications are reviewed as they are received. Families will be notified of their award status within two weeks of submitting an application.
If financial assistance is not awarded, and this would prevent a camper from attending, any weekly deposits already paid will be fully refunded.
Already Registered for Camp?
If you plan to apply for financial assistance, but you have already enrolled your camper(s) in the summer 2026 camp season, please email registration@ketchaoutdoors.org to let us know as soon as possible- that way we can pause any scheduled billing until a decision is made on your financial assistance application.
What if a camp session is already full?
If you have not already registered for the 2026 camp season, and you find that the weekly session you would like to register for is already full, we encourage you to join the waitlist for that camp session. We do allocate and reserve a certain number of camp spots specifically for financial assistance awardees.
If you have additional questions, please contact us at registration@ketchaoutdoors.org. We are happy to help!
Third-party Agencies
Camp Ketcha is happy to work with community agencies that subsidize camp tuition. Any family receiving financial assistance from an outside organization or another service provider must provide written authorization from the agency that states that your child has been approved to attend Camp Ketcha, and it must indicate how much of the total tuition will be paid by the agency and how much, if anything, is the parents’ or guardians’ responsibility. This total amount must match the tuition due on your child’s registration form. We will consider any difference between what was authorized by the outside agency and the total amount due to be the parent/guardian’s responsibility, and that portion must be paid in full before the child will be allowed to attend camp or preschool.
At this time, we can not accept Child Care Vouchers through the State.
