The Y strives to provide the most thorough consideration and assistance to those experiencing financial hardship. Scholarships are funded generously by donors in our community to help bridge the gap between the cost of a membership and a family’s own resources. All Y members can feel confident knowing they are a part of an organization that cares greatly for the well-being of all people in the community from all backgrounds.
An Experience Scholarship does not eliminate the cost, but can significantly lower the cost of Membership, Swim Lessons, Youth Sports, Partial Day Preschool, Summer Camp and BASP (Before & After School Program).
Each Experience Scholarship awarded is valid toward a 12-month membership which must be started by the expiration date provided at the time of approval. A new application with up-to-date information is required for our records to determine eligibility for each 12-month period.
Approved scholarships are the lowest possible rates within the program’s guidelines to ensure funds remain available year-round while continuing to provide all the benefits our members have come to value so much.
If approved, all joining fees are waived. Experience Scholarships cannot be combined with any other discounted or promotional rate.
Experience Scholarships are funded generously by donors in our community, so every dollar donated is carefully considered to make certain that awards are granted responsibly, fairly, and based on needs to those who need it most.
Our mission is to provide Experience Scholarships for individuals and families who live below or up to 350% of poverty, based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines, to reduce regular rates. Eligibility is determined on a sliding-scale basis, based on address, total household size, and income. If supporting documentation is required, a request with specific guidelines for submissions to be accepted is emailed after the initial application is reviewed.
Please note for eligibility:
Supporting documentation must be complete, verifiable, and account for each member in the household, whether or not they would be included in a Y membership or program.
Census data provided by HUD is used in determining eligibility in addition to publicly available information provided by a third party, subscription-based data service.
We require any prior unpaid balance on an existing account be paid in full before we can process an application. Please contact the previous membership location directly to resolve any balance before applying.
We cannot accept multiple applications or requests from the same household in the same 12-month period. To process all applications fairly and in a timely manner, any additional requests or applications from the same household cannot be reviewed within the same 12-month period.
Rate guarantee. If the membership is not started by the expiration date or is cancelled within the 12-month period, rates are subject to change, and approval to re-apply the previous scholarship is at the discretion of the YMCA of Greater Rochester.
Please allow 30 days from the date of application for a determination. Our ability to process applications within this timeframe directly correlates with the number of requests we receive for status updates and/or all information, including supporting documentation, being completely accurate and verifiable according to the guidelines provided.
For the most recent updates regarding your application, be sure to search your inbox and spam folders, using the same email address provided in your application, for the subject line “Experience Scholarship”. If you’ve submitted your required documentation according to the specific guidelines provided in the request, your application is in the queue to be processed. Thank you for your patience.
ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WILL RESULT IN A DELAY OR DENIAL:
Every member has a designated “home branch”. This simply tells us where you initially set up your membership, who handles your billing and payment plan, and generally where you’re likely to visit most. If you have a Passport Membership, you are free to use any of our locations after your membership is set up at your determined home branch.