Special Discounts 

Please note: Discounts cannot be combined.

Alumni Discount

The Experiment offers a discount of $500 for participants who have an immediate family member (parent/guardian, sibling, grandparent) who is an alumnus/alumna of The Experiment (including The Experiment Digital alumni) and/or for participants who are applying to participate in a second Experiment program. This discount cannot be combined with other discounts, though an applicant who receives a discount may also apply for a partial need-based scholarship.

How to claim: Alumni participating in a second program will have their discount applied automatically. Immediate family members of an alumnus/alumna should indicate that their family member participated in The Experiment and list their family member’s name on the “World Learning Family” tab of the Applicant Info section of the application.

Need-Based Leadership Institute Scholarships

All Leadership Institute scholarships are need-based and range from $1,000 to full scholarships covering tuition and international airfare. To be considered for a need-based scholarship, on your online application for admission, please answer “Yes,” to the question, “Would you like to apply for a need-based scholarship?” and complete the need-based scholarship application form emailed to your financially responsible parent/guardian.

Need-based Geographic & School-based Summer Abroad Scholarships 

The Experiment collaborates with a network of generous alumni and donors to offer partial need-based scholarships for our summer abroad programs to high school students from specific geographic locations and schools. To apply, submit your online application for admission and follow the instructions on the scholarship flyers linked below.

Camp Rising Sun, Rhinebeck, NY

The Experiment offers four (4) special discounts of $500 for participants who are or have an immediate family member (parent/guardian, sibling, grandparent) who is an alumnus/alumna of Camp Rising Sun. This discount cannot be combined with other discounts, though an applicant who receives a discount may also apply for a partial need-based scholarship. How to claim: On the first Program Selection page of your online application for admission, answer “yes” to the question, “Were you nominated to apply by your organization?” Then choose “Camp Rising Sun” from the drop-down list. This will also waive the $50 application fee.

Faith Wilcox Barrington Scholarships for Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA

The Experiment invites Williston Northampton sophomores and juniors to apply for partial scholarships from Faith Wilcox Barrington. The scholarship can cover between $500 and nearly full scholarships depending on financial need and program placement.

The Experiment invites Houston Metro area students to apply for partial scholarships from the Houston International Endowment Fund. The scholarship can cover up to $2,000 depending on need and program placement.

The Experiment invites Windham County, Vermont sophomores and juniors to apply for large partial scholarships from the Janeway Family Foundation. The scholarship can cover between $500 and nearly full scholarships depending on financial need and program placement.

Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Scholarship for Horace Greeley High School in New York

The Experiment invites students from Horace Greeley High School and the Westchester County, NY region to apply for partial scholarships from the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation. The scholarship can cover between $500 and nearly full scholarships depending on financial need and program placement. depending on need and program placement. The donor has a preference for students from Horace Greeley High School.

Monroe County Scholarship for Florida Keys

The Experiment invites Monroe County students to apply for partial need-based scholarships. The scholarship can cover up to $2,500 depending on need and program placement.

The Experiment invites Snohomish, King, and Pierce County high school students to apply for an exclusive scholarship of 50% off tuition and international airfare on any college credit program.

The Experiment invites students from the Sheridan County, WY region to apply for three (3) full scholarships towards tuition and international airfare. The scholarship is based on financial need and recipients must be flexible on program placement.

Susan A. West San Francisco Bay Area, CA Experiment Scholarship Fund for American Canyon High School, Benicia High School, and Saint Patrick’s High School

The Experiment invites students from American Canyon High School, Benicia High School, and Saint Patrick’s High School to apply for a number of large partial scholarships from the Susan A. West San Francisco Bay Area Experiment Scholarship Fund. The scholarship can cover between $500 and nearly full scholarships depending on financial need and program placement.

Stephen and Nita Lowey New York Scholarship Fund for Iona Preparatory School, Port Chester High School, and White Plains High School

The Experiment invites Iona Preparatory School, Port Chester High School, and White Plains High School students to apply for a number of large partial scholarships from the New York Lowey Scholarship Fund. The scholarship can cover between $500 and nearly full scholarships depending on financial need and program placement.

Woodlawn Foundation Scholarship Fund for Bay Area, California

The Experiment invites sophomores and juniors from the Jefferson Union High School District, including students from Jefferson High School, Terra Nova High School, and Westmoor High School to apply for partial scholarships from the Woodlawn Foundation. The scholarship can cover between $500 and nearly full scholarships depending on financial need and program placement.

The Experiment's Value

International travel can be expensive, but The Experiment is an educational organization, not a teen tour company; our programs are an investment. Every year, The Experiment completes an extensive industry pricing analysis; on a per-day basis, our programs have the most value while maintaining high quality.  For roughly $200 per day, our students receive lodging, three meals per day, itinerary activities, including famous sites, in-country transportation, in many cases teachers and/or subject-matter experts, daily health and safety monitoring, and adult supervision by certified group leaders. 

Along with our educational value, our programs challenge students to get out of their comfort zone, improve their interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills, gain a deeper understanding of a culture, and develop lifelong friendships with teens in their groups and the international community they visit. Parents often tell us that their children return home more mature, independent, open-minded, and prepared for college and beyond. 

According to a recent publication by Dr. Alvino E. Fantini (Intercultural Communicative Competence in Educational Exchange: A Multinational Perspective, Routledge, 2019), based on research conducted by members of the Federation of The Experiment in International Living, in which qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 2,000+ students of The Experiment and SIT Study Abroad programs, alumni reported that: 92 percent said their experience influenced their educational choices and was helpful in gaining access to academic programs, 94 percent said their experience (and the homestay in particular) was helpful in gaining language abilities, and 85 percent said their experience was helpful in gaining employment. 

Other Funding Ideas

There are many ways prospective Experimenters can take ownership of their experience from the start. Here are some funding ideas and options to consider. 

Pull in your local community and raise money for your Experiment tuition. You may consider finding a part-time job that could help you earn and save your own money. Or, pledge volunteer hours for a local nonprofit in your home community in exchange for donations. Get as creative and as committed as you want—not only will an ambitious project attract more potential donors and others willing to assist you in your funding efforts; it could spur you on to greater things as well. 

Consider the following: 

  • Reaching out to local Rotary clubs, Lions clubs, and/or local foundations 
  • Contacting community-based organizations 
  • Finding a part-time job 
  • Setting up bake sales, car washes, or other fundraising initiatives 
  • Crowdsourcing (fundraising on social media)—details on crowdsourcing are below 

To help you reach out to community organizations, The Experiment has created a fundraising template letter. Be sure to personalize your letter with your name and Experiment program. 

Questions? Do not hesitate to contact the Experiment’s admissions team at 1-800-345-2929 or at [email protected]. 

Crowdsourcing Your Experiment Tuition

Consider expanding your fundraising to the web. 

Here are some crowdfunding instructions to help you: 

  1. Pick a Platform. Websites such as Gofundme, Piggybackr, Indiegogo, and Youcaring are examples of sites set up to launch your cause, attract followers, and track your fundraising progress. A lot of these sites will have service fees—usually a tiny percentage of the money you raise—so remember to adjust accordingly when setting your goal. 
  2. Craft your Hook. When writing a compelling campaign to convince people to donate, remember the following:
      • Address your audience beyond family and friends—aim to convince strangers. 
      • Think of yourself as a business start-up. What product, service, or concept can you offer? 
      • Remember that successful fundraising is more like trading; your donors are buying a cause they support. 
      • Keep it informative, personalized, and brief. 
  3. Talk the Talk. Promote, promote, promote! Use Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Post links to your campaign as well as updates on your progress. Ask friends, family members, and supporters to spread the word. Maintain a regular schedule of updates but avoid blitzing people’s feeds (until the final days of the campaign). 
  4. Walk the Walk. After reaching your goal, follow up on your promises! Stay organized about who donated how much and what you owe. Like step three, publicize the results of your campaign and their donations. And, of course, share highlights of your time abroad. 

School Partnership Opportunities

The Experiment invites schools to create collaborative need-based scholarships to enroll students in our summer abroad programs who have demonstrated financial need. In addition to providing a partial need-based scholarship match for a designated number of students receiving funding from your school to participate in The Experiment, we can: 

  • Coordinate visits to your school for The Experiment, including assembly presentations and/or classroom visits 
  • Provide content about The Experiment that can be shared via school websites, parent listservs, and emails. 
  • Provide The Experiment’s posters and catalogs for distribution. 

Over the years, The Experiment has had the honor of partnering with the following independent and charter schools, as well as 60+ mentoring and sponsoring organizations in the U.S. and internationally. Students who have received funding from the schools below have been some of our most engaged, reflective, and successful students on our programs, and have written about The Experiment in their college admissions essays. Read about The Experiment’s impact here. 

We hope your school will join the sampling of our partnerships listed below:

  • Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT
  • University Academy, Kansas City, MO
  • Match Charter Public School, Boston, MA
  • MESA Charter High School, Brooklyn, NY

“This is one of our favorite programs for university Academy students. We know the scholarships we provide toward The Experiment empower students to embark on adventures of lifelong significance. We know students who participate are primed to persist in college and gain a competitive edge that promotes their ongoing success.”
– David Rucker, Executive Director of University Academy 

If you are an educator and would like to form a collaborative scholarship*, please contact us at [email protected]. 

If you are a high school student or parent who would like your school to form a collaborative scholarship* with The Experiment, please contact us at [email protected]. We would encourage you to: 

  1. Find a supportive teacher or school administrator who has time to meet with you/your family. 
  2. We can provide information about the educational benefits of studying abroad with The Experiment to discuss with your teacher or school administrator. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more. 
  3. Ask your teacher or school administrator if your school has funding opportunities for external study abroad programming. If yes, please contact us to discuss formalizing a scholarship partnership with your school in a written agreement* signed by both parties. 

*Funding from The Experiment is not guaranteed until a memorandum of understanding (MOU) is completed. 

Longstanding Partnerships

The Experiment creates and maintains longstanding partnerships with more than 60 mentoring organizations, after-school programs, home-school organizations, community groups, public and private schools, and foundations located across the country. These important partnerships provide tremendous access and opportunity annually to a range of high school students who choose to spend their summer on an Experiment program. Some partnerships provide partial or full scholarship funding for Experimenters. If you are an educator and would like to form a scholarship partnership with your school or community-based organization, please contact us at [email protected].