Funding Your NSLC Experience

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Thinking about attending the National Student Leadership Conference is exciting, but it’s natural to feel a little nervous when planning for funding. Fortunately, NSLC provides several tools and resources to help students and families make the experience possible. Scholarships, flexible payment plans, and community fundraising guidance are all designed to give you confidence and support as you prepare for your summer experience.

Scholarships: Your Story Matters

NSLC offers scholarships to support students who demonstrate leadership, academic achievement, and financial need. Applying for a scholarship is a chance to share your story, explain why you want to attend, and show how the program fits your goals.

The scholarship committee reviews each application holistically. While strong academics and involvement in school or community activities are important, they also consider circumstances such as financial hardship, recent job loss, illness, or injury. Many scholarship recipients demonstrate financial need in addition to strong academic and leadership records.

Scholarships are typically partial awards that can be combined with other funding options, such as payment plans and community fundraising efforts. For complete details on eligibility and application instructions, visit NSLC’s Scholarships page.

Payment Plans: Manageable and Flexible

NSLC offers a Payment Plan that divides tuition into monthly installments leading up to the program, making it easier for families to manage costs. The plan is flexible, and adjustments can be made if needed to fit your schedule.

For scholarship applicants, the system will automatically freeze your monthly payments once the first page of your application is complete. While scholarships can help offset costs, they usually do not cover the full program fee. Freezing the plan allows families time to wait for scholarship notifications, which are typically sent in April, while continuing to make smaller, manageable payments if desired. Payments can be made manually or automatically through your student account.

If a scholarship applicant does not receive sufficient funding to attend, they may cancel their enrollment and receive a refund of all payments made within the current enrollment year. This allows families to plan ahead with confidence while awaiting the April scholarship decisions.

Read more about NSLC’s cancellation policy below.

Community Fundraising: Engaging Your Network

Community fundraising can be a helpful way to supplement scholarships and payment plans, making your NSLC experience more achievable. NSLC provides a Community Fundraising Guide with practical tips and resources for students to raise support from family, friends, schools, and local organizations.

The guide includes:

• Templates for letters or emails to explain your interest in NSLC
• Ideas for small events or online campaigns to gather support
• Tips for tracking your progress and sharing updates
• Suggestions for thanking supporters and showing appreciation

Fundraising doesn’t just help with tuition payments. It also gives you a chance to take initiative, practice leadership, and see the difference you can make when actively pursuing your goals. Many students find it empowering to turn their enthusiasm for NSLC into a project that engages their community.

Cancellation Policy: Support When Plans Change

NSLC understands that plans can change, and the Cancellation Policy is designed to give families clarity and flexibility while planning their summer schedule. If a student needs to withdraw from a program, the policy outlines how refunds are handled depending on when the cancellation is made.

Payments are protected in several ways. Depending on when a student withdraws, payments may be refunded, transferred to a family member, or applied toward attendance in the following year. Combined with the Payment Plan, this flexibility gives families peace of mind when registering for a program, allowing students to focus on preparing for a meaningful summer experience.

For scholarship applicants, as mentioned above, if you don’t receive enough scholarship funding to attend, you can cancel and receive a refund of all payments made within your current enrollment year. This protection applies while you’re waiting for scholarship decisions. Once you accept a scholarship award and confirm your enrollment, the standard cancellation policy applies.

Full details are available in the Summer Program FAQs and within your student profile.

Moving Forward with Confidence

Funding your NSLC experience doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With scholarships, flexible payment plans, community fundraising guidance, and a clear cancellation policy, there are multiple ways to make participation possible. Each of these tools is designed to support students and families, so the focus can stay on the excitement of the program itself.

By exploring these options, taking action early, and using the resources available, students can approach their summer plans with clarity and excitement. NSLC is here to guide you every step of the way, helping turn your curiosity, leadership goals, and passions into a meaningful and memorable summer experience.