I n 2007 NOLS awarded scholarships to 357 students who demonstrated both a real potential to further the school's mission and an inability to attend a course without financial assistance. Funding for scholarships is made possible through the generosity of donors to the NOLS Endowment and the NOLS Annual Fund.

NOLS scholarship recipients fall into three broad categories:

Outdoor Educators

A NOLS priority is to educate the educator. This focus allows NOLS to leverage its scholarship efforts in a powerful way by educating teachers, program leaders and land managers.

Individual Scholarships

About half of NOLS' budgeted scholarship funds goes to individual scholarships. We also have a diversity priority. It is to everyone's benefit to diversify the population receiving a NOLS education. This diversity includes ethnicity, age, gender and socio-economic status.

Local Programs

The final segment of scholarship funds is awarded to individuals who live in areas in which we operate. For example, in Mexico and Chile we conduct Spanish Programs for land managers, educators and guides.

The Decision Process

NOLS scholarship decisions are made by a committee of representatives from admissions and operations. We consider individuals in relation to other applicants in their same course type (i.e. all semester course applicants together, all outdoor educator course applicants together, etc.). In this way we're able to reserve money for each area and avoid comparing applicants to others with a different league of experience.

Scholarships are the best way to make NOLS' education more accessible. Scholarships provide opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to come to NOLS, where they learn practical leadership skills they can use on personal expeditions and at work and school. NOLS students also develop personal ethics that they strive to embody throughout their lives.

Learn More About NOLS Scholarships

The Paul Petzoldt Legacy Scholarship

Applying for a Scholarship