Start with a clear purpose and limited options
Before inviting applications, decide what your program’s financial support is meant to do. Is it intended to reduce barriers to participation, help families manage a temporary change, or make fees more proportional to household circumstances? A clear purpose helps staff explain the process and make consistent decisions.
Choose an approach that your team can sustain. A sliding scale might offer three published fee levels, while a scholarship might cover a set amount or a portion of the fee. You do not need to offer every kind of support. For example, a small program could start with one reduced-fee option and a limited number of full scholarships, then review whether that arrangement is manageable before changing it.
Write down what each option covers, who may request it, and whether support applies to one session or a longer period. Avoid promising a specific award before confirming what your program can fund. The ONWARD Playbook resources can help your team think through program operations and prepare guidance that suits your setting.
Publish criteria families can understand
Set criteria before reviewing requests. Keep them relevant to the program’s purpose and simple enough for staff to apply consistently. A program might say that families can request a lower fee if the standard amount is a barrier, and that requests are reviewed against available support and the information provided. If you use income ranges or other indicators, define them clearly and explain how they influence a decision.
Tell families what is not required, too. If you do not need a detailed explanation of a personal hardship, say so. Avoid asking for sensitive details simply because a form could collect them. When supporting documents are necessary for your process, explain why, who will review them, and how they will be handled according to your organization’s policies.
Use plain language in invitations, registration materials, and staff conversations. For example: “If the listed fee makes participation difficult, you may request a reduced rate. You can choose from the options below or contact us to discuss another amount.” This communicates flexibility without suggesting that every request will receive the same outcome. Review your wording periodically; the registration and payments page is a useful place to consider how fee information fits into the broader registration experience.
Keep the request private and proportionate
Ask only for information needed to decide on support and coordinate the fee. A short request might ask which fee option a family is seeking, whether they want to share a brief note, and how staff should follow up. Make optional questions genuinely optional. Do not ask families to repeat sensitive information in several places if one appropriate contact can handle the conversation.
Decide who can see requests before they arrive. For example, a program director may review the request, while instructors receive only the final fee information they need to support participation. Agree on where records belong and who is responsible for keeping them in line with your organization’s procedures. The goal is not to hide relevant information from responsible staff; it is to avoid unnecessary circulation.
When discussing a request, use a private channel and neutral language. A family should not have to explain their fee in front of other participants or families. If staff need clarification, ask one focused question, explain why it matters, and offer a way to respond privately. For more operational prompts and planning ideas, explore ONWARD insights.
Use the same review workflow each time
A simple workflow makes decisions easier to explain and less dependent on who happens to receive a request. First, acknowledge receipt and explain when the family can expect a response. Next, check the request against your published criteria and the support available. If information is missing, ask for only what is needed. Then record the decision, the agreed fee, who will communicate it, and when the arrangement should be reviewed.
Set a realistic review rhythm. A small team might review requests once a week, while a larger program could assign a designated reviewer. Either way, avoid leaving requests unanswered until registration closes. If support is limited, communicate that decisions depend on available funds and provide a reasonable next step when the requested amount cannot be offered, such as asking whether another fee level would help.
Keep the decision message brief and respectful. Confirm the fee or support period, any next steps, and whom to contact with questions. Do not include personal details in routine messages unless they are necessary. If a request is declined or only partly met, explain the decision without judging the family’s circumstances.
Check the process, then improve it
A process is only useful if families can find it and staff can follow it. Before opening registration, have someone unfamiliar with the draft materials test them: Can they tell how to ask, what information is needed, when they will hear back, and who to contact? After a program cycle, review the workflow with the staff involved. Look for delays, confusing instructions, repeated questions, or information the team did not need.
Use this short checklist before the next enrollment period:
• Define the purpose, fee options, and decision criteria. • State what information is required and what is optional. • Identify the reviewer and limit access to appropriate staff. • Set a response timeline and a process for follow-up. • Confirm how decisions and agreed fees will be recorded. • Review family-facing language for clarity and respect.
**Next action:** Before your next registration period, ask one staff member to map a request from first contact to final fee confirmation. Use that walkthrough to identify one unclear instruction and revise it before families see the process.
COMMON QUESTIONS
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