Tara Mandala Registration & Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance

Registration
**Before deciding to register for any retreat, we ask that you thoroughly read the section below in addition to our Retreat Information and Getting Here.**

Registration Procedures
Minimum deposit (on registration form) of the course fee must be received at the time of registration. Registration received with full payment 30 days before the retreat begins will receive $25 off. You may register online, by phone, or by mail. Payments may be made by cash, personal check, or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express).
Space is limited, so please register early!

Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation letter providing instructions on check-in procedures, a map to the land, what to bring, and other pertinent information.

Course Fee
The Course Fee cover includes three vegetarian meals daily, use of the community building facilities including spacious baths and lounging areas, and practice texts when applicable. The course fee does not include teacher dana. New accommodation options, including our residence hall, will be available in December, 2007.

Why a Sliding Scale?
All our retreat prices are listed on a sliding scale. Amounts paid over the minimum are placed into the Evada Scholarship account as a way of ensuring our retreats are available to interested people with a range of economic situations. Please consider your situation carefully and pay at the highest level you are able.

Dana
Dana is a Pali word which means generosity. The teachers in our programs donate their time in service of the Dharma and only receive what retreatants offer at the end of the retreat. Traditionally, teachings were given freely, so there is no required amount of dana and Tara Mandala is only charging a course price that covers our food, facilities, staff and overhead costs. Below the course price, we have listed a suggested dana amount in an effort to give participants an idea of what a traditional offering might be for each retreat. Please remember, most teachers dedicate their lives to teaching and either have no other source of income, or donate all of their dana to Dharma activities. There will be an opportunity to make dana contributions at the end of each retreat.

Changes, Cancellations, Refunds
Cancellations must be made in writing. Refund amounts (course fee minus a cancellation fee) are dependent on timing of cancellation.
Cancellation received 30 days prior to retreat start date: minus $25.
Cancellation received 10 days prior: minus $75.
No refunds can be given for cancellations less than 10 days prior.

Please understand that last minute cancellations are costly for us. The staff time and budget committed to each program’s food is based upon the number of people registered. A portion of course fees kept from cancellations is dedicated to the Evada Scholarship Fund.

In the unlikely event that Tara Mandala makes substantial changes to the content of a retreat or cancels a retreat altogether, payment will be refunded in full or may be transferred to another retreat.

Download printable registration form now (on main event page) or register online.

Financial Assistance Options

Deferred Payment Plan
Deferred payment plans are available based on financial need. You must fill out an application and work out a payment schedule with the office. If approved you must provide post-dated checks or your credit card number for prompt payments. Please contact the office 970.731.3711 to request financial assistance forms.

Plan details:
1. Participant must make the first installment of at least 25% of retreat total at time of registration..
2. The balance is to be paid off within three months of the completion of the retreat and a monthly payment is required.
3. An application must be filled out and all arrangements confirmed in writing and signed by both Tara Mandala and the participant.
4. In order to ensure timely and complete payments, we require you to provide us with either:
a. Your credit card number so that the amount agreed upon by both parties may be automatically deducted monthly, or
b. Post-dated checks made out for the proper amount to be cashed by Tara Mandala on the appropriate dates.
5. In the event your check or credit card is not accepted for payment by the bank, you will be charged a 7% monthly fee on your remaining balance and billed for any applicable bank fees.

Evada Scholarship Fund
The Evada Fund is designed to assist those who, due to financial hardship, may not otherwise be able to attend our retreats. These funds are available to cover a portion of the retreat fees for programs at Tara Mandala. At this time scholarships are available for all retreats. Call the Tara Mandala office 970. 731.3711 or email info@taramandala.org for further details and an application.

Please read the following information carefully before applying for a scholarship.
Conditions and procedures:
1. One scholarship application per person must be filled out and returned to Tara Mandala.
2. Applications must be received at least one month prior to the start of the retreat in order to be considered for the first round of allocation of funds. Applications received later than the one month deadline will be processed as received and only if funds are available after the first round.
3. Applicants may apply for a scholarship for more than one retreat, but are only eligible to receive one scholarship during the calendar year.
4. Applicants will be asked to assess their financial need and request from a 10% - 50% reduction from the price of the retreat. Example: A request for a 25% scholarship on a $250 retreat would mean a scholarship discount of $75, leaving a total retreat payment of $175.
5. Scholarships are applicable toward retreat fees only. Scholarship awards will be deducted from the balance due. The course fee minus the scholarship awarded is due prior to the retreat's start unless a deferred payment plan is arranged beforehand.
Please contact us at info@taramandala.org for an application.
6. A maximum of $500 per calendar year and per retreat can be awarded to one person.

In the future, should your financial circumstances change we hope you will consider making a donation to this fund to benefit others.
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