Tuition & Material Fees
At Outsider Folk School, our goal is to make sure that all parties feel equitably compensated: students paying for their workshop should feel as if they got their money’s worth; the folk school staff compensated for their work in scheduling & logistics; and teachers compensated for all of their efforts before, during and after class. Finding a balance between all these three is incredibly difficult so as time goes on, don’t be surprised if things shift.
However, as it stands now, the folk school is offering a tuition system based on the below:
Workshop Tuition: This is calculated using an hourly rate that depends on the difficulty of the class. Beginner courses are currently calculated at 15/hr per student. This allows us to keep cost consistent and compensates the teacher & the school for all of the preparation and actual teaching of the course. This provides the ‘at-cost’ tuition price for the workshop.
Sliding Scale Payment: Keeping the folk school accessible is very important to us and we will continue trying to find ways to do so however, one way we’re attempting is using a sliding scale payment. Essentially, the student has the option to choose between three tuition prices based off of their needs.
Supported: Tuition at this level is for students who struggle to make ends meet and have little to no expendable income or would not be able to attend without a discount, consider choosing this tuition. Please do not hesitate using this option if you are in this category as your engagement with these skills is important regardless of financial standing. If you need additional help, please reach out at registrar@outsiderfolkschool.com
Supporter: Tuition at this level is for students who can move through life and expenses with relative financial comfort but still need to budget for expendable income.
Sponsor: Tuition at this level is for students who are financially well off and have the income to fulfill both wants and needs. Choosing this option helps cover the costs of students who need to use the Supported tuition price. if you decide to choose this tuition price, it is greatly appreciated as it will help sustain this endeavor.
Material Fees: Some classes have material fees, this is typically reserved for courses in which the student brings home an item they have worked on or crafted. Because material fees may be waived if a student brings their own material, have been in a previous workshop, etc., the easiest way to handle this is for students to bring cash to give to the teacher directly. There are secondary options to pay like Venmo or Paypal but cash is preferred.
Class Age Limits
At Outsider Folk School, we aim to make classes as accessible as possible, which includes making sure people of all ages can participate. We not only believe that learning these skills should be available to everyone regardless of age and learning new skills is as important to children as it is to elders. Additionally, we find that mixed-age classes help expand the horizons of everyone involved. With this in mind, age limits for courses are a ‘soft-suggestion’ (unless otherwise noted) that are based on what typically is needed for hand-dexterity and project complexity. However, you know your child best so please do not hesitate if there is a course that is listed above their age but you believe them to be capable of participating and enjoying themselves.
If you have any questions about age-limits or child-care at the courses, please reach out at registrar@outsiderfolkschool.com
Cancellation Policies
Students may cancel their enrolled class up to two weeks prior to the date of the event for a full refund. This is done through the booking portal however if you have issues or questions, please reach out at registrar@outsiderfolkschool.com
Most classes have a minimum enrollment, if it is not reached by 48 hours prior to the event, students registered will receive an email notifying them and a full refund will be provided.
Classes will have a “Rain dates” in case weather or other circumstances cause the event to be rescheduled. These date(s) will be included in the email confirming enrollment in a course. If a student cannot make the rescheduled date, they will be provided with a full refund or they may transfer their ticket to another available course.