‍A tuition increase, effective May 2021, will help keep BSF resilient, and it will be buffered by a 64% increase in need-based scholarships. 

HOW WE GOT HERE

From an administrative perspective, the 2020-21 season and the pandemic were challenging for BSF. We had much uncertainty throughout the year and ultimately cancelled major fundraisers including the Ski Swap and Banff. At the same time, we were fortunate to be able to offer ski programs all year long. For all the stress behind the scenes, our programs enjoyed great success on the snow. In the end, we had a 20% increase in enrollment. The staff worked incredibly hard to hire additional coaches, add sessions, and accommodate the growing need for ski programs. While we lost a lot of fundraising income, our finances remained stable because BSF received  COVID-relief grants/loans and because so many local businesses stepped up to sponsor BSF events and help cover grooming expenses. 

THE PLAN 

As we celebrate BSF’s 85th anniversary, we are looking to the future and want to ensure we have a viable business model moving forward. An 8% increase in tuition will start to move the needle toward paying our coaches salaries that permit them to live in our community; allow BSF to focus on areas where fundraising is most critical, such as for our need-based scholarship fund; and prudently set aside a small reserve for unexpected times and capital projects. 

We made these decisions because: 

• BSF has not always operated with a cash reserve, and it’s a best practice for a nonprofit of our size to budget for a 2% to 4% reserve. This ensures we have money set aside for unexpected times (hopefully not another pandemic!), as well as savings for future capital expenses, such as vans and grooming equipment. 
• Traditionally BSF has subsidized every athlete at approximately 50%--meaning we fundraised to cover half of the program costs for every student. With our continued growth, this model is simply not sustainable given our lean staff. BSF is proud that we have never had to turn a student away due to costs, and we are committed to keeping this track record and have already started fundraising to increase our need-based scholarship funds. 
• Finally, our programs are only as good as our coaches. If we want to keep great coaches, they need to earn enough to be able to live in or near Bozeman and contribute to our community long term. And they need to be paid a wage that is competitive with other ski clubs. This situation has been festering over the past several years, and now with Bozeman’s cost of living hitting a critical point, BSF is addressing this issue by  budgeting to pay our lead coaches a more appropriate wage. 

KEEPING SKIING AFFORDABLE

We are sensitive to the fact that a tuition increase will present a challenge to some families. Please, please don’t think that means you shouldn’t ski with us. BSF remains completely committed to keeping skiing accessible to every family, which is why we plan to increase need-based scholarships by 64% for this next season. If you need a scholarship, apply. Some of you may feel unsure about applying for financial aid, but we urge you to apply if you need it. And you should encourage other families to do the same. The process is confidential. Applications are due October 15, 2021. Learn more HERE. 

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