REIMBURSEMENT SCHOLARSHIP - COMPETITION FEES
SCHOLARSHIP DESCRIPTION
MMSST Competition Reimbursement Scholarships are need-based scholarships that are awarded to families that meet all eligibility requirements. This scholarship will reimburse a portion of fees affiliated with competitions, such as registration fees, lodging, travel and more.
To view a more detailed breakdown of reimbursable competition expenses, view the Competition Fee FAQ below. Families can be reimbursed with 20%, 40% or 75% of their total competition fees depending on income.
We highly recommend reviewing all the content on this page and the FAQ within the application.
Questions?
Contact Us - awards@mammothfoundation.org
SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS
In order to complete the application for the Competition Fee Reimbursement Scholarship, families will need to provide the following pieces of information/documents:
- The total cost spent on competition fees during the current winter season
- A breakdown of each individual expense paid for each competition
- Receipts for each individual expense submitted
- Please Note: this does not apply when applying for gas reimbursement from traveling in a personal vehicle.
- Please Note: if submitting an MMSST invoice as a receipt, it must be the most recent version for the current year.
- Current year 1040 tax forms showing family's Adjusted Gross Income
- Previous year 1040 tax forms showing family's Adjusted Gross Income
- Student/athlete most recent report card from the current year.
Please note, our staff may request additional information to confirm your family's AGI after your application has been submitted.
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY
In order to be eligible to receive a reimbursement through this scholarship, families will need to meet the following eligibility
- Student/athlete must be a current member of MMSST
- Student/athlete must be enrolled in school, ages K-12
- Family must have purchased a MMCF Membership during the current ski/snowboard season - purchase MMCF Membership >>
- Student/athlete must have at least a 2.75 GPA
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENT
If you are awarded a Reimbursement Scholarship, the MMCF team requires a minimum of four hours of volunteer help in the coming year for each child that receives a scholarship (1 child = 4 hours / 2 children = 8 hours).
MMCF has three key events each year that we look for volunteers:
- Mammoth Invitational
- Mammoth Wine Weekend
- Mammoth Gran Fondo
SCHOLARSHIP TIMELINE
Please make note of the 2023 application timeline - please plan accordingly to have your application in by the deadline, we will not be able to accommodate late applications.
Opens - Monday, May 15, 2023
Closes - Monday, July 10, 2023 (midnight)
Review Begins - Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Reimbursement Distribution - starts Monday, August 28, 2023
SMARTER SELECT TUTORIAL
Our new online application portal is powered by Smarter Select - it is a very easy to use online application. To make it even easier to use, we have created a short PDF tutorial calling out a couple of features that we think you will find extra useful.
SCHOLARSHIP FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your private information and our suggestion around keeping it safe.
While Smarter Select (our application platform) is very secure, we do not recommend including your sensitive personal data in any documentation you provide us. Per example, in your tax forms, we recommend you either screen shot the page(s) needed or black out your SSN.
I have more than one student/athlete, can I submit multiple applications?
Yes, you can submit as many individual applications as you wish from your account - please be sure to submit a new application for each athlete.
Can I come back into the application and finish it later?
Yes, once you open an application for this award you can come back into your application and work on it as you need until the deadline. Your application will be saved in your account and listed under your "My Applications" menu.
How much reimbursement will my family receive?
Scholarship amounts are determined by your family's adjusted gross income and the amount spent on team, competitions, and/or camps. For example, families in the 40% reimbursement bracket will receive scholarships that cover 40% of what families paid for team, competition, and/or camp fees.
|
AGI BRACKET |
REIMBURSEMENT PERCENT |
|
< $56,000 |
75% |
|
$56,000 - $97,000 |
40% |
|
$97,000 - $162,400 |
20% |
|
$162,400 - $181,000 |
20% for families of 5+ |
Which competition expenses are reimbursable?
MMCF will review every expense you submit to determine if it is eligible for reimbursement.
Reimbursable expenses:
- Fees paid to MMSST for traveling with the team - these fees will show up on your official MMSST invoice
- Competition entry fees
- Lift tickets to compete (note: Ikon and Epic passes are approved on a case-by-case basis, depending on usage)
- Airline tickets to/from competition destinations
- Airline baggage fees for competition travel
- Gas to/from competition destinations (note: receipts are not required for gas reimbursement. Please submit the start and end points of your travel, along with the total miles driven)
- Shuttles or trains to/from competition destinations
- Lodging for the duration of competition
- Basic lodging/accommodations essential for competitions
Non reimbursable expenses:
- Membership fees for USASA, USSA, etc.
- Transportation fees within a competition destination (i.e. ubers, bus tickets, gas costs between lodging and the mountain)
- Family or friends traveling with an athlete
- Extra lodging before or after competition dates
- Luxury hotels or luxury Airbnbs (note: we understand that some families will split a large airbnb to save money - these will be approved on a case-by-case basis)
- Airline ticket add-ons such as seat upgrades
If athletes chose not to travel with the team, are those expenses still reimbursable?
Yes, but the total amount of reimbursement is limited to the total amount of team travel. For example, if team travel is available for the cost of $700 for a competition, but the family chooses to travel separately from the team for a total cost of $2,000, that family will only receive a percentage of $700 as their total reimbursement amount.
We understand that each MMSST team travel is not always an option, and certain team travel options vary. We work closely with MMSST staff to understand the travel options of each specific competition to determine reimbursement amounts.
What counts as a receipt?
In order for documentation to qualify as a receipt, it must include confirmation of payment, name of business/organization paid to, expense type, and total amount paid, MMCF will accept digital copies of paper receipts, digital copies of shuttle/train tickets, competition registration confirmation emails, flight confirmations, and lodging confirmations.
MMCF will not accept a bank or credit card statement as proof of payment.
Please note - your receipts need to be in PDF, JPG, or JPEG format to be able to upload them in the online application.
What if I lost my receipts for some of my expenses?
If you are missing receipts for registration fees, we recommend reaching out to the organization (i.e. USSA or USASA) that hosted the competition to receive proof of registration and payment. For airline or lodging receipts, we recommend reaching out to the company and asking for a copy of the receipt. Please make sure you have plenty of time to ask before the application deadline.
Why are receipts so important?
In order to receive a reimbursement scholarship, we are buying your receipts from you. By doing it this way, we protect you from having a tax liability on the award. Without your receipts, we cannot legally give you a scholarship. Credit card statements do not count as receipts.
Is there a limit on scholarship size?
Competition reimbursement scholarships are capped at $3,500.
Does MMCF provide reimbursement for family travel?
No. If parents travel with their children to competitions, these expenses will not be reimbursed. Please only submit expenses related to athlete travel/competition fees.
Does MMCF only reimburse for certain types of competitions?
MMCF provides reimbursement for all ski and snowboarding competitions, regardless of race or competition status. Skateboarding competitions will not be reimbursed.