ABOUT OUR TUITION-FREE SEMESTER PROGRAM:
Thanks to the incredible support of a few very committed individuals and two private foundations, we are pleased to announce that–for the first time in our history–Kroka is able to offer a tuition-free semester program! We share a vision that Kroka’s most impactful program should be accessible to students of extraordinary character and determination, without financial obstacles to enrollment. Traditionally this program has cost up to $35,000 per student, but thanks to frugal planning and generous grant funding we are now able to offer our 2025 Full Circle Semester without this financial obstacle.
ARE ALL OF KROKA’S SEMESTER PROGRAMS NOW TUITION-FREE?
No. While we work towards being able to offer this tuition free model for each of our semesters, as of 2025 we have funding support for our Full Circle Semester only – which is our oldest (20 years!) and longest (five months!) semester program. Our Fall Semesters will continue to be supported by family tuitions using our donor-supported sliding scale model. We are thrilled to be able to take this step towards our vision of offering tuition-free semesters year round!
IS IT REALLY COMPLETELY FREE?
No. Like many schools and programs, every semester program has additional fees for materials and board. During the past twenty years of semester programs, Kroka has used a sliding scale tuition (up to $35,000) to cover our direct and indirect costs. For Full Circle 2025, we are taking a leap to cover these tuition costs entirely through frugal planning coupled with the above-mentioned donor and foundation support.
Students and families will be required to purchase (or borrow or make) items from the packing list and pay an enrollment deposit of $2,000. This deposit will serve as your contingency account for any unexpected personal expenses on semester, the remainder of which will be refunded to you upon successful completion of the program.
In order to make this vision possible, there are some fees associated with participating:
- Craft supplies and materials for items that you will take home at the conclusion of the program
- Purchase of required equipment that you will take home at the conclusion of the program
- Group donation contributions that we will use to support organizations who support us along the way
- Rental of Kroka Equipment for student’s personal use during the program
- Food, in addition to contributions of snacks and dehydrated items
The final total for fees for the 2025 Full Circle Semester will be announced to enrolled families by January 1st, and are guaranteed to not exceed $3,500 per person. We cannot offer additional financial aid support towards the cost of these fees. For farm families or food entrepreneurs, we can accept needed food items at fair market value towards the cost of your fees, and welcome other creative ideas. College credit through Sterling College is an additional fee per credit paid directly to Sterling College (contact us for more information).
ADMISSIONS PROCESS:
- Online registration HERE
- Letter of recommendation *
- Personal essay *
- Physical fitness questionnaire *
- Medical Questionnaire *
- Academic transcript/or education questionnaire*
* Once you register online, you will be given access to a portal with more instructions and a method for submitting these items. You can also email items directly to semester@kroka.org, submit them by postal mail, or hand deliver them to our office in Marlow!
Students who have had no prior contact with Kroka will need to make themselves available for a face-to-face interview. If you live within a 200 mile radius of Kroka, we will ask you to travel to the Kroka campus in Marlow on or prior to December 5th. If you live further away, we will find a local Kroka representative to interview you, or we will interview you via Zoom.
HOW WILL ADMISSIONS DECISIONS BE MADE?
We seek students of extraordinary character who are sincerely passionate and motivated for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. You must be age-eligible for the program (16-21 years old for the Full Circle Semester), and demonstrate that you are physically capable of rigorous expedition travel and socially able to contribute to the emotional and intellectual life of the community. Please read our Essential Eligibility Criteria. Outside of these criteria, Kroka does not discriminate based on sex, gender identity, physical or mental disability, perceived disability, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
We will give preference to students who have already successfully completed a Kroka summer or school group program and can provide a recommendation from their previous Kroka instructor. If you need help getting in touch with that instructor, we can assist you. Prompt or early submission of your application materials is strongly encouraged.
WHAT IF I HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS?
Students who have already been admitted do not need to do anything more. Congratulations! Students who are still in the admissions process should complete their application as soon as possible and will need to await an admissions decision together with the rest of the applicant pool on December 6th.
IF I AM OFFERED A SPOT, HOW DO I ACCEPT IT?
Students will be notified via postal mail and email. Upon receipt of you notification, you will have five days in which to accept it by signing the acceptance form and mailing or delivering it to us, together with a deposit check for $2,000.
The financial deposit is to ensure your commitment to us and to cover any unexpected personal costs during the program. The unused portion of this financial deposit will be fully refunded to you upon successful completion of the program. If you have not accepted your spot within five days, your place will be offered to another student from the waiting list. The remaining fees will be due at the opening day of the program, and payment plans are available upon request.
WHAT IF MY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFERS TUITION PAYMENTS FOR INDEPENDENT EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES?
Many rural communities without local high schools offer tuition payments for out-of-town high school educational opportunities. Specifically, Vermont and Maine offer tuition/school choice vouchers, and New Hampshire offers the Education Freedom Account. If you live in an area that offers one of these programs, we can help you use this to cover the fees. In this case, there will be no refund of the enrollment deposit.
CAN I PAY THE FEES USING RESOURCES FROM A 529 EDUCATIONAL SAVINGS PLAN?
If you have a 529 educational savings plan and you wish to get college credit through Sterling College, we can help you use your funds to cover the fees of the Kroka semester program.
