Merit Scholarships 

Castle Chess, Inc. offers $100 merit scholarships to campers who have achieved a peak rating by a certain age (based on camper’s age on the first day of camp and peak rating):

10 years and under: USCF rating above 1500
11 years: USCF rating above 1600
12 years: USCF rating above 1700
13 years: USCF rating above 1800
14 years: USCF rating above 1900
15 years and up: USCF rating above 2000

Castle Chess awards $300 scholarships to the winners of the top sections (not "U" sections) at the Spring National Scholastic USCF Championships (Elementary, Junior High, and High School). Winners of the USCF Grade Level National Championships (typically held in December) also qualify for a $300 merit award. For the Grade-level champions, scholarships are valid for the camp immediately following the championship. For the Spring champions, scholarships may be used in either the camp immediately following the award OR the following year, but not both.

To claim a merit award when registering via Paypal, submit payment in full for camp and then send an email to Jennifer Christianson, jennifer@castlechess.org, and you will receive a refund. To claim a merit award when paying by check, simply send in the lower amount along with a note of explanation. (Please note: merit awards are mutually exclusive- in other words, you cannot claim both the $300 award AND the $100 award.)

Need-based Assistance

Castle Chess, Inc., does offer limited help to campers with demonstrable need for financial assistance as our budget allows. All need-based scholarship inquiries and awards will be kept confidential. Please direct inquiries to Debbie Torrance, debbie@castlechess.org.

All requests for needs-based assistance must be received no later than March 31st, 2011. A final decision will be made in all cases by April 30th.

 FIDE Womens Commission on Chess Scholarship 

Castle Chess teams up with the FIDE Womens Commission on Chess to offer one full scholarship each year to a girl from Latin America to come and study at the camp. For more information on this scholarship, read the article on the FIDE website.

All scholarships and awards are non-transferable.