Fees and Costs for Sponsoring a Course
Consider the fees and costs listed below when sponsoring a course and setting your tuition rates.
- Contracted Tuition - The per-person cost for a given course type. WMTC tuition is standardized and includes instruction, course materials (e.g. Wilderness Medicine Handbook & SOAP notes for each student), and first aid supplies required to run the course. Tuition will be included in your contract with the WMTC Licensed Provider. You and the licensed provider will also agree on a course minimum - or how many people you as the sponsor will be responsible to pay for regardless of how many people attend the course.
- Public Price - The price that sponsors charge for their courses. WMTC sets a range for this (similar to MSRP) and sponsors choose what works for them within that range given their associated costs (e.g. instructor expenses, advertising, a little buffer, consumable supplies like wipes or hand sanitizer, etc.) You may charge one price for public members and a different discounted rate for local partners or groups. Sponsors work with the WMTC office and the Licensed Provider to identify these associated costs so that they can budget for and price their courses accordingly. Any additional amenities provided as a part of the course (e.g. food or camping) can be added to the public price. Specifics on tuition and fees for courses in the United States can be found here and on the Sponsor Resources page (for current Sponsors).
- Instructor Expenses - These include instructor travel, housing, meals, baggage fees, transportation, shipping of course materials, mileage (federal rate), etc. Sponsors are responsible for all instructor expenses associated with a course. Instructors will make every effort to keep costs to a minimum and it's important for sponsors to discuss and approve estimated expenses based on current rates prior to signing a contract with a licensed provider. Each instructor's needs and comfort levels are different; at the end of a long day, they need a place to recharge and prepare for the next day. You'll want to factor in these costs when setting your course price.
- Course Equipment & Supplies - This includes anything that you're responsible for as the sponsor specified in the requirements below or in your contract with your licensed provider. Examples include pigs feet for the wounds lab, sanitizing wipes, and rental or purchase of required equipment and/or space rentals. You'll want to factor in these costs when setting your course price.
- Deposit - A portion of contracted tuition due prior to the course start. The terms of the deposit (amount, due date, etc.) is specified in the contract by the licensed provider and is designed to cover course cancellation and any up-front expenses for the instructor. Failure to pay the deposit may result in course cancelation, a cancelation fee, and late payment fees (more below).
- Cancellation Fee - This the agreed-upon fee if the course is cancelled by the sponsor. Details of cancelation are specified in the course contract with the licensed provider including amount and timelines. Canceling courses is hard for everyone — you, students, us — and we will all do everything in our power to prevent it. We would prefer to reschedule or postpone rather than cancel a course.
- Late Payment Fee - These are charges for late payments as specified in your contract with the licensed provider, including deposits. These may include any and all reasonable court and legal fees necessary to enforce the contract in the case of a late or overdue payment.
- Credit Card Surcharge - This is the processing fee charged to the licensed provider by their payment acceptance system if sponsors choose to pay by credit card. This surcharge varies and is typically around 4%. Payment by checks, money orders and direct deposits avoid these fees.
