Information and suggestions about
financial aid, home stays and other resources
if you have less financial resources

Please note the recommended pricing for registration fee.

If you are unable to afford full price, please list on your registration the highest amount you are able to afford. The Access Queen will contact you to discuss possible discounts and support.

Look at the list of accommodations to see if there are locations you can afford. Remember that sharing an accommodation cuts the price (except for the hostel) in half. Many hotels have two large beds so 4 good friends could stay together; also ask about the cost of each additional person. First come first serve reservations, so reserve early. There is a large market nearby Fort Mason for buying additional food (note the schedule to see which meals are being provided as part of your registration). If you know of friends in the San Francisco area, ask them if you can stay at their home. You can take MUNI or BART to our conference locations from San Francisco, the East Bay and bus or train to MUNI from the North or South Bay.

Please read about accommodations first—then if the lowest cost accommodations are not affordable for you, please let us know on your registration form if you will be seeking support or a home stay. We will do our best to accommodate everyone although we cannot guarantee a large number of home stays.

Consider taking BART from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO)—the train station is located inside the airport. Cost to San Francisco Civic Center Station is $5.35 US. Then take a MUNI bus (at that same station) to your accommodation. Cost for one trip is $1.50 US, and asking for a transfer when you pay gives you a free trip within a certain time period.

Remember to include in your budget some pocket money—for breakfast snacks, dinner out or a book you may wish to buy (like the new 3^rd edition of the User's Guide).

Remember that if you are coming from another country you will want to change currency at the airport (they charge a reasonable fee—a percentage—and it is a safe location to do so).

Feel very free to ask others at the WOSonOS to take you to dinner or help you buy a book—they are waiting to be asked so they can share their resources with you.

See this link for Ideas for Raising Money for yourself and others.

Prepare a budget and list what you are seeking support for. Include in that budget a list of items and costs for air and ground transport, accommodation, extra food for each day, and pocket money. This will be very useful when contacting your local businesses or communities or requesting funds from an agency. Realize that most official funding agencies have very specific requirements and criteria and may or may not fund individuals—look at their information carefully before you apply and give careful thought to the best way to write your information in response to their requirements.

It is very unlikely that anyone will give you full funding—funders like to know that you are raising your own funds and seeking funding from multiple sources, as well.

If you are in a region where there is an Open Space Institute, you may wish to contact them to see if they know of any local funding opportunities.

The Open Space Institute USA may have some partial funding available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please read their funding criteria well to see if you qualify and to write your request.

Contact the Access Queen to discuss your needs and resources. She is not a funding source but she will help you to think out your needs and requests.

Pack into your suitcase some lovely artisan work or non-perishable food from your country or community or items you have made—you will have the opportunity to sell these at the WOSonOS to raise money for some of your expenses at the Global Village Marketplace tables. You can do this and/or raise money for the Access Queen project to help next year's "Askers".