Costs

The total cost for the 2024 Expedition will be between $11,000 and $12,000. For all students, field fees and tuition cover:

• Tuition for six upper-division Earth and environmental science credits through either the University of Maine, University of Colorado Boulder, or the University of Alaska Southeast (for Alaskan students), paid directly to the university.

• Field fees, for all students, paid directly to JIRP and its funding partner, the Foundation for Glacier and Environmental Research (FGER). This field fee covers a portion of the costs of operating on the Icefield for six weeks and in Juneau/Atlin for two weeks:

  • Food: Two hot meals per day, trail lunch, and snacks. We fly food into the field weekly via helicopter. We support a variety of dietary restrictions but we cannot safely accommodate all severe food allergies. Please contact our staff directly at office@juneauicefield.org if you have a severe food allergy.

  • Lodging: We provide accommodations in Juneau and on the Icefield. JIRP operates and maintains a series of permanent field camps located across the Icefield; we also periodically use 4-season tents as temporary field camps.

  • Safety Training: All expedition participants receive instruction in glacier travel, crevasse rescue, ropework, general wilderness travel skills, communication, etc.

  • Academic instruction: In-depth, hands-on mentorship and training from approximately two dozen expert scientists and researchers; fully developed academic curriculum and field projects; robust academic lectures throughout the program.

  • Logistical Support: Includes all communication via radio and satellite phone, delivery of food and supplies, and movement of short-term personnel to and from field camps.

  • Fuel: All camps are equipped with generators for limited power and propane for cooking. Additionally, we support fieldwork with gasoline-powered snow machines.

  • Transportation during the program: We travel in and around Atlin and Juneau by van and bus; from Atlin, BC to Skagway, AK by chartered bus; from Skagway to Juneau, AK by ferry; and on Lake Atlin by boat.

  • Use of group gear: Wear and tear on camp facilities, safety gear, scientific equipment, over-snow vehicles, etc.

  • Evacuation Insurance: Evacuation to the hospital Juneau in the case of an injury sustained on the program, either via helicopter or overland.

  • Field notebook: One Rite in the Rain field notebook.

  • JIRP Logo t-shirt: One very fashionable JIRP t-shirt.

    
    
    
    
    

Outside of the tuition and field fees, participants are responsible for the following:

• Travel to and from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory (by plane or car) or Skagway, Alaska (by ferry). We will pick up students and bring them to our facility in Atlin, British Columbia for orientation week.

• Personal ski mountaineering and general backcountry equipment: This equipment, detailed on the Gear List page, includes field clothing, backpack, sleeping bag, ice axe, and cross country skis and boots.

• Health Insurance: For any medical care you require as a result of the injury sustained at JIRP.

• Any time in Juneau before or after the program: Due to staff training and program closing work that must happen before and after the students are present, we cannot accommodate anyone other than staff at the JIRP facility.

Aside from keeping our costs low, we will do everything we can to help students bring the financial burden down. This includes:

• Writing letters of support for third-party grant/scholarship opportunities.

• Tailoring student research to fit within grant funding guidelines.

• Deferring enrollment for accepted students for a year or two to allow you to apply for funding options.

• Funding student fees directly through the Joan W. Miller Scholarship Fund (note: the maximum award for this scholarship is $3000).

The costs of attending JIRP are high, and we do everything in our power to keep this field fee as manageable as possible. Operationally, this includes relying on over 40,000 volunteer hours per year from faculty and staff to make the field season run productively. Almost all our summer staff and faculty volunteer their time for the 2-10 weeks they’re with the Expedition. We strongly encourage students to investigate funding options available from their home institutions, outside organizations such as Rotary, and assistance from family or friends. We are working on options for students to apply existing financial aid (through their home institutions) to both tuition and the JIRP field fee. We invite students interested in this option to contact our staff at office@juneauicefield.org.

We continue to apply for other funding options for the program as a whole to lower field fees, and we dearly hope that in the future JIRP will be able to offer a far lower barrier to entry.

Financial Aid through JIRP

JIRP is able to award several partial scholarships to students thanks to generous donations from the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and ColdEx, as well as from individuals who have contributed to the Joan W. Miller Scholarship Fund. These scholarships are awarded without regard for academic enrollment or citizenship, so they are available to students not enrolled in school and to international students. In recent years the JIRP has been able to meet approximately 15% of the support requested through the Scholarship Fund.

In an effort to support as many students as possible, the maximum award from JIRP is $3000 per student.

To apply for financial aid from JIRP through these avenues, please submit the JIRP Scholarship Application, due with the Academic Application. Decisions about financial aid will be delivered concurrently with application decisions for accepted students so these students can make a fully informed decision about enrollment.

The Student Application to JIRP is need-blind: we do not consider whether an applicant has applied for financial aid when reading their application to the program. This means that applying for financial aid will have no bearing on your acceptance to the program. It also means JIRP may accept your application to be a student but may not be able to provide you with the financial support you requested. In this circumstance, we are committed to providing what support we can to you in finding additional funding.

If you have any questions about financing your JIRP participation or about the Scholarship Application, please contact our staff at office@juneauicefield.org.

The Scholarship Application to JIRP is due December 10th.

We are immensely grateful to the supporters of financial aid at JIRP

Other Funding Options

We strongly encourage students to inquire about funding from their home institutions and other community organizations. The following information may be helpful in starting an online search for scholarship awards.

At your home institution:

Earth Science or Geosciences Department: Many schools have funding support for students doing summer research and/or field camps. The easiest way to learn about available options will be to talk to a professor in the department. If you have an adviser in the department, start there. Otherwise, an Undergraduate Coordinator (if you’re at a large university) or any professor whose class you’ve taken may be able to help.

Fellowships Office: Many universities have a Fellowships Office that serves as a clearing house for funding for learning outside the classroom. To figure out if your school has one, google “Fellowships [School Name]”.

Career Office: This is a little more out there, but most schools have a career office. They may well know about grant money for summer research or summer courses. Even though JIRP may not seem like a “career” thing, it’s worth asking them.

Older students: Ask around with other students! This can be an excellent source of information. Older students especially may have valuable experience funding summer/study abroad courses.

Consortium Agreement: Many schools allow you to use a “Consortium Agreement” to use existing financial aid to pay for courses like JIRP. Policies vary from school to school.