"13GEM Sporting— A For-Profit Company with Nonprofit Principles."
Making 13GEM Programs More Accessible
13GEM Sporting believes financial circumstances should not unnecessarily prevent children from participating in quality sports, recreation, and fitness programs.
The 13GEM Sporting Scholarship Opportunity Program provides eligible families with scholarships covering 50% to 70% of eligible program tuition.
There are two ways families may qualify: a Standard Scholarship based on household income or a Hardship Scholarship for families experiencing a significant and unexpected change in their financial circumstances.
Scholarships are based on household income compared with the applicable Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for the family's household size.
Household Income Scholarship Family Pays
At or below 100% FPL 70% 30%
Over 100% through 125.99% FPL 65% 35%
126% through 150.99% FPL 60% 40%
151% through 175.99% FPL 55% 45%
176% through 200% FPL 50% 50%
Above 200% FPL See Hardship Scholarship below —
Maximum Scholarship: 70% of eligible tuition
Scholarship percentages are determined using the established scale. They are not individually negotiated.
The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is based on household size. The table below shows the approximate annual household income levels used by the 13GEM Sporting Scholarship Opportunity Program for 2026.
13GEM
Household Size 100% FPL 125% FPL 150% FPL 175% FPL 200% FPL
1 $15,960 $19,950 $23,940 $27,930 $31,920
2 $21,640 $27,050 $32,460 $37,870 $43,280
3 $27,320 $34,150 $40,980 $47,810 $54,640
4 $33,000 $41,250 $49,500 $57,750 $66,000
5 $38,680 $48,350 $58,020 $67,690 $77,360
6 $44,360 $55,450 $66,540 $77,630 $88,720
7 $50,040 $62,550 $75,060 $87,570 $100,080
8 $55,720 $69,650 $83,580 $97,510 $111,440
2026 HHS Poverty Guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and District of Columbia. For households larger than 8, the 2026 guideline adds $5,680 for each additional qualifying household member. ASPE
For Scholarship purposes, household size generally includes:
Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) + dependent children age 18 or younger who are part of the family household.
Grandparents, adult children over age 18, other extended family members, roommates, and unrelated individuals are not automatically counted simply because they live in the same home.
Special rules apply to situations involving divorce, separation, shared custody, legal guardianship, and similar circumstances.
First, determine your 13GEM Scholarship household size. Then find that household size in the left-hand column and compare your annual countable household income with the amounts across that row.
For example, for a household of 3:
This table is intended to help families estimate where they may fall on the Scholarship Sliding Scale. Final eligibility is based on 13GEM's household-size and countable-income policies and the family's calculated FPL percentage rounded according to the Scholarship Program rules.
The Standard Scholarship is for families whose household income falls at or below 200% of the applicable Federal Poverty Level.
Household size and countable household income are used to calculate the family's FPL percentage. That percentage determines the Scholarship Award.
Once approved, a Standard Scholarship is generally valid for 12 months from the approval date. At the end of that period, the family may apply for annual renewal using its current household and income information.
Sometimes a family's normal income does not tell the whole story.
The Hardship Scholarship is available for families experiencing a genuine, unforeseen circumstance that has significantly changed their financial situation.
Examples may include:
Families whose normal income is above 200% FPL may still apply for a Hardship Scholarship when a qualifying hardship has significantly changed their current financial circumstances.
Hardship Scholarships use the same 50%–70% Scholarship Sliding Scale as Standard Scholarships.
A Hardship Scholarship generally applies to one registration cycle or program season and may be reviewed again if the hardship continues into a future registration period.
13GEM considers countable household income such as:
Child support actually received counts as household income.
13GEM uses the family's qualifying household size and annual countable household income to calculate its FPL percentage.
We want the Scholarship process to verify eligibility without unnecessarily invading a family's privacy. 13GEM follows a simple principle: Documentation should be proportional to what actually needs to be verified.
Depending on the family's circumstances, documentation might include pay information, income records, child-support information, or reasonable documentation of a hardship.
Families are not automatically required to provide complete bank statements, detailed medical records, or unnecessary personal financial information. When reasonable alternative documentation can verify the necessary information, 13GEM may accept it.
Scholarships apply to eligible program tuition.
The registration fee is not covered by the Scholarship.
The current registration fee is 6.25% of the tuition the family owes after the Scholarship has been applied. For example:
$300 program + 50% Scholarship
Tuition after Scholarship: $150.00
6.25% registration fee: $9.38
Total family responsibility: $159.38
For the same registration, families may choose:
Scholarship OR applicable registration discount(s) — not both.
For example, a Scholarship cannot be combined with a Multi-Child, Multi-Sport, Early Registration, or other applicable registration discount. Families may use whichever available option is appropriate for that registration.
Choose the application that fits your circumstances:
Standard Scholarship Application
Use this application if you are seeking assistance based primarily on your household income.
Hardship Scholarship Application
Use this application if an unexpected event has significantly changed your family's financial circumstances.
Applications and instructions are available directly on the 13GEM Sporting Scholarship webpage. You do not need to contact 13GEM first simply to obtain an application.
13GEM will review the information necessary to determine:
Household Size → Countable Household Income → FPL Percentage → Scholarship Percentage
For Hardship Scholarships, we will also determine whether the hardship qualifies and what income information best represents the family's current circumstances.
If additional information is genuinely needed, 13GEM may contact you for clarification.
You will receive a written determination after your application has been reviewed.
Families with an existing Scholarship can access the appropriate renewal forms from the sections below.
Standard Scholarships: Generally renewed annually.
Hardship Scholarships: Reviewed for each new registration cycle or program season when continued hardship assistance is requested.
Families may request reconsideration when they believe a material error affected their Scholarship determination.
Examples include an error involving household size, income, child support, FPL calculation, rounding, overlooked information, or application of Scholarship policy.
A reconsideration request should generally be submitted within 14 calendar days of the written determination. Reconsideration is intended to correct errors—not to negotiate a different Scholarship percentage.
Yes. Scholarship information is treated as confidential and should only be accessed by individuals who reasonably need it to administer the Scholarship Program.
Coaches and program staff do not ordinarily need access to a family's detailed income, hardship, child-support, medical, or other sensitive information.
Scholarship decisions are also kept separate from athletic ability, team selection, coaching preference, donor preference, or personal relationships.
No.
Scholarship eligibility determines the amount of eligible tuition assistance a family may receive. It does not guarantee:
Program eligibility, capacity, and Scholarship financial eligibility are separate considerations.
Submitting Your Application: Once you have completed the appropriate application, renewal, or reconsideration form, email the completed form and any requested supporting documentation to sports@13gem.org.
Use this form if you believe a material error may have affected your Scholarship determination, such as an error involving household size, income, child support, FPL calculation, rounding, overlooked information, or application of Scholarship policy. A Reconsideration Request is intended to correct possible errors, not to negotiate a different Scholarship percentage, and should generally be submitted within 14 calendar days of your written determination. Once completed, email your Reconsideration Request and any relevant supporting information to sports@13gem.org.
Applying for a 13GEM Sporting Scholarship is designed to be a straightforward and respectful process. Please follow the steps below.
Choose the application that best matches your family's circumstances:
Standard Scholarship Application — SOP-005
Use the Standard Scholarship Application if you are applying based primarily on your family's household size and income. Standard Scholarships are available to qualifying households at or below 200% of the applicable Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
Hardship Scholarship Application — SOP-008
Use the Hardship Scholarship Application if your family has experienced a significant and unforeseen change in financial circumstances. Families whose previous or normal income is above 200% FPL may still apply when a qualifying hardship has significantly changed their current financial circumstances.
Complete all applicable sections of the application. Please review your application before submitting it to make sure the information is complete and accurate.
If a question does not apply to your circumstances, indicate that it is not applicable rather than leaving important information unclear.
Include the supporting documentation reasonably necessary to verify the information provided in your application.
13GEM Sporting follows a proportional documentation approach. Families should provide the documentation requested or reasonably necessary for their circumstances and should not submit unnecessary sensitive financial, medical, or personal information.
Additional documentation may be requested if a legitimate unanswered question affects Scholarship eligibility.
Email your completed application and requested supporting documentation to:
Please make sure your application and supporting documents are attached before sending your email.
After your application is received, 13GEM Sporting will review the information provided to determine Scholarship eligibility.
The Scholarship Committee determines the relevant household and income facts. Established Scholarship policies determine how those facts are calculated, and the calculated and rounded FPL percentage determines the applicable Scholarship percentage.
If information is missing or clarification is needed, 13GEM Sporting may contact you by email.
A minor omission or clarification does not generally require you to complete an entirely new application. You may be asked to provide the specific missing information or supporting documentation needed to complete the review.
Once the review is complete, you will receive a written Scholarship determination from 13GEM Sporting.
If approved, the determination will identify your Scholarship percentage and provide applicable information regarding your Scholarship Award.
If you believe a material error affected your determination, you may submit a Scholarship Reconsideration Request, generally within 14 calendar days of the written determination.
Please make sure that:
Please reach us at sports@13gem.org if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The Scholarship Opportunity Program helps eligible families reduce the tuition cost of participating in qualifying 13GEM Sporting programs. Scholarships range from 50% to 70% of eligible program tuition, depending on the family's household size, countable household income, and calculated Federal Poverty Level (FPL) percentage.
Compare your household size and annual countable household income with the FPL table provided on this page. Standard Scholarships are available to qualifying households at or below 200% FPL. The table is intended to help you estimate where you may fall; 13GEM Sporting will make the official calculation when reviewing your application.
Scholarships cover 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, or 70% of eligible tuition based on the established Scholarship Sliding Scale. The maximum Scholarship is 70%.
Household size generally includes the applying parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and qualifying children age 18 or younger who are part of the family household. Adult children over 18, grandparents, extended family members, roommates, and unrelated individuals are not automatically included simply because they live in the same home.
A child is generally counted in the household where the child primarily resides. In a genuine 50/50 physical-custody arrangement, the child may be included in the applying parent's household. 13GEM Sporting may request reasonable clarification when necessary to determine the appropriate household size.
Yes. Child support actually received is included as countable household income. The other parent's entire income is not included merely because that parent pays child support, and child support paid by an applicant is not deducted from household income.
Countable income may include employment income, net self-employment income, child support actually received, unemployment benefits, Social Security or disability income, pension income, and other recurring countable income. See the Scholarship Income Definition & Calculation Policy (SOP-004) for complete details.
Documentation depends on your circumstances. 13GEM Sporting requests only information reasonably necessary to verify household size, income, and, when applicable, a hardship. We follow the principle that documentation should be proportional to what actually needs to be verified.
Complete bank statements are not a routine Scholarship requirement. If additional verification is genuinely necessary, 13GEM Sporting will seek reasonable and less intrusive documentation when possible.
No. 13GEM Sporting does not routinely request diagnoses, complete medical histories, treatment notes, or detailed medical records. When a medical circumstance is relevant to a Hardship Scholarship, we generally need enough information to verify the event and its financial impact—not unnecessary medical details.
A Hardship Scholarship is intended for families experiencing a genuine, unforeseen circumstance that has significantly changed their financial situation. Examples may include involuntary job loss, a significant reduction in income, death of a parent or spouse, divorce or separation causing a substantial reduction in resources, serious illness or injury affecting finances, disability affecting income, housing displacement, natural disaster, or unexpected loss of child support.
Yes. Being above 200% FPL does not automatically prevent you from applying for a Hardship Scholarship when a genuine unforeseen event has significantly changed your family's current financial circumstances. Hardship Scholarships use the same established 50%–70% Scholarship Sliding Scale.
Not necessarily. A Hardship Scholarship is intended for significant, unforeseen changes in financial circumstances rather than ordinary living expenses or simply finding program tuition difficult to afford. Each Hardship application is reviewed based on the circumstances and applicable policy.
A Standard Scholarship is generally valid for 12 months from its approval date. At the end of that period, families may submit the Standard Scholarship Renewal Form. Renewal is a new eligibility determination using current household and income information and the applicable FPL guidelines. Your previous Scholarship percentage does not automatically renew.
A Hardship Scholarship generally applies to one registration cycle or program season. If the hardship continues into another registration period, the family may submit the simplified Hardship Scholarship Renewal Form. The previous Scholarship percentage does not automatically renew and will be determined using the family's current circumstances.
The registration fee is separate from Scholarship-covered tuition and is 100% the family's responsibility. It is calculated as 6.25% of the tuition amount the family owes after the Scholarship has been applied.
For example, if a $300 program receives a 50% Scholarship, the family owes $150 in tuition. The 6.25% registration fee is $9.38, making the total family responsibility $159.38.
No. For the same registration, a family may use the Scholarship OR applicable registration discount(s), but not both. This includes discounts such as Multi-Child, Multi-Sport, Early Registration, or other applicable registration discounts.
When a Payment Plan is available for the applicable program, an approved Scholarship recipient may use it. A Payment Plan does not change the Scholarship amount; it changes when the family's remaining balance is paid. A Payment Plan is not considered a registration discount.
No. Scholarship eligibility and program participation are separate. A Scholarship does not guarantee program admission, available space, team selection, or roster placement.
Ordinary income changes generally do not cause a Standard Scholarship to be recalculated during its 12-month eligibility period. However, if your family experiences a significant and unforeseen negative financial change, you may apply for a Hardship Scholarship review.
Go to the Ready to Get Started? section of this page and choose either the Standard Scholarship Application or Hardship Scholarship Application. Complete the appropriate form and provide the reasonably necessary supporting information requested. Once completed, email your application and requested supporting documentation to sports@13gem.org.
If 13GEM Sporting does not have enough information to make a Scholarship determination, we may contact you for specific clarification or additional information. You generally will not be asked to start over simply because a reasonable clarification is needed.
You may submit a Reconsideration Request if you believe a material error affected your determination, such as an error involving household size, income, child support, FPL calculation, rounding, overlooked information, or application of Scholarship policy.
Requests should generally be submitted within 14 calendar days of the written determination. Reconsideration is intended to correct errors, not to negotiate a different Scholarship percentage. Completed Reconsideration Request forms and any relevant supporting information should be emailed to sports@13gem.org.
Scholarship information is treated as confidential and is limited to individuals who reasonably need access to administer the Scholarship Program. Coaches and program staff do not ordinarily need access to a family's detailed financial, hardship, child-support, medical, or other sensitive Scholarship information.
No. Scholarship percentages are determined by the established policies, calculations, and Scholarship Sliding Scale. Athletic ability, team-selection considerations, coaching preference, donor preference, personal relationships, or perceived deservingness do not determine the Scholarship percentage.
The Full Scholarship Policies section of this webpage contains the public 13GEM Sporting Scholarship policies. The Summary and FAQ are intended to make the program easier to understand, while the current official policies govern the program if there is ever a conflict between the simplified information and an applicable policy.
The information above provides a simplified overview of the 13GEM Sporting Scholarship Opportunity Program. Families and community members who would like additional information may review the complete policies below. These documents provide the detailed rules and procedures governing Scholarship eligibility, household size, income calculations, documentation, Hardship Scholarships, privacy, reconsideration, and other aspects of the program.