At the Northeast Illinois council, we believe that every member should have the opportunity to benefit from Scouting. But, there may be circumstances where a youth or adult leader and his/her family needs a little help financially to take part in Scouting activities. To address this, our council has allocated part of its annual budget (funded through Friends of Scouting donations and the Endowment fund) to help.
There are two assistance programs: Membership Assistance and Camperships.
Membership Assistance
Scouting America charges a national membership fee for all youth and adults who register as Scouts or leaders. Northeast Illinois Council also charges a council registration fee in the same amount. Families pay both fees through our council office. The national portion is passed directly to the national organization, and the council portion stays with NEIC to support local program and services. Beginning April 1, 2026, the Northeast Illinois Council (NEIC) will launch an annual $65 council registration fee for adult members. This fee applies to adults with primary registrations in packs, troops, crews, and other non-unit roles and aligns with the national registration fee. This council fee will apply to adult memberships with renewal dates on or after April 1, 2026. Merit Badge Counselors are excluded.
The Membership Assistance program ensures that every member, youth and adult, has the opportunity to join Scouting, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Before applying, we encourage units to check whether the unit or its chartered organization can help, since many offer support. This allows us to prioritize council assistance for families who do not have another option.
Here’s how the Membership Assistance process works:
- Click here to complete the assistance request form.
- Our staff will process completed financial aid forms in an expedited manner so that financial aid requests are timely considered.
- Our staff will notify the applying family and the unit committee chair with results.
Camperships
Camping is one of the methods of delivering the Scouting program. Camperships provide part of the fee for Scouts to attend camping programs here in Illinois (like a scholarship for camp).
Before applying for a council Campership, please ask your unit and its chartering organization for any financial assistance possible. We ask this because many units and charter partners do offer this kind of help, and we want to make sure we prioritize our available limited funds at the council level to help as many Scouts as possible who can’t get help elsewhere.
Here’s how to apply for a Campership:
- Click here to complete the assistance request form.
If approved, we will provide the Scout’s family with up to half of the cost of camp (subject to availability and budget). All Scouts who receive campership aid should earn or provide part of their fee, in keeping with “A Scout is Thrifty.”