Please visit the CDC’s website for current COVID-19 recommendations, data and information on vaccines here. 

A person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at two weeks or more after receipt of the second dose of a two-dose vaccine, either Pfizer-BioNTech (“COMIRNATY”) or Moderna; or two weeks or more after receipt of a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

During screening, and in the communications from Admissions and Student Services leading up to course, OE applicants are asked to disclose any travel or contact history that would put them in a higher risk category for contracting or transmitting COVID-19. Travel history includes any travel from/through high- or medium-risk areas as defined by the CDC at the time of the conversation, and contact history includes close contact with anyone with a confirmed or presumed case of COVID-19 or anyone with an acute respiratory disease AND a relevant travel history.

Outward Bound Schools are working with Group course clients and partners to reduce the risk of an infectious student arriving on course. Because of the course length and/or the size of the group, it may not be practical to get travel and contact histories for everyone prior to course start.

Depending on factors that include your course location, activity, length and age range, you may be required to be fully vaccinated prior to course start and/or tested for COVID-19. Currently for all 2022 open-enrollment courses (those listed on this website for individual enrollment), all Outward Bound Schools in the U.S. require that students be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to arriving to their course start. For courses and expeditions that are a part of a group program, COVID-19 vaccination requirements will vary.  

On courses that include a course start health check, staff will ask students about signs and symptoms of respiratory illness, and their travel and contact histories. Students who have symptoms or high- or medium-risk factors will be assessed, and staff will consult with local health authorities before including the student on course.

If Outward Bound must cancel your course due to COVID-19, the course advisor at the School in which you are enrolled will relay your options, which may include transferring to a future course, receiving a credit, or a refund.

Yes. If Outward Bound changes the transportation policy regarding the course that you are enrolled on, and you are unable to attend the course as a result, you will be eligible for a tuition refund and only the $150 application fee will be retained.

There are no penalties if you cancel more than 90 days before the course start date other than forfeiting the $150 non-refundable application fee. Outside of the 90 day window, Outward Bound will refund 100% of your tuition payment and $350 of your $500 deposit.

We encourage you to explore your options for 3rd party travel insurance and please refer to your Outward Bound School’s Application and Cancelation Policies for complete details for cancelations within 90 days.

You will work directly with the Outward Bound School handling your original application.

To find contact information for Outward Bound Schools, click here and select your school. 

If you do not know which Outward Bound School you should contact, please call 866-467-7651.

Please speak directly with your Course Advisor at the Outward Bound School handling your original application. 

To find contact information for Outward Bound Schools, click here and select your school. 

If you do not know which Outward Bound School you should contact, please call 866-467-7651.

Any student with an illness that affects their ability to participate safely on course will be evacuated and parents will be notified, as always. If the symptoms are consistent with COVID-19 or there are other risk factors, Outward Bound will isolate the student and consult with local health authorities.

If the student lives local to the course location, parents will be asked to arrange to pick their child up and isolate them at home.

If the student traveled to the course, Outward Bound will isolate and care for the student on-site until a parent can travel to the basecamp and assume care of the student off site. 

Outward Bound will seek medical care based on the student’s signs and symptoms and local medical advice, involving parents in the conversation as practical.

Any student with a respiratory illness that is not acute (does not affect their ability to participate safely) will follow the same hygiene practices as the rest of the group, plus some additional precautions while they have symptoms. (Examples might be that they are excused from preparing food for others, cleaning up after meals, given a separate shelter to sleep in, etc.)

After you enroll on a course, you will hear from a Course Advisor at the Outward Bound School offering your course. They will provide additional enrollment information.

While there are no specific deadlines, there is limited space on our courses.  We recommend submitting your enrollment form as early as possible.

If you are enrolling by phone, one of our Admissions Advisors will help you to decide to either join the wait list for that course or find a different course.  If you enroll online and your first choice is full, we will enroll you on your second choice.

The total cost includes all tuition and fees for the course. Tuition covers the cost of food, instructors, permits, technical gear, and equipment while on course.

Not included in this total cost are personal expenses such as clothing, insurance (health and travel), airfare and baggage fees.   If you are attending a course that requires travel to Alaska or to an international destination, you will be responsible for the additional cost of those flights.

Outward Bound does offer financial aid, financial aid is based on need, motivation, and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis by the Outward Bound School where your course is offered. Financial aid typically averages between 10% and 30% of the course tuition.  Individuals should not expect to receive assistance that exceeds more than 30% of course tuition. To apply, make sure to answer “yes” to the question on our enrollment form (under the payment section) that asks if you would like to be considered for financial aid.  The Outward Bound School offering your course will send you a financial aid application, and we will notify you of the award offer after they have received and reviewed your completed paperwork. Please click the following link to find more information about financial aid and scholarships on our website. 

The enrollment fee is fully refundable if you apply for financial aid and you do not receive the award necessary for you to attend course. 

Thanks to Outward Bound’s partnership with Western State Colorado University, we can accept AmeriCorps Education Awards through their Extended Studies program and anyone can register – you do not have to be a current Western State Colorado University student.  Please click the following link for more information about accepting AmeriCorps Education Awards. 

Thanks to Outward Bound’s partnership with Western State Colorado University, we can accept 529 College Savings Plan through their Extended Studies program and anyone can register – you do not have to be a current Western State Colorado University student.  Please click the following link for more information about accepting 529 College Savings Plans.

Academic credit is available for Outward Bound courses by transferring credit through our partner colleges or by arranging your own independent study.  Please click the following link for more information about receiving academic credit. 

We no longer have a printed catalog – our website has the most up-to-date information about our course offerings.  Please click the following link to find more information more about our wide variety of learning expeditions.

You can also stay informed on upcoming courses, Outward Bound news and special offers by signing up for our email newsletter.

Upon enrollment, a regional Course Advisor (from the Outward Bound School offering your course) will be in touch with additional information. Your Course Advisor will provide you with a list of required clothing specific to your course, including items such as clothing, toiletries and footwear. Outward Bound will provide technical gear that includes, but is not limited to, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tents/tarps, packs appropriate to your course type, and cooking gear.

Absolutely.  Many of our students have never spent an extended period of time in the wilderness.  From the moment you arrive, your instructors will work to teach you the skills necessary to be safe and successful.

Most Outward Bound courses start at a designated airport near the course location.  It will be your responsibility to be at the airport by the designated course start time; Outward Bound staff will meet you at the airport and take care of transportation from there.

Please call the Course Advisor for the course that you had enrolled on; your application paperwork would have his/her contact information in it.  He or she will be able to make any necessary changes to your enrollment.  

All prescription medications must be approved by through the Regional School prior to the course start. On courses for 12-18 year olds, instructors oversee medication use. Please bring your prescription medications in the original containers. Students who would suffer severe consequences if they were to miss a dose of medication due to damage or loss should bring back-up doses of that medication.

Either glasses or contact lenses are acceptable on course. Sterile lens care is difficult on the trail, and because of this, their use is not encouraged. In winter and in desert terrain contact use can be especially challenging. Whether you wear contacts or glasses, you must bring an extra pair. Daily disposable contacts can be a good option and avoids dirt and dust build up that can cause damage to the eye.

You are more than welcome to travel to and from your course with items such as cell phones, iPods, tablets and laptops. Once you arrive we will ask you to leave it all in your luggage, as you are not allowed to take it on your course. We ask students not to bring emergency response technology.

Cameras are welcome on course as long as they are not part of a cellular phone.  You might want to consider purchasing a waterproof bag or box for your camera, film, batteries and memory cards. A zip lock bag works well too. We also suggest disposable waterproof cameras.

At the beginning of course, instructors conduct what we call 'Duffle Shuffle' where instructors work individually with students to help them decide what should go into their Outward Bound pack and what should stay in the luggage. Duffle Shuffle is the last chance to leave behind any inappropriate items before beginning the expedition. Tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs are not permitted. Valuables like plane tickets, passports, iPods, cell phones, computers, wallets etc. should be left in luggage. Please leave jewelry at home. Any luggage that stays behind will be secured in a locked, dry and safe location. On longer courses that have re-supplies, there may often be an opportunity to pre pack dry clean clothes in a re-supply barrel that will make it out to the students at various stages of the course. Not all courses have re-supplies.

As part of an ongoing effort to monitor and improve safety, Outward Bound programs are regularly reviewed and audited by both internal and external teams in order to proactively identify and assess potential hazards as well as areas of commendation. Outward Bound has been a leader in wilderness safety and risk management for 50 years and is a co-sponsor of the annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC).  This national conference brings together outdoor industry leaders to learn and collaborate with each other to advance safety and risk management in the outdoor education and wilderness adventure community.

Since 1962 over 650,000 students have participated in Outward Bound programs in cities, mountains, deserts, rivers, and oceans. Over the years, and throughout a wide variety of activities, Outward Bound has maintained an excellent safety record. 

Outward Bound instructors are experienced and qualified outdoor professionals committed to their students’ well being through their values, judgment, words and actions.  They are certified as Wilderness First Responders, Wilderness Advanced First Aiders, or the equivalent, and meet all Outward Bound, local, state, and federal requirements for their positions.  Outward Bound staff are trained to identify, assess, and approach risk as a learning tool, to be managed but not eliminated, with the goal of providing Outward Bound students with the opportunity to gain insights and perspectives into their own and their crew’s capabilities that are unavailable anywhere else.