FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 
(FEE WAIVERS)

SJALL’s Financial Assistance Program was designed to assist families with financial hardship that may not otherwise be able to afford to register their child to play Little League Baseball or Softball. We firmly believes that every child who wishes to play baseball or softball should be entitled to do so regardless of skill, gender, immigration status, and/or financial circumstances. SJALL will not deny any child a chance to play regular (including Fall) season baseball or softball due to a financial hardship, whether it be chronic, short term, or situational. 

As are all Little Leagues, SJALL is a 100% volunteer operated non-profit organization. Our League is funded through registration fees, donations/gifts, sponsorships, and fundraising efforts. A limited amount of funding for fee waivers is available each season, thanks to our generous Donors and Sponsors. As such, requesting and being granted financial assistance should only occur when the same is necessary, due to genuine, demonstrable need as our available resources are limited. Financial assistance / a fee waiver may be requested for each child in your family that wants to play baseball or softball that season.

For players that are granted assistance, league fees for the season in question will be paid partially or fully by San Jose American Little League via a fee waiver. Fee waivers are neither permanent nor automatically renewed and will expire at the end of each season. Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements to be considered for a fee waiver every season. 

EXCLUSIONS - As travel ball, club teams, private lessons, etc. are generally 100% self-pay, players that are currently enrolled in these activities (for any sport or activity) are not eligible for financial assistance/fee waivers, even if the family meets the criteria.  SJALL’s Financial Assistance Program is not intended to supplement Little League fees so families can more comfortably pay for other high cost sports, training, and or extra-curricular activities where financial assistance is not an option. Subsequent to a family being granted a fee waiver, should the League have reason to believe that the player (or any children in the family) are involved in any of the above, the waiver will be immediately revoked and the parent/guardian will be expected to pay the league in full for the registration fees before their player’s next scheduled activity (practice or game). 

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROCESS

The Financial Assistance application is entirely confidential and will only be used to assess eligibility for a fee reduction award.  A limited committee of Board Members, including the President, Softball Director, Treasurer, and Membership Director will have access to/review applications and will make decisions as to whether full or partial waivers will be awarded. Every applicant that meets the basic eligibility requirements, as noted below, will be evaluated on their own merit.

Families will be able to register their player(s) without forwarding the associated registration fee while any grant applications or SJALL financial assistance applications are in process. 

 - STEP 1 - APPLY FOR AN EXTERNAL GRANT -

There are a few organizations that provide grant support to families in need. PRIOR to applying for financial assistance from SJALL, families must provide confirmation that they have applied and were denied or did not qualify (including notification that no funds were available at the time of application) for one of the following grants:

• ALL KIDS PLAY YOUTH SPORTS GRANT - All Kids Play believes that every kid deserves a chance to play ND recognizes that the rising cost of youth sports has left some families and communities behind. All Kids Play provides funding to families and communities who lack the resources to pay for youth sports. Grants are available to qualifying families with kids in grade K-12 and not-for-profit community-based recreational sports organizations in low income areas on a need and first-come, first served basis as funds are available. Individual grants can be used for registration, equipment and other associated fees for Little League Baseball and Softball. Please visit their website  ALL KIDS PLAY Youth Sports Grants) for FAQs below for more information on qualification and the process.

  PUTTING EQUITY INTO PLAY

• every kid sports Pass - every kid sports believes that every kid deserves a chance to play. They provide up to $500 to supplement the cost of qualifying sports, of which Little League Baseball and Softball are qualified. To apply, click HERE
  

• T-Mobile Call Up Grant* - The T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant is dedicated to helping families in need by covering registration fees associated with their local Little League program. T-Mobile and Little League share the belief that every child should have the chance to experience Little League, regardless of their financial or personal situation. Since 2020, T-Mobile has helped cover registration fees for over 59,000 families through the Call Up Grant. For more information and to apply, click HERE 

*all funds for 2025 have been distributed. Families will have the opportunity to apply for a T-Mobile Call Up Grant for the Spring 2026 Season. 

Please submit your grant application BEFORE registering your child as you will be required to upload confirmation that you have applied and your application is in process in order to bypass the registration payment page. 

 If you are denied a grant, do not qualify for a grant, or found that no grant funds were available at the time of application), proceed to STEP 2. 

 - STEP 2 - COMPLETE AN SJALL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE REQUEST FORM

Along with a completed application, requesting families must:

1. Provide documentation confirming that they applied and were denied (or were not eligible for) the three grants listed above.
2. Provide documentation to confirm that they meet one (1) or more of following eligibility criteria to be considered for financial assistance:

• The player is a foster child;
• The player is receiving free or reduced lunch at school;
• The family has qualified for and is currently receiving benefits from a state assistance program, including but not limited to SSI, SNAP/CalFresh, WIC, TANF, CalWorks, MediCal, and/or Medicaid, or, 
  
  
• INCOME BASED - The family’s income level, as confirmed by the gross income reflected on their most current Federal Tax Return, categorizes them as having an Acutely Low, Extremely Low, or Very Low Area Median Income (AMI). Click HERE to learn more about AMI and to see if you might qualify. 

Applications pertain to all players living in the same household as their primary or custodial home.  If families have children in multiple primary homes a second application must be submitted. In cases of parental separation or divorce, the tax return/confirmation documents of the parent that claims the player as a dependent shall be provided.

**We understand that sometimes, a family may be experiencing situational hardship that can not be confirmed via the required processes and/or that they may not qualify for grants and state programs. This does not mean that your child can not come play with us and/or that help is not available. If you find yourself in such a circumstance, please send a detailed email explaining your circumstances and your need to [email protected].