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Pay What You Can Afford

Thanks to a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, we will be able to offer basic safety, form and technique classes to community members at a significant discount through December 2024. This "pay what you can afford" program will allow community members interested in membership, but unable to afford the full price of course tuition to select a discounted rate, up to 80% off. Scroll to learn more.

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Basic Safety:

A membership necessity

We must ensure that our community shop is safe for all to use. For this reason, we require all members, regardless of experience to go through orientation and be cleared by a shop lead before using hazardous equipment. Shop orientations and safety courses ensure that the equipment at the Makerspace stays accessible to all members and has as little down time as possible. 

Form & 

Technique

Members who wish to unlock creative productivity often benefit from refreshers or full blown courses on basic techniques for making. Our shop leads can get new & experienced makers on the path to creating effectively.

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Class Tuition

Basic safety classes unlock access to the Makerspace shops. A $45 woodshop safety orientation will enable a new member to utilize woodshop tools. Each shop has their own shop lead and shop safety curriculum. More information can be located on our classes page.

Getting class

discounts 

Discounted tuition is available to all, but we have limited funds to offer this program. We ask members to "pay what you can afford" and offer discounts of 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% off certain courses. 

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Up to 80% Off

Welcome to the Pay What You Can Afford Program at Mankato Makerspace!

Thanks to a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, we can offer courses at the Mankato Makerspace at a significant discount, up to 80% off of course tuition to community members (typical class tuition is $45-$85). We have been granted $13,000 to lessen the financial burden of course tuition at the space, which is used to compensate instructors and pay for course materials/maintenance of the space.


Our objective is to provide financial assistance to those who want to create and learn new skills but cannot afford all of the courses that they wish to participate in. We will offer discounts until all of the grant funds have been utilized. In this form, you will answer questions that help us report to the grant agency and will provide info so that we can determine your eligibility for the program. We will keep your personal information confidential.

Your contact information (won't be shared with the grant agency)

Information About You

In this section we will ask basic questions about you to enable us to report to the grant agency on who benefits from this program. We will not share this information outside of statistics provided to the grant agency.


In order to be eligible for the pay what you can afford program, you must indicate that the program will enable you to take classes and learn skills that you would not have been able to afford if you paid the full course tuition.

What is your race?
Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?
Yes
No
Would you say that you are disabled? (for example, are you deaf, blind, have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions, have difficulty with mobility?. etc.)
Yes
No
Is your annual household income more than or less than $31,200? You may still be eligible even if your household income is above $31,200.
More than $31,200
Less than $31,200
Would the Pay What You Can Afford Program help you to afford the classes that you wish to take at the Makerspace?
Yes, I could not afford to take all the classes I want to take without a discount
No, I could afford course tuition for all the classes I wish to take without a discount
Are you currently interested in membership at the Makerspace but cannot afford the $50 monthly membership dues? Please note: you do not have to have an active membership to take classes.
Yes
No
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