Pay-what-you-can gives each participant the opportunity to evaluate their own financial situation, view the cost of an MMA program, and then adjust pricing to best fit their own situation. For Touch the Sky and avalanche courses, discount codes are available at registration. For the Junior Mountaineering Team, applications are need-blind and participants can choose their level of financial cost after acceptance to the team.

The full course cost displayed covers industry competitive guide wages, all payroll costs and workers comp, program insurance, public land usage and permitting fees, program equipment maintenance, and program administrative costs.

The pay-what-you-can model is only possible through continued community support and donations. Revenue from pay-what-you-can courses covers approximately 70% of course costs, with the remaining 30% supported by individual donations and business sponsors.

From 2003 to 2024, the MMA Scholarship Fund provided more than $100,000 in financial support for high quality mountain education to participants from across Southwest Montana. As of 2024, the MMA Scholarship Fund became the foundational vision for the pay-what-you-can program. The goal of moving to the pay-what-you-can model is to empower participants to determine their own financial capacity, rather than relying on MMA review of a scholarship application. Our mission is the same, pay-what-you-can is the next evolution!