We accept the Vedic principle that sastric knowledge should not be sold. In the past, we called the money we collected from students "tuition fees", but this made it appear that we were "selling" Vedic knowledge. We now prefer the term "service charges", as this accurately describes how we use the funds. The service charges merely cover our administrative or non-human infrastructure expenses. Our teachers and administrative staff receive basic necessities from funds derived from non-designated donations that our supporters regularly give. The main principle that Srila Prabhupada emphasized - that teachers not get salaries or charge for transferring transcendental knowledge - has always been, and remains a cornerstone of our ethos.

We are able to offer partial or full scholarships to qualified students who lack the financial capacity to remit the specified service charges.

Please note that our service charges do not include giving any daksina to the teachers. The Vedic system is for students to offer daksina in order to gain the most from learning. Teachers do not charge, and students freely give. So, we strongly encourage our students to offer their teachers some donation, whether money or gifts or service, remembering that most of our teachers are renunciates with no means of support other than charity.

"Any sacrifice performed without regard for the directions of scripture, without distribution of prasadam [spiritual food], without chanting of Vedic hymns and remunerations to the priests, and without faith is considered to be in the mode of ignorance."
Bhagavad-gita 17.13

"Charity should be given to the devotees of Krishna who are engaged in His devotional service to spread the Krishna philosophy, or Krishna consciousness, throughout the world. ...if one gives some amount of his money to persons involved in distributing Krishna consciousness, that charity, given to spread Krishna consciousness, is the greatest charity in the world."
Bhagavad-gita 11.54, Purport

Service Charges

We consider both the level of administrative service and the number of class hours for each course when calculating the service charge.

Service charges cover course materials, but do not cover BBT published books used in the course nor room and board. Based upon receiving donations, however, we hope to be able to offer students free lunch prasadam 5 days a week during the Bhakti-sastri and Bhaktivaibhava Courses.

You can add or drop classes through the second day of classes. You must get teacher approval to enter a course once it has begun.

We do not give refunds, but students may apply their remittances to other courses, another devotee, or another semester.