To be eligible for Finale Funds, a program must attend the Stage 8 Dance Brands event awarding Finale Funds with at least 3 competitive teams.

Programs that do not meet the minimum team requirement will not have teams considered for Finale Funds at that event.

To be considered for a Finale Fund award, a team must:

• Compete in a division that is not eligible to receive a bid to the USASF World Championship.
• Be part of a program that meets the participation requirement of 3 competitive teams.
• Compete in an eligible USASF All Star divisions event where Finale Funds are being awarded.
• Receive an official final score and placement at the event.
• Meet all Stage 8 Dance Brands event registration and eligibility requirements.
• Be in good financial standing with Stage 8 Dance Brands at the time the award is presented.

Eligibility is determined by the team's division and Finale Fund requirements—not by the end-of-season event the team ultimately chooses to attend.

The following teams are not eligible for Finale Funds:

• Teams competing in USASF Novice, Rec Divisions, Studio Divisions or School Divisions.
• Teams competing in divisions eligible to receive a bid to the USASF World Championship
• Teams from studios that do not meet the required participation requirement of 3 competitive teams.
• Exhibition teams or teams that do not receive an official score and placement.
• Teams that are disqualified or otherwise determined to be ineligible for awards under Stage 8 Dance Brands event policies.

A team does not become eligible for Finale Funds simply because it does not receive a Worlds bid. If the division itself is eligible for USASF World Championship bids, that team is outside the Finale Funds program.

Finale Funds are performance-based awards.

Eligible teams will be ranked using their official final percentage score against other Finale Fund-eligible teams at the event.

Unless otherwise announced for a specific event:

Finale Funds will be awarded to the highest-ranked eligible team(s) across different age groups

1 Finale Fund- Awarded to the highest-scoring eligible team

2 Finale Funds - Awarded to the highest-scoring eligible teams across 2 different age groups

3 Finale Funds- Awarded to the highest-scoring eligible teams across 3 different age groups

4 Finale Funds - Awarded to the highest-scoring eligible teams across 3 different age groups, the remaining bid will be awarded to the highest scoring eligible team

Awards may be selected across eligible divisions rather than being limited to the winner of an individual division.

The total number of Finale Advantage and Finale Boost awards available at each event will be determined by event enrollment.

If the number of teams meeting the required eligibility criteria is lower than the number of Finale Fund awards allocated for an event, Stage 8 Dance Brands reserves the right not to award all available Finale Funds.

Because Finale Funds may recognize teams competing in different divisions and levels, awards will be based on the team's official final percentage score, rather than raw points or division placement.

This allows eligible teams from across the event to be considered using one consistent standard.

If two eligible teams have identical final percentage scores for the final available award, Stage 8 Dance Brands' established event tie-breaking procedures will be used to determine the recipient.

Finale Funds are awarded on a per-dancer basis:

Finale Advantage: $180 per dancer or $90 per dancer

The total Finale Fund amount will be calculated using the number of eligible athletes associated with the winning team in accordance with Stage 8 Dance Brands' Finale Funds policies.

For example:

A team with 20 eligible athletes receiving a Tier 1 Bid would earn $3,600 in Finale Funds.

Finale Funds will be issued in the form of a refund toward the team's registration fees for the Stage 8 Dance Brands event at which the Finale Fund was earned.

The refund will be processed within two weeks of the event's awards ceremony.

If the Finale Fund amount exceeds the eligible registration fees paid for the team at that event, payment will be subject to Stage 8 Dance Brands' applicable Finale Funds refund and redemption policies.

Finale Funds are not issued as a traditional cash prize directly to athletes or families.

Every team's season looks different and we think that's worth celebrating.

Whether your finale takes you to a championship, nationals, or another special end-of-season experience, Finale Funds are designed to give your program more opportunity to make that experience possible.

Your team. Your season. Your finale.

Because at Stage 8 Dance Brands we don't just want to celebrate where your season takes you, we want to help you get there!