For courses with especially high demand, BCBS offers spaces though a lottery process.

Online registrations for lotteries open on the same day as all other courses (around Labor Day of each year) and close generally on the 15th of the month four months before the course start date. The lottery close dates are posted along with the course description for each course. There are no fees for the lottery registration. Payment is not required until you are offered a space in the course.

You will be notified about the lottery results within a week of the lottery close date. If you are notified that you have been granted a space, you will have three days to pay a deposit to accept/hold the space. If you don’t accept the space within three days, we will offer it to the next person in line.

If you plan to be away from your e-mail and unable to respond around the time of a lottery close date and are certain that you want to attend a course, please put a note in your lottery registration form or write to us at contact@buddhistinquiry.org before the lottery close date so that we are aware of your plans.

We hold three spots in each lottery course for people of color. By marking that you identify as a person of color during the online lottery registration process, we are able to prioritize your registration.

Indicating that you are able to share a room with someone else does increase your chances of being offered a space. You can ask to be on a waitlist for a single room, but should plan on sharing a room if you indicate that you are willing to do so.

Both residential and nonresidential spots are offered through the lottery process.

The standard cancellation fees do apply once a deposit is made for a lottery course.