My opinion on all this, if the AMGA really wanted to standardize guiding protocols across the board for the U.S. Guiding Industry, get more young potential guides cert'd, they should return their prices back to their original days.
Far too many good kids out there that would be incredible guides, will never be able to pay for the entire curriculum.
And lets not even get into the IFMGA cert process price through the AMGA.
I was lucky as the Navy paid for my interim Rock and Alpine certs for my job at SERE back in '93. It is not valid today according to the folks at the AMGA. Oh well.