Kids in Parks: Educational Fee Waiver Information

10.1.3.1 Criteria for Approving Requests for Academic Fee Waivers

Academic fee waivers are not granted automatically. Educational groups must apply and meet the criteria to receive a fee waiver. There are three criteria to qualify for an academic fee waiver: eligibility, educational purpose, and relevance of park resources or facilities.

1. Eligibility

National or international applicants must prove they are a school or bona fide academic institution by submitting one of the following types of documentation:

• A statement confirming educational or scientific tax exemption from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the applicant's national, state, or local tax authority; or

• A statement, from a bona fide academic institution meeting one of these eligibility standards, confirming that the group is visiting for the purpose of providing transferable academic credit based on a curriculum; or

• A statement of accreditation or recognition as an educational institution from a legitimate international, national, regional, state, or local authority for the applicant's location.

NOTE: Do not be misled by the words: chartered, licensed, registered, recognized, authorized, associated with, or approved by. Groups may use these terms to suggest an affiliation with a state government or a local school system. These do not mean "accredited."

2. Educational Purpose of the Visit

Applicants must provide a written statement (documentation) verifying that the visit supports a specific curriculum for which academic credit is offered.

3. Relevance of Park Resources or Facilities

Relevance to park resources must be described. Applicants must provide a written statement identifying the park resources and/or facilities that will be used to support the educational purpose of the visit, and how they are relevant to that purpose.

10.1.3.2 General Guidelines

Academic fee waiver general guidelines:

• Applicants must submit a written request for an academic fee waiver, including documentation to show how their request satisfies the academic fee waiver criteria.

• The decision to grant a fee waiver is the responsibility of the superintendent and may be delegated. Academic fee waivers are not granted automatically; however, the superintendent may set forth procedures for handling on-the-spot fee waiver requests.

This information must be addressed in the park-specific fee operations manual. For sample letters see Appendix Q-31, Academic Fee Waiver Criteria for Applicants Template and Appendix Q-32, Academic Fee Waiver Declination Letter Template.

• The park will grant a fee waiver to a bona fide educational group that meets the academic fee waiver criteria, even if the group has hired a driver and a motor coach for transportation services only.

• Organized, educational groups of children who are less than 16 years of age may enter the park free of charge and do not need a fee waiver. (See section 10.1.1) However, the park may require a waiver application to account for the free entry of adult chaperones and to manage park resources. A reasonable number of chaperones, drivers, and teachers should be admitted free as non-recreational entries. The park may limit the number of chaperones, teachers, and guides as long as the limits are not in conflict with local or state regulations or the safety guidelines of the educational institution.

• A fee waiver will not be granted based on economic justifications by the applicant, such as the educational group’s limited finances or the cost of travel to the park from a distant location.

• For auditing purposes, the park must retain a copy of each waiver request for 7 years.