Academic Fee Waivers

Criteria for Applicants

National Park Service (NPS) regulations allow school groups and other bona fide national and international academic institutions to obtain a waiver for park entrance fees, provided that the visit is for educational credit or scientific purposes, and the resources or facilities the group proposes to use support those purposes.

Academic fee waivers are not granted automatically. Applicant groups must show they qualify for the waiver. There are three criteria the group must meet to qualify for an academic fee waiver: eligibility, educational purpose, and relevance of park resources or facilities. These criteria are detailed below:

Eligibility

Applicants must prove they are a bona fide academic institution by submitting one of the following:

• A statement confirming educational or scientific tax-exemption from the IRS or the applicant's national, state, or local tax authority (e.g. Educational Tax Exempt Letter); or
• A statement, from a bona fide academic institution, confirming that the group is visiting for the purpose of providing transferable educational credit based on a curriculum; or
• A statement of accreditation, or recognition as an academic institution, from a recognized national, regional, state, or local authority at the applicant's location (e.g. Accreditation Letter)

Educational Purpose of the Visit

The park visit must support a specific curriculum for which academic credit is offered. Commercial enterprises are not eligible for fee waivers, but groups using a commercial vehicle for transportation only may apply.

Relevance of Park Resources or Facilities

The course curriculum must be relevant to and supported by natural or cultural resources found in the park. Applicants must identify these resources and/or facilities in Section 5 of the application.

How to Apply

If you meet the criteria above submit the following by email or mail to the address below. Please allow two weeks for processing.

1. A signed and completed copy of the Education Reservation Request Form (formerly known as the Academic Fee Waiver Application). If your group is using a commercial tour company, the group (not the company) must apply for the fee waiver and must state how the tour supports the curriculum.
2. Current, official documentation of eligibility such as described above. It is insufficient to merely state or imply this on the application. Your fee waiver request cannot be approved without one of these documents.

Email (preferred) or mail all documentation to:

Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
P.O. Box 185
Florissant, CO 80816

 

Form Guidance

Florissant Fossil Beds is required to use this Department of the Interior standard form for field trip academic fee waivers as well as for other purposes. Learn which parts of the form you need to fill out if you are applying for us to waive the park entrance fee for a field trip.

Section 1: Contact Information

• Required: Every applicant must share contact information.
  • In the box labeled "Describe Need," please include your group's proposed itinerary.

Section 2: Group Details

• Required: Every applicant must share your group details.
  • Read above for requirements, and be especially mindful of your group size and the number of chaperones you will bring.
  • Please note: standard chaperone/student ratio for Pre-K-4th grade is 1:3, 5-8th grade is 1:5, 9-12th grade is 1:10, and college is 1:20. Please contact us if you require an exception to these ratios)

Sections 3 and 4

• Not for field trip academic fee waivers.

  • Learn more about all Florissant Fossil Beds Education Programs.

Section 5: Academic Fee Waiver

• Required: You must fill this section of the form out and share documentation to demonstrate your qualification for a fee waiver.