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 of park entrance fees for outings conducted for non-commercial educational purposes by schools and other bona fide academic institutions provided that the visit is for educational 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 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the applicant’s national, state, or local tax authority.
• 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.
• A statement of accreditation, or recognition as an academic institution, from a recognized national, regional, state, or local authority at the applicant’s location.

Educational Purpose of the Visit

Applicants must provide a written statement confirming that the visit supports a specific curriculum for which academic credit is offered. If the group is on a commercial tour, the applicant must state how the tour supports the curriculum.

Relevance of Park Resources or Facilities

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.

 

How to Apply

If you meet the criteria above, use the application at the bottom of the page and submit the following to the address below. Please allow two to three weeks for processing.

1. A cover letter, on the organization’s letterhead, explaining what the educational purpose is and how it is related to park resources. (A general statement that the visit is for “educational purposes” is insufficient.) 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. See Educational Purpose of Visit, above.

2. Current, official documentation of eligibility such as described above. It is insufficient to merely state or imply this on the organization’s letterhead. Your fee waiver request cannot be approved without one of these documents. See Eligibility, above.

3. Provide the name of the course and a brief description. The applicant must be providing educational credit hours based on a specific course of instruction.

4. Number of Chaperones allowed free entry under academic fee waiver for Grand Teton National Park:

• Per 7 College students – 1 Chaperone/Faculty
• Per 5 High School students – 1 Chaperone/Faculty
• Per 3 Elementary students – 1 Chaperone/Faculty

5. State in your letter that you understand fee waivers are allowed only for academic institutions that are using the park for educational purposes and the planned trip meets these requirements.

6. Complete the Education Reservation Request Form (previously Academic Fee Waiver Application) and email to [e-mail] or mail all documentation detailed above.

Grand Teton National Park
Attention: Fee Program Office
P. O. Box 170
Moose, WY 83012

We recommend emailing at least one month ahead of time if requesting a ranger program. [e-mail]

 

Application Notes

• Fee waivers are not available at entrance stations.
• Academic fee waivers do not include camping or other activity fees.
• Academic fee waivers cannot be granted for hardship factors.
• Service, civic, or fraternal organizations, such as Scouting, Rotary, and Elks, do not qualify for an academic fee waiver unless the group meets the criteria above.
• “Blanket” academic fee waivers for all national parks are not issued or accepted, this includes Yellowstone National Park. Groups must submit separate requests to individual parks for approval. To apply to Yellowstone National Park, visit Academic Fee Waivers - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
• If your request is approved, you will receive an academic fee waiver. Each vehicle must present a copy of the approved fee waiver at the park entrance station.
• If your request is denied, you will receive a letter from the park explaining why your group does not qualify. If required material is not submitted, the park will attempt to contact and assist you.

If you have any questions, please email [e-mail] or call 307-739-3616.