Academic Fee Waiver

Fee Waiver Information

National Park Service regulations allow school groups and other approved national and international academic institutions to obtain a waiver of park entrance fees, provided the visit is for educational or scientific purposes, and the resources or facilities that the group intends to use support those purposes.

Academic fee waivers are not granted automatically. Applicant groups must demonstrate that they qualify for the waiver. There are three requirements (listed below) that the group must meet to qualify for an academic fee waiver: eligibility, educational purpose, and relevancy of park resources or facilities.

Requirement #1 - Educational Purpose

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.

Requirement #2 - Relevance of Park Resources

Applicants must provide a written explanation 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.

Requirement #3 - Eligibility

Applicants must prove they are an academic or scientific institution by presenting one of the following types of documentation:

• A statement confirming educational or scientific tax exemption from the IRS or the applicant's national, state, or local tax authority;or
• A statement from an academic institution that meets 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 confirming accreditation or recognition as an educational institution from a qualified national, regional, state, or local authority.

 

Completed fee waiver applications with required documentation should be submitted via email, fax, or mail at least two weeks before the visit.

Email: [e-mail]
Fax: [phone]
Mail: Capulin Volcano National Monument
Attention: Chief of Interpretation
P.O. Box 40
Des Moines, NM 88418

Applications should be received two weeks prior to your anticipated trip.

Fee Waiver Application

Home Schools
Home schools may be granted fee waivers based on the course of study following the procedures above, as long as they meet your state requirements for home schools. A copy of your state's department of education requirements may be requested if you are out-of-state.