Academic Fee Waiver

 

The living laboratory at Isle Royale offers many learning opportunities.

Nelson Decker

What Is an Academic Fee Waiver?

Are you traveling to Isle Royale as a school group or academic institution? Visitors entering the park for educational or scientific purposes may be able to waive park entrance fees. Learn if you qualify for an academic fee waiver and how to apply.

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 or scientific purposes, and the resources or facilities the applicant 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.

 

Academic Fee Waiver Criteria

Responses to required criteria will be submitted in the National Park Service Education Request Form.

 

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; 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.

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 utilizes a commercial service or organization, the applicant (not the company) must state how the tour supports the curriculum. Please be aware that all commercial services are required by law to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization prior to doing business in the park.

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.

 

Applying for an Academic Fee Waiver

If you meet the criteria above, fill out the National Park Service Education Request Form

• Sections 1, 2, & 5 are mandatory

Chaperone Information

One chaperone is allowed free entry for each:

• 10 College students

• 8 High School students

• 6 Elementary School students

 

Submitting Your Application

Application packages can be submitted by mail or email. Please allow 2 weeks for processing. The park will send you a signed copy of the fee waiver. Please bring a copy of the approved fee waiver with you when you travel to the island.

 

Applications by Email (Preferred)

[e-mail]

Applications by Mail

Isle Royale National Park
Attn: Academic Fee Waivers
800 E. Lakeshore Dr. 
Houghton, MI 49931

 

Academic Fee Waiver General Information

• 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 quality 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. Groups must submit separate requests to individual parks for approval. A list of parks and contact addresses is at www.nps.gov.

 

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  Maps and Brochures

  Familiarize yourself with park locations and features.

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  Fees and Passes

  Will Your Interagency Annual or Senior Pass cover entrance fees? Yes. Find out more details here.

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  Group Camping

  Groups of 7 or more people need advance reservations.