The Minnesota Zoo awards educational program scholarships to families and individuals based on program availability and financial need. Funds are limited.

All scholarship funds have been distributed for Summer Camp 2023. We are no longer accepting applications.

How do education scholarships work?
Qualifying families receive 75% off education programs.

Do you qualify for a scholarship?
To qualify, you must provide proof of income in one of the following ways:

• Proof of enrollment in a Minnesota assistance programs such as:
  • EBT Card
  • eWIC Card
  • MHCP Card
• If you do not qualify through enrollment in an assistance program, you can still qualify if your income is less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines (see chart below). In this case we require your most recent tax return as proof of income.

• For children in foster care: The foster parent should attach the letter from the county that tells us the child is in your care instead of the tax return.

To apply please have the following information ready and then complete the Scholarship Application Form below.

• Picture of your EBT, eWIC, or MHCP Card

OR

• Tax returns
  • Most recent 1040 form “U.S. Individual Income Tax Return” (pages 1-2 that show your dependents listed along with your total income). If you are applying after April 15, 2023, we will need your 2022 tax return.
  • The tax return for any other adults in your household (example: your spouse/partner) if not filing jointly.
  • Please black out all social security numbers for your security.

OR

• Letter from the county that tells us the child is in your care instead of the tax return. The 75% scholarship applies to only the foster child(ren) in your care.

All information is kept strictly confidential and has been requested for the sole purpose of establishing financial need. All scholarships are awarded on a need-basis and based on funding available.

After your application has been submitted

Once you have completed the form below and submitted pages 1-2 of your most recent Federal Tax Return or proof (front and back) of your EBT or Medical Assistance card, someone from the education department will contact you by phone as soon as your application has been reviewed. If you qualify for a scholarship, we will call you to confirm your registration (based on availability at that time) and collect your payment information for your portion of the fee.

Questions

If you have any questions, please email.

Accessibility

To request a specific disability accommodation, please contact the Minnesota Zoo at least two weeks prior to your program at 952-431-9364 (voice), 1-800-627-3529 (TTY), or [email protected]. More information can be found on our Accessibility page.