Budgetary concerns versus program accessibility

What does your agency do for residents who cannot afford fees?

By Cynthia N. Capek

During the past few years, park and recreation agencies have felt the impact of decreasing funds for providing their services. Some agencies have responded to this situation by increasing user fees and implementing new charges.

Unfortunately, such action financially restricts certain population groups, including youths and senior citizens, from participating in recreational programs. As a result, special scholarships or fee waivers have emerged.

To gather information on this subject, a questionnaire was sent to 352 Illinois park and recreation agencies in November, 1985. The agencies were listed in the Combined Membership Directory of the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA). A total of 158 surveys, or 45 percent, were returned.

Agency responses

Every agency responding to the survey charged fees for recreational services. When an individual was unable to pay, 65 percent waived the fees. Fee waivers ranged from full payment (45 percent) to a partial subsidy (37 percent).

Comments generally focused on the process for using fee waivers. A large number of agencies required clients to complete an application which was then submitted to appropriate personnel for approval. These included program supervisors, department heads and, in one instance, park commissioners.

The amount of the fee waiver depended on the individual's financial situation. Income levels were compared to a variety of scales. These included the eligibility guidelines for Food Stamps, the federal school lunch program and other forms of public aid. Several agencies contacted school districts to gather financial information about children, and one department had a separate agency which screened applicants for financial need.

Only 28 percent of the responding agencies had specific guidelines or procedures for issuing waivers. Most agencies addressed the need on a case-by-case basis. Of those agencies that had policies, most were general statements against restricting participation solely because of the inability to pay established fees and charges.

Absorbing losses

The majority of the agencies responding (65 percent) indicated that they absorb the revenue loss associated with fee waivers. Others either received financing from outside groups and organizations (18 percent) or built the lost revenues into the program's fee structure (12 percent). Most agencies (83 percent) relied on voluntary donations rather than soliciting scholarships from the community.

In some cases, fee waivers and scholarships were limited to certain programs and specific amounts. The variety of these limitations varied extensively among agencies.

Some restricted specific programs, facilities or assistance levels given to families and individuals, while others were more flexible.

For example, 42 percent issued waivers for all programs and services; 36 percent did not have this policy. In

Illinois Parks and Recreation 12 May/June 1986

addition, 53 percent did not have any limit on the amount of fees waived, while 23 percent restricted the waiver amount.

Some agencies (18 percent) also restricted the total amount awarded to an individual applicant. Only 19 percent of the respondents advertised their fee waiver policy, most commonly in seasonal program brochures and other program publicity.

Conclusions

The results of this survey indicate that some park and recreation agencies throughout the State provide options for individuals who cannot afford to pay fees for recreational services. However, there are many other agencies that have not faced this issue.

As park and recreation agencies continue to rely on user fees, they should also develop procedures which allow access to their services. Moreover, these procedures should go beyond a simple statement in a program brochure.

Procedures for obtaining fee waivers should be well publicized.

Procedures for obtaining fee waivers and scholarships should not be demeaning to an individual and, more importantly, they should be well publicized. An equitable policy for issuing waivers and scholarships allows a consistent method for reviewing aid requests.

Each park and recreation agency must be responsible for serving the total community. This includes individuals who are unable to afford the cost of recreational services.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cynthia N. Capek is the director of recreation at the Champaign Park District.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 13 May/June 1986