Financial Aid for School and Youth Groups

Financial Aid Application

Birch Aquarium at Scripps believes that every child should have access to high-quality ocean science education. Financial assistance, in the form of a scholarship, is available for all programs from our General Financial Aid fund in addition to the Price Philanthropies Ocean Science Education Fund.

School Eligibility for Financial Aid

All program types (Discovery Labs, Self-Guided Visits, Aquarium Express Outreach) are eligible for scholarship support. Financial assistance is not limited to only Title I schools, but to any school group that demonstrates need through responses to our Online Application. Scholarship applications are reviewed as they are submitted and we will respond within 3-5 business days. Eligibility for Price Philanthropies Programs is reserved for schools in need in City Heights and surrounding areas. Please read below for more information and to apply. 

Apply for Financial Aid

Price Philanthropies

Complete Online Application

If you are a teacher or educator for Grades K-12 and are interested in scheduling a program with us, we encourage you to apply for financial aid. 

Important Information:

• Apply for aid before making a reservation, as funds are limited.
  • If you have already made a program reservation, you can still apply before your program date. Please include your order number in your application.
  • Financial Aid applications must be submitted prior to your program date(s); aid cannot be applied retroactively.
• You may complete the online application on behalf of your class(es) of students and any other teachers you choose to indicate in the application. 
  • A single application does not automatically apply to applications submitted by other teachers from the same school.
  • If others at your school reserve programs separately, they will need to fill out a separate application.
  • The results of your application do not directly apply to future applications submitted by others at your school.
• Applications for financial aid must be submitted each school year. 
  • Funding is not guaranteed each year as a school’s qualifying criteria may change.
  • We will get back to you in 3-5 business days with an update on your application status. If you have questions, please email us or call 858-534-7336.

Price Philanthropies Ocean Science Education Fund 2023-2024

Through the generosity of Price Philanthropies and other donors, the Price Philanthropies Ocean Science Education Fund was established to increase access to hands-on ocean science education by delivering our Aquarium Outreach programs directly to schools in need in City Heights and surrounding areas.

Schools Eligible for Price Philanthropies Programs

In the 2023-2024 school year, the following elementary schools are pre-qualified to receive free Aquarium Express Outreach programs to your school. If a visit to the Aquarium better meets your needs, we can provide free Discovery Labs at Birch Aquarium, though please note that we can not pay for the cost of buses for visits to the Aquarium. Teachers from these schools can request their Aquarium Express Outreach or Discovery Lab programs by submitting a Financial Aid Application. 

Have any questions?

If you need any assistance with the online booking process or have questions about financial aid, please email our Education Scheduling Department: birchaquariumprogram@ucsd.edu