Low Income Assistance Program
The Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department offers a discount for swim passes and programs to individuals and families with financial need. To qualify for reduced fees, the individual or family must meet the annual income guidelines listed below.
RecAssist Eligibility Guidelines:
- The total household income for an applicant must be at or below 200 percent of the 2022 Federal Poverty Guidelines listed below.
- humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa/liheap/eligibility
| Family Size | Weekly Income | Monthly Income | Annual Income (or less) |
| 1 | $522.69 | $2,265.00 | $27,180.00 |
| 2 | $704.23 | $3,051.67 | $36,620.00 |
| 3 | $885.77 | $3,838.33 | $46,060.00 |
| 4 | $1,067.31 | $4,625.00 | $55,500.00 |
| 5 | $1,248.85 | $5,411.67 | $64,940.00 |
| 6 | $1,430.38 | $6,198.33 | $74,380.00 |
| 7 | $1,611.92 | $6,985.00 | $83,820.00 |
| 8 or more | $1,793.46 | $7,771.67 | $93,260.00 |
Eligible family members include:
- Adults and their immediate, biological children that are under age 21 (twenty-one)
- Children in guardianship or foster care placement with applicant (proof required)
Applicants will need to submit a completed application and documentation that lists all of the following: INCOME (annual or monthly), ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS LISTED ON THE APPLICATION, AND STREET ADDRESS. This can be the most recent form of one of the following:
- Federal Tax Return
- Department of Human Services Notice of Decision Letter (SNAP benefits)
- Department of Human Services Notice of Action Letter (Medicaid recipients)
- Annual Section 8 Housing Renewal Letter
- Printout from Iowa Workforce Development showing zero income for unemployed applicants
Application Submission
In Person
Applications and documentation can be submitted in person at:
- Northwest Recreation Center, 1340 11th Street NW
Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Online
APPLY NOW
Applicants will receive approval, denial, or incomplete notification via email, phone, or in-person. Notifications are dependent upon the processing time of, and the volume of applications received.
Please allow 2 - 3 business days to receive a notification.
Eligible Programs
Qualifying families/individuals receive a 50 percent reduction on these eligible programs:
- Swim Passes (1 family or 2 individual)
- Recreation Programs (up to 8 eligible programs)
- Pavilion rentals
- Facility rentals
- Daily admissions
- Team entry fees
- Garden plots
- Trips
- Punch passes
Program Rules
- RecAssist is ONLY available to Cedar Rapids residents.
- Only individuals listed on documentation can be enrolled in RecAssist if eligible.
- To continue to receive assistance, applicants must submit a completed application with verifying documentation each calendar year (January 1 - December 31). Participation ends December 31 of each year.
- Incomplete applications and verification will result in a denial of RecAssist. Once a completed application and sufficient verification is received and the participant meets guidelines, the application will be approved.
- Only adult(s) approved for RecAssist can register for programs.
- All fees associated with programs and/or activities MUST be paid at the time of registration.
- All RecAssist registrations must be done in person.
- No third-party payments for RecAssist participants. Third parties will be charged full price for eligible programs.
- Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation reserves the right to refuse assistance to any applicant.
