Childcare help for student parents

Use this page to find the places that help pay for childcare while you take classes: your campus, your state and your financial aid budget. Each one has its own application, so it helps to start them in the same week.

Campus childcare and CCAMPIS

CCAMPIS stands for Child Care Access Means Parents in School. It is a federal grant that the Department of Education awards to some colleges, which then use it to run or subsidize childcare for student parents with lower incomes. Schools that hold a grant decide how to spend it, and many colleges have none.

To find out, ask the financial aid office or the dean of students whether the campus holds a CCAMPIS grant or runs a child development center. Many campus centers keep a waiting list, so a request made months before the term gives you more room. Some also offer evening hours or drop-in care that fit around a class schedule.

State childcare assistance

Every state runs a childcare assistance program with federal and state money, usually through a human services or early learning agency. The state sets the income limits, the hours of care it covers and whether time spent in school counts as an approved activity. Some states count college classes on their own, while others ask that you also work a set number of hours.

Apply through your state or county agency and say clearly that you are a student. The agency may ask for your class schedule, proof of enrollment and proof of income. If there is a waiting list, ask how places are offered and whether student parents have any priority.

Before you apply

• Your class schedule for the term
• Proof of enrollment from the registrar
• Recent pay stubs or other income records
• Your child's birth certificate
• A written estimate from your childcare provider

Your aid budget and childcare

Your school's cost of attendance can include an allowance for dependent care, which covers what you reasonably pay for a child's care while you attend classes. That allowance raises the budget your aid is measured against, so it can make room for more aid or a larger loan. Schools set the allowance themselves, and some add it only when a student asks.

Tell the aid office about your actual childcare costs and bring a receipt or a statement from the provider. If your costs run higher than the standard allowance, the office can review them as part of a special circumstances request, which is covered on its own page.

Other help around the edges

Head Start and Early Head Start serve young children in families with lower incomes, and local programs set their own enrollment rules. WIC can help with food for children under 5 and for parents who are pregnant or recently gave birth. A campus family resource center, where one exists, often keeps a list of nearby providers.

Ask your instructors early about attendance rules for days when a child is sick, and check whether your school has a written policy for student parents. Some campuses set aside family study rooms or lactation rooms in the library or student center.