Letter to the Editor: Grant helps USU students pay for child care

Child care is expensive, but there is a program that can help USU students pay for care. The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program provides subsidies to qualified students to help them pay for child care while they attend classes and study. It is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education that is intended to help low income college students access quality care for their children.

For approved students, subsidies pay 20%-100% of regular monthly child care costs directly to the care provider. Students must be receiving care from providers that are state-licensed and nationally accredited or working toward national accreditation. There is a list of providers that currently work with the program on the CCAMPIS website. Students who receive care from a state-licensed provider that is not on the list may apply for a subsidy; the provider will be contacted about working with the CCAMPIS program.

To be eligible for subsidies, students must be in good academic standing and enrolled for credit at USU for the semester that they apply to CCAMPIS. There is not a minimum number of required credit hours; full- and part-time students can receive subsidies. Due to the nature of the grant funding, priority is given to students who are Pell-grant eligible.

CCAMPIS is currently accepting applications for the spring 2023 semester for students attending the USU Logan, Brigham City, Eastern, and Blanding campuses. The application includes questions about USU enrollment status and household income; documentation is required. Students can learn more about CCAMPIS or apply for a subsidy on the CCAMPIS website https://www.usu.edu/ccampis/.

Anne Brown-Reither has been the CCAMPIS project manager since 2019.

— anne.reither@usu.edu