The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and is intended to support parenting students who need assistance paying for child care in order to remain in school and graduate with a college degree. Parenting students at ISU who qualify for CCAMPIS can have up to 80-100% of their child care costs covered by CCAMPIS.
Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program
CCAMPIS is not currently accepting new applications
The CCAMPIS program is funded through a federal grant that ends on September 30, 2026. All available funds are currently allocated, so we are not accepting new applications at this time.
We have submitted a new CCAMPIS grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Education, though funding is not guaranteed. If awarded, funding would begin October 1, 2026.
We will notify waitlisted students and reopen the application as soon as possible.
Want to be notified if we receive a new grant award?
Complete the waitlist form and we will contact you with instructions about how to apply if we receive a new CCAMPIS award.
Eligibility
To qualify for the CCAMPIS program, students must meet the following criteria:
- U.S. citizen OR permanent resident OR non-resident with F-1 or J-1 visa
- Enrolled full-time in degree-seeking coursework as an undergraduate, graduate, or professional student
- Receiving or eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant
- Household adjusted gross income less than 185% of the current U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines (PDF)
- Minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress
- Undergraduate students (Juniors/Seniors) only: Submit an application to the State of Iowa Child Care Assistance (CCA) Program before applying to the CCAMPIS program
- Two parent households: Other parent in the household must be employed full-time or enrolled in full-time degree-seeking coursework
CCAMPIS is the only reason that I have been able to pursue a degree as a single mother.
Frequently Asked Questions
To receive CCAMPIS assistance with your child care fees, your child must attend one of the following child care centers:
- University Community Childcare
- ISU Child Care Center at Veterinary Medicine
- ISU Child Development Laboratory School
- Ames Community Preschool Center (ACPC)
It is the student's responsibility to enroll their child at an eligible center. The CCAMPIS program does not enroll children in care and does not guarantee a child care spot will be available for your child. Contact the child care centers listed above to inquire about availability and join their waitlists.
CCAMPIS will pay up to 100% of eligible child care fees including monthly tuition, one-time enrollment or registration fees, and activity fees. Fees or expenses that CCAMPIS does not cover include late fees, past due balances, and co-payments required by another funding entity.
CCAMPIS funds are paid directly to the child care centers.
Families are responsible for a monthly co-pay equal to 7% of their household's adjusted gross income, which families pay to their child care center.
Possibly. CCAMPIS assistance for multiple children may be requested in the application but each child must be individually approved. Assistance for more than one child may be limited when there is a waitlist for CCAMPIS assistance.
If a student has another child while in the CCAMPIS program, assistance for the new child is not guaranteed and will depend on the availability of funding and extent of the waitlist for CCAMPIS assistance.
Undergraduates, Pell Grant recipients, first-generation college students, and single parents are granted funding priority. Graduate and professional students will be considered if funding is available.
Yes, students can receive CCAMPIS assistance in combination with most other forms of child care assistance. For more information about other forms of financial support for child care expenses, see: Financial Assistance for Parenting Students
Once approved for the CCAMPIS program, students must meet the following participation requirements:
- Maintain compliance with eligibility criteria
- Report changes to course load, household income, and any other circumstance affecting eligibility within 10 days of the change
- Children must attend child care on a regular basis as contracted with their child care center; consistent absenteeism without documented cause may result in a student's removal from the CCAMPIS program
- Complete surveys regarding the impact and outcomes of the CCAMPIS program
- Attend a progress review appointment with CCAMPIS program staff after every semester
- Provide required paperwork which documents eligibility for CCAMPIS upon request
CCAMPIS is more than just assistance paying your child care expenses! The CCAMPIS program at Iowa State University also includes:
- Evening child care program during final exam weeks (fall and spring semesters only)
- Parenting workshops (in-person and virtual)
- Social networking events
- Individualized parent coaching (upon request)
- Referrals to community and campus resources
Funding will be the main determinant of the length of time a student receives CCAMPIS. However, the goal of the program is to assist students as long as they are students at Iowa State University. Students must continue to meet all eligibility criteria and participation requirements.