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
Eligibility
To qualify for the CCAMPIS program, students must meet the following criteria:
- 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.
How to Apply
The CCAMPIS program application is online and should be submitted no earlier than one semester before you need assistance. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions and review the tips below before beginning a CCAMPIS application.
- Collect the documents you will need for your application (PDF format preferred), including:
- Class schedule
- Academic transcript
- Financial aid offer letter
- Tax return (Form 1040) for most recent tax year
- Graduate assistants: Letter of Intent
- International students: Form I-20
- Two parent households: If the other parent is also enrolled in full-time degree seeking coursework, you will also need their class schedule, academic transcript, tax return (if you filed separately), Letter of Intent (if they are a graduate assistant), and Form I-20 (if they are an international student)
- We recommend that you complete the application using a computer in one sitting, if possible. The application should take about 30-45 minutes to complete if you have all your documents on hand.
- Your progress is saved each time you advance to the next page of the application. If you need to exit and finish your application later, use the same computer and browser to resume from where you left off.
If you have questions about the application or required documents, send a message to: ccfamily@iastate.edu
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.
Ready to Apply?
Funding is limited and we are unable to immediately assist all eligible students. If you qualify for the CCAMPIS program and funding is not immediately available, your application will be added to the waitlist for future consideration.