Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program | U.S. Department of Education

CCAMPIS is one of those programs that makes immediate sense once you see the problem it is built to solve. Many college students are also parents, and for them the biggest barrier to staying enrolled is often not academic ability. It is child care. Classes run at inconvenient hours, internships do not line up with day care schedules, and a surprise child care bill can derail a semester. CCAMPIS exists to help institutions of higher education reduce that pressure by funding campus-based child care and related supports for low-income student parents.

The important thing to understand is who applies. Colleges and universities apply for the grant; student parents do not apply directly to the Department of Education. If your school wins a CCAMPIS grant, it can use that money to lower the cost of child care, add child care slots, extend hours, or provide related supports that help parents keep going to class. If you are a student parent, the practical next step is to find out whether your school participates, whether a campus child care program exists, and how to get on the list if it does.

The current FY 2026 competition is active on the official ED page and Grants.gov. The landing page says more than $73.5 million is available, the grant period is four years, and the application deadline is May 29, 2026. It also says ED and HHS/ACF will host a webinar on April 28, 2026 about the priorities and selection criteria for the competition.

At a glance

What CCAMPIS is really for

CCAMPIS stands for Child Care Access Means Parents in School. The name is clunky, but the purpose is straightforward: help student parents stay in school by making child care less of a crisis and more of a reliable part of their schedule. The Department of Education describes the program as supporting the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through campus-based child care services.

That phrase matters. CCAMPIS is not a general student aid program, and it is not a direct cash benefit to parents. It is an institutional grant. A college or university receives the funds, then uses them to run or support a child care program and other services tied to child care access. Those services can include before-class and after-class care, and other supports that are necessary to let low-income students attend postsecondary education.

That makes CCAMPIS different from a scholarship, a loan, or a one-time emergency stipend. It is closer to a campus infrastructure and student support program. The school has to be able to organize child care operations, manage compliance, and serve the student population in a way that fits the grant rules. For students, the practical result is lower cost and better access. For institutions, it is a way to reduce stop-outs, improve persistence, and support a population that is often overlooked in campus planning.

What the program can fund

The official page says grants may be used to establish or support a campus-based child care program primarily serving students from low-income backgrounds enrolled at the institution. It also says the funding may cover before- and after-class and other student support services to the extent they are necessary to help low-income students pursue postsecondary education.

In plain English, the grant is meant to support the things that make child care workable for students who are trying to keep up with classes, work, and family life at the same time. That can include:

• Campus-based child care services.
• Child care subsidies or reduced fees for eligible student parents.
• Before- and after-class care that fits a class schedule.
• Other support services that are directly tied to child care access and student persistence.

The page also says the 2026 competition gives priority to child care programs that leverage significant local or institutional resources and use a sliding fee scale. That means a school is likely stronger if it can show it already has partners, facilities, staffing, or other resources in place, and if its model makes child care affordable on a sliding scale rather than treating everyone the same.

What the page does not do is promise a single standard benefit level for every institution. CCAMPIS is a competitive grant, and the final package can differ from campus to campus. A school might use the funds to expand an existing child care center, subsidize spaces at a partner provider, or build a more flexible student-parent support model. The exact design depends on the institution’s application and the grant award.

Who should pay attention

There are two groups that should care about this program, and they have different reasons for caring.

1) College and university staff

If you work in financial aid, student success, basic needs, student parent support, early childhood education, institutional grants, or campus child care, this is a relevant opportunity. It is especially worth a look if your school has a visible student parent population, an existing child care center, or a community provider partnership that could be expanded.

The program is only open to institutions that meet the Pell Grant funding threshold. That means it is not a general open call for every campus in the country. But for the schools that do qualify, CCAMPIS can be a practical way to keep student parents enrolled and to fund child care services that already make sense for the campus.

2) Student parents

If you are a student parent reading this, you probably cannot apply for the grant yourself. That does not make the program irrelevant to you. It means your next move is to ask whether your school participates. If it does, you may be able to access child care help, subsidized slots, or related supports through the campus program.

If your school does not currently have CCAMPIS funding, ask financial aid or student affairs whether it is applying in the current round. Sometimes student demand is what pushes a school to pursue the grant in the first place.

Eligibility basics

The official CCAMPIS page is unusually clear about the core eligibility test.

Institution eligibility

An institution of higher education is eligible to receive a grant if the total amount of all Federal Pell Grant funds awarded to students enrolled at the institution in the preceding fiscal year is at least $350,000.

That is the threshold that matters most. If a school does not clear it, it is not eligible for this competition. If it does clear it, the school still has to compete successfully and submit a strong application.

Participant eligibility

The page says the program serves low-income parents who are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. That is the student-side population the program is designed around.

The page does not spell out every local rule a campus might use for enrollment, waitlists, or child age ranges. That is intentional. Those details are usually set by the institution or by the child care provider the institution uses. If you are a student, do not assume every campus follows the same intake rules. If you are an institution, do not assume one school’s model will work for another without adjustment.

How the application works

The landing page points applicants to Grants.gov and to the application notice and instructions. That means the real application package lives in the federal competition materials, not just on the summary page.

For institutions, the process usually looks like this:

1. Confirm that your institution meets the Pell funding eligibility threshold.
2. Read the current application notice and instructions carefully.
3. Review the selection priorities and criteria, including the absolute priorities and any invitational priority.
4. Gather institutional data that shows the need for child care and the number of student parents you can realistically serve.
5. Build a plan for how the grant will expand or support child care services.
6. Submit the application through Grants.gov before the deadline.

The official page also announces a webinar on April 28, 2026, focused on the absolute priorities, invitational priority, and selection criteria. If your school is thinking about applying, that webinar is worth attending. It is a shortcut to understanding what the reviewers will care about.

The page does not list every attachment on the summary page, so do not rely on guesswork. Use the Grants.gov package and the application notice to confirm the exact forms, narrative sections, budget materials, and signatures required for submission.

Timeline

If you are working on an application, the deadline is the date that matters most. The webinar is helpful, but it is not a substitute for reading the application notice. And if your institution has an internal grants office or procurement review process, you should plan for that time too. Federal competitions often fail in the final week because teams underestimate internal routing.

How to decide whether this is worth the effort

The right way to think about CCAMPIS is not “Is this a big grant?” but “Can this school build a credible child care program around the needs of student parents?”

It is probably worth pursuing if:

• Your campus has a real student parent population and can document that need.
• You already have a child care center, a partner provider, or campus services that could expand with funding.
• Your institution can show local or institutional resources, because the official page says that is a priority.
• You can offer a sliding fee scale or a similar affordability model.
• Your team has enough administrative capacity to manage a four-year federal grant.

It may be a weaker fit if:

• Your school does not meet the Pell funding eligibility threshold.
• There is no realistic way to staff, manage, or sustain child care operations.
• The institution wants quick money but does not have a plan for compliance and service delivery.
• No one on campus owns the work, which makes the application and future administration risky.

For student parents, the question is simpler: if your school has CCAMPIS, is the service worth using? Usually the answer depends on whether it fits your schedule, child age needs, fees, and commute. A subsidized slot is only valuable if you can actually use it consistently. Ask early, and ask specific questions.

What a strong application usually needs

The official page does not provide a full application checklist in the summary text, but it does tell you enough to see what kind of application is likely to be strong.

A competitive school should be ready to explain:

• Why student parents on campus need help.
• How many students could benefit.
• What child care capacity already exists.
• How the school will use the federal funds.
• How the school will make the program affordable.
• What local or institutional resources will support the project.
• How the model will help student parents stay enrolled and complete credentials.

It also helps to be concrete. Vague statements like “student parents face barriers” are true, but they are not persuasive on their own. Better applications usually show the actual campus problem, the actual service gap, and the actual plan to close that gap.

If your school has a waiting list for child care, a high stop-out rate among student parents, or a large number of Pell-eligible parents who struggle to attend class, those are the kinds of facts that belong in the narrative. If you have partnerships with local providers, that should be spelled out too.

Common mistakes

The biggest mistakes with CCAMPIS are usually not dramatic. They are practical and avoidable.

Mistake 1: Assuming students apply directly

They do not. The institution applies. If you are a student parent, your job is to find out whether your school has a CCAMPIS program or is trying to build one.

Mistake 2: Missing the Pell threshold

The eligibility rule for institutions is specific. If your school does not have at least $350,000 in Pell Grant funds awarded to enrolled students in the prior fiscal year, it is not eligible. Do not spend weeks on an application if the institution cannot pass that test.

Mistake 3: Treating child care as a side project

CCAMPIS is not just about money. It is about running a child care service that actually fits student life. If a campus cannot handle scheduling, staffing, enrollment, and communication, the grant will not fix those weaknesses by itself.

Mistake 4: Ignoring affordability design

The official page says programs that use a sliding fee scale get priority. That is a hint. Reviewers want to see that the campus understands how families will pay for care, not just how it will be offered in theory.

Mistake 5: Forgetting the academic connection

This program exists to support postsecondary education. A child care plan that is disconnected from enrollment, class schedules, and student persistence will not be as compelling as one that clearly shows how care helps students stay in school.

Mistake 6: Waiting until the last minute

Federal grant packages take time. You need narrative drafts, budgets, approvals, and often multiple reviews. Start before the deadline gets close.

Practical tips for institutions

If your school is considering applying, the best move is to build the application around evidence, not optimism.

First, identify the exact student-parent population you want to serve. Know how many students are likely eligible, how many currently need care, and what kind of care they need. Infant and toddler care, after-school care, and evening care are not interchangeable, and the demand profile matters.

Second, explain how the campus will actually deliver services. Will you expand an existing center? Contract with a local provider? Use a partnership model? The page says grants are for campus-based child care services, so your model should feel anchored to the institution rather than abstract.

Third, show commitment from the institution. If you can demonstrate budget support, facilities, staff time, or partner contributions, that aligns with the page’s priority for significant local or institutional resources.

Fourth, make the affordability story clear. A sliding fee scale is specifically mentioned on the official page, so spell out how fees will work and how low-income students will be protected from pricing that is still too high.

Finally, plan for sustainability. A four-year grant is meaningful, but it is still temporary. Reviewers want to see a serious plan, not a one-semester experiment.

Practical tips for student parents

If you are the person hoping to use the program, here is the shortest useful version:

1. Ask your financial aid office whether your school has CCAMPIS funding.
2. Ask student affairs or the child care center who runs the program.
3. Ask whether there is a waitlist, what the fee structure looks like, and what age groups are served.
4. Ask whether the child care schedule matches your classes or clinical hours.
5. Ask what documents you will need if a slot is available.

Do not wait until you are already overwhelmed to ask. Child care programs often fill quickly, and the application or intake process can take time. The earlier you find out what exists on your campus, the better your odds of using it.

FAQ

Is CCAMPIS a grant for students?
No. It is a grant for institutions of higher education. Students benefit through the campus services the institution creates or expands.

Can any college apply?
No. The school must meet the Pell Grant funding threshold described on the official page.

What does the money pay for?
Campus-based child care and related student support services needed to help low-income students pursue postsecondary education.

Does the official page say there is a deadline?
Yes. The FY 2026 application deadline is May 29, 2026.

Is there a webinar?
Yes. ED and HHS/ACF say they will host a webinar on April 28, 2026, and registration is not required.

Where do I apply?
On Grants.gov, using the current CCAMPIS application package and instructions.

What if my school does not participate?
Ask whether it is applying this cycle or whether it has a campus child care plan already. If it does not, you may still be able to advocate for future participation.

Official links

• CCAMPIS program page – U.S. Department of Education
• FY 2026 CCAMPIS application on Grants.gov
• FY 2026 Application Notice and Instructions
• Webinar link shared by ED
• CCAMPIS APR Submission Instructions

What to do next

If you are on a campus team, start with the eligibility threshold and the application notice. Those two items tell you whether you can compete and what shape the application has to take. Then ask the people who actually know the campus demand where the pressure points are. Financial aid can tell you how many Pell-eligible students are enrolled. Student affairs can usually tell you where student parents are getting stuck. A child care director or community partner can tell you what capacity already exists and what gaps remain.

If you are a student parent, the next move is more direct. Ask whether your school has a CCAMPIS-funded program, whether there is an application or waitlist, and whether the service matches your class schedule. If the answer is no, ask whether the institution is applying this year. Sometimes the most useful thing a student can do is make the need visible early enough for the campus to act on it.

Do not treat this as a generic grant writing exercise. The strongest applications will sound like they came from a campus that understands its student parents, knows what help they need, and can explain exactly how child care support will keep them enrolled.

Bottom line

CCAMPIS is worth your attention if you are a college administrator trying to serve student parents or a student parent trying to find child care that actually fits school life. It is not a direct student grant, and it is not open to every campus, but it is one of the few federal programs built specifically around the reality that child care can decide whether a parent stays enrolled.

If your institution qualifies, has a real student-parent need, and can build a practical child care model, this is a serious opportunity. If you are a student, the next step is to ask your school whether it participates and how to get access if it does.