Childcare Grants and Budget Adjustments

Application Process:

The application should be available on the Financial Aid & Scholarships (FAS) website in early September of the Academic Aid year. The priority deadline is a date in late September or early October, and students will be notified of awarding decisions via email during the month of October. Applications should be completed and submitted via the online scholarship portal, http://ku.academicworks.com before the priority deadline noted on the application materials.

Applications received after the priority deadline will be considered for the grant if grant funds are still available. Childcare expenses incurred by the student are used to establish eligibility. Therefore, there is a place for the childcare provider to indicate support for child-care expenses coming from other sources, including other grants or scholarships. All applicants will have their COA (budget) increased for the full amount of their childcare expenses after subtracting other sources of funding. After the priority date, Budget Adjustment Requests only are completed. A second round of awarding can take place in January after checking enrollment of all recipients, canceling those who are not meeting the minimum requirements (see below) and reallocating funds to late applicants.

Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must:

• Have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $13,000 or less to receive the grant.
• Be the custodial parent of the child and the child must live with the applicant more than 50% of the time.
• The applicant must have at least one child 5 years old or younger AND not yet in Kindergarten.
• Be enrolled in at least 6 in-person hours as a degree seeking student at the University of Kansas, Lawrence campus. Exceptions can be made for students completing 1 credit hour dissertation programs.
• Be a resident, non-resident or international student.
• Citizens and eligible non-citizens must file the current FAFSA and have the information sent to KU.
• International students must submit an International Student Needs Analysis Worksheet (ISNAW) in lieu of the FAFSA.
• Clear all ED matches, rejects, and verification issues before being awarded the grant.
• Have a childcare provider that is someone other than the child’s mother or father. Other relatives may be considered on a case-by-case basis. NOTE: Spouses are not approved childcare providers for the purpose of this grant.
• Have a spouse who is working or attending school at least 6 hours, or completing a 1 credit hour dissertation program (if applicable).

In addition:

• Only one student parent at KU can apply for the grant.
• Students not meeting financial aid satisfactory academic progress may be eligible for the grant.
• Priority for the award will go to applicants with the greatest financial need (after considering EFC and other gift aid) who meet the priority date.

Funding

In February of each year, the FAS Assistant Director presents a grant proposal to the Student Senate for renewal of annual EOF funds using statistical information collected during the current year's awarding process.