Berne said the college's grant application was technically flawless but was still rejected. She added that every higher education institution in Wisconsin that applied for the same funding was also turned down, suggesting a broader problem for parenting students across the state.

"We have parenting students studying to be nurses and police officers and IT professionals, and if they don't have a place for their children while they're studying, those opportunities are much delayed, if not lost," Berne said.

The college is now in talks with multiple partners to try to secure funding for the next cycle, Berne said. She did not name the partners or specify how much money was at stake.

The denial comes as child care costs continue to strain working families in Dane County, where infant care can rival in-state college tuition. For students at Madison College—many of whom are older, working, and raising children—on-campus child care is often the difference between completing a credential and dropping out.

The college's child care program serves student-parents across its degree and technical programs. Without the federal aid, Berne said, those students may have to delay or abandon their studies, thinning the pipeline of nurses, law enforcement officers, and tech workers that local employers depend on.

A college spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about how many students use the child care program or how the loss of the grant will affect operations in the coming semester.

This story has been updated to reflect that Berne did not say the college's on-campus child care facilities would close mid-semester without the money.