The college learned on Oct. 19 that its application to the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program, known as CCAMPIS, had not been selected, according to a statement from the college. The U.S. Department of Education notified the college by email. The previous award, which provided $1.2 million from 2022 through 2026, ended Sept. 30.

President Dr. Jennifer Berne said the college first realized the outcome by scanning a list of funded institutions.

"We learned that there was a list of institutions that did get it, and we were not on that list," Berne said. "In fact, no Wisconsin technical college or university got it, and many had it as we had it for many years."

Berne said the number of awards was far smaller than the college anticipated. Madison College said its application was one of 79 that received a score of 100 out of 100 from both reviewers but still went unfunded. The college did not provide an explanation for why its application was passed over.

"We also learned we had a perfect score, so we are very proud of the application that we put in and the way that we expressed our need and also the way that we showed how we used the money in the past to support our students," Berne said.

The CCAMPIS program helps eligible low-income student parents pay for child care while they pursue a degree or credential. At Madison College, the grant covered roughly 75% to 95% of child care costs for participating families and supported related services.

The timing is especially difficult, Berne said, because the semester is past midterms.

"We're worried about our students. It's past midterms now, and this is a very important part of the semester," she said. "We want to make sure that they are not having to worry about their children during this stressful time and having to stop working so they can be in school."

For the fall 2026 semester, 50 student-parent families are enrolled in child care services at Madison College. Of those, 28 were confirmed eligible for CCAMPIS assistance. The college said that number might have been higher, but it stopped accepting applications while waiting for a decision on the grant.

According to the college, 34 infants and preschool-age children enrolled before the start of the fall term are affected by the loss of anticipated assistance. Six families turned down child care spaces because of cost, and three delayed starting care while they searched for other funding. Two families moved to district 4K programs and cut back their course loads to fit the shorter hours of care.

Berne said the grant allowed students with financial need to access high-quality care while they attended classes.

"So to stop working so you can be in school and then not be able to afford childcare is sort of a double reason to leave school," she said.

The college warns that parents who cannot afford reliable care may take fewer classes, postpone completing a credential or leave higher education altogether. That, in turn, could affect regional employers that depend on trained workers for in-demand jobs.

In the short term, the Madison College Foundation has stepped in. Since October, eligible families have received help covering about 25% of their child care costs, according to the college. The college is seeking additional funding to raise that support to a goal of 75%.

The college and its foundation are also exploring other options, including early childhood education student scholarships and child care emergency grants, and are pursuing support from workforce, economic development and government partners.

Madison College has offered on-campus child care since the late 1980s. It has expanded its Truax Early Learning Campus twice since 2020 and opened an early learning center at the Goodman South Campus in January 2026.

Without a longer-term funding solution, the college said it expects demand from student parents to decline. To remain financially sustainable, it may need to fill more spaces with employees and community families who can pay the full cost, leaving less room for student parents who need affordable care.