Grace Faver | Washtenaw Voice
by Grace Crandall
Staff Writer
Students may be eligible for the WCC Childcare Scholarship based on certain criteria.
The Childcare Scholarship is a semester-long scholarship awarded by the WCC Student Resource Center. To be eligible, students must be registered in classes at Washtenaw, fall within a certain household income, and children must be enrolled in a daycare center licensed by the state of Michigan.
All scholarship money is awarded to off-campus childcare support, something that has changed due to the pandemic. Prior to 2020, WCC offered a scholarship for the on-campus childcare center. When the center closed, on-campus care ended as well.
The scholarship is also now available to students enrolled in online and virtual classes, an offer not applicable before 2020.
“We pivoted and tried to find a way we could help students in other ways,” said Cheryl Finley, student adviser and case manager for the Student Resource Center.
The childcare scholarship does not vary based on household income; instead, recipients are awarded 80% of their out-of-pocket daycare cost, based on the amount of time the student is in class. The more credits a student takes, the more aid he or she is likely to receive.
There is no maximum of scholarships available, and every student who is eligible can receive a scholarship, said Finley.
In the Winter 2023 semester, 26 out of 30 applicants received the Childcare Scholarship, an approval rate of 87%. A total of $56,754.60 was awarded to the semester’s recipients. Those who were not eligible withdrew from classes, did not place their child in daycare, or expected to receive payment from a third party, according to Student Resource Center records.
Students can renew their application every semester, and are encouraged to do so.
“It’s exciting when we can help as many students overcome certain barriers such as childcare,” said Finley. “If we help a student in the fall, you can just about guarantee they’ll be back in the winter, because then they know how easy it is to get it (the scholarship).”
Students who want to know if they are eligible can contact the Student Resource Center at 734-677-5105, and can schedule an appointment with Finley or Leslie Neal. From there, students and their childcare provider must fill out an application.
“The Childcare Scholarship is an excellent scholarship for those who are struggling with paying childcare to go to school,” said Finley. “Paying 80% of that cost is a huge help.”
