Penn College News

Center receives grant to assist students with child care costs

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Dunham Children’s Learning Center was granted $92,118 from the U.S. Department of Education to help reduce fees for eligible students whose children are enrolled at the early childhood education facility in 2020-21.



The funding is known as a CCAMPIS grant, which stands for Child Care Access Means Parents in School. It helps the Children’s Learning Center to provide discounts to Penn College students whose income makes them eligible for federal Pell Grants. Reductions typically range from 25% to 75% of the Children’s Learning Center fees, based on a student’s income as reported to the college’s Financial Aid Office. (For Fall 2020, students are receiving discounts of 50% to 90% due to the closure of the center in Spring 2020, which made more funds available for Fall 2020.)

In addition to the Department of Education’s contribution, the college has budgeted a $268,697 match to ensure the sliding fee scale is available to every eligible student who applies.

For Fall 2020, 23 students are benefiting from the sliding fee scale, allowing them to attend classes with peace of mind that their children are safe on campus and receiving a high-quality early childhood education experience.

Part of the CCAMPIS grant is also used to fund a part-time teacher assistant, who “floats” to each classroom one day per week to allow teachers to have uninterrupted planning and documentation time to meet accreditation standards. Teachers use the time to plan lessons, meet with parents and complete child assessments.

The Children’s Learning Center at Penn College is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It holds the highest rating – four stars – from the Pennsylvania Keystone Stars program.

To learn more about the Dunham Children’s Learning Center, call 570-320-8026.

For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.