INDEX
SOCIAL MEDIA
1. News 2. WV History/Crime 3. News 4. News 5. News 6. Chill
Twitter: @DailyAthenaeum Sports Twitter: @TheDASports Instagram: @DailyAthenaeum Sports Instagram: @TheDASports Snapchat: @DailyAthenaeum WVU’s Independent Student Newspaper
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018
danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
WVU scraps child care assistance program Program provided child care assistance to low-income student parents BY JOE SEVERINO NEWS EDITOR Over the summer, WVU cut funding for the Student Child Care Assistance Program (SCCAP), a program that provided assistance to low-income students who were also parents and attending the University. The program had been at WVU for more than 17 years before being permanently axed in June, according to the Student Family Resource website. The program helped student parents by paying child care costs for families who qualified. WVU allocated funding to create the department in 2001 as a result of the Nontraditional Student Taskforce Report under former WVU President David Hardesty, Jr., according to the Student Family Resource office. However, the majority of SCCAP’s funding came from a federal grant for low-income student parents who also received a federal Pell Grant. Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) is a federal grant that colleges can apply for on a four-year cycle. WVU received $106,000 in CCAMPIS funding in 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Dean of Students Corey Farris said WVU reapplied for the grant in October of 2017, but the University was not selected to be a recipient. He said WVU had to totally fund the program from November 2017 until June 1 of this year. He said the program was cut because there wasn’t anyway the University could fund the program any longer without federal funds. He estimated there were about 30 students in the program each year. “We lost the grant last year, so this year we don’t have any federal funds to do what we were doing, which was paying for child care,” he said. “If we don’t have the money to pay for those 30 students and their child care, we can’t continue that.” The impact, Farris said, is that student parents will have to figure out more aspects of child care than before. “So, the impact is [inaudi-
Student parents given SCCAP assistance say program kept them in school BY MADISON GREER AND CARLY VANIVER CORRESPONDENTS
PHOTO VIA CHILDCARE.WVU.EDU
Former WVU running back Justin Crawford, a 2017 graduate, walks with his son on Mountaineer Field. Crawford received SCCAP assistance during his time at the University. ble] they figure out a different way to do it, or they juggled it with family or friends who watch their kids when they were taking classes, or having study sessions or things like that,” he said. The Student Family Resource office said it will still apply for the CCAMPIS grant this year even after the elimination of SCCAP. Student Family Resource Director Leslie Haning wrote in an email that “the CCAMPIS federal grant was written and submitted prior to the July 24, 2018 competition deadline. If awarded, the grant would generate $980,000 over a four year project period to fully fund the continuation of the Student Child Care Assistance Program and WVU Office of Family Resources. The funding could become available as of October 1st and would not require any cost share from the University.” In March, U.S. Congress passed the omnibus spending bill which more than tri-
PHOTO VIA MORGAN HUNT
Former WVU student Morgan Hunt and her daughter, Hannah. pled CCAMPIS’ total funding from $15 million to $50 million. When the grant only had $15 million to allocate, only about 80 schools, including WVU, were given funds.
SEE SCCAP P. 3
7. Culture 8. Opinion 9. Sports 10. Sports 11. Classifieds/Culture 12. Ads
Former WVU students like Morgan Hunt were given assistance under the Student Child Care Assistance Program (SCCAP), and now that the program has seen its funding from the University cut, her and other student parents are praising its effectiveness. Hunt, a 2017 graduate of WVU and mother of two, said she learned about SCCAP from her stepmother, who encouraged her to apply. When her daughter was eight weeks old, classes started up again. “SCCAP would reimburse me up to a certain amount of childcare expenses per month,” she said. “They reimbursed me probably around 90 percent of my childcare costs. As a fulltime student and part-time employee, that was huge.” Hunt said that many daycares have high child care costs that most student parents cannot afford themselves and that these daycares do not accept drop-ins and have waiting lists. She said it makes it even more difficult for student parents to find a safe place for their children while they’re at class or work. She added that having a small child in Morgantown relates to issues with housing. Along with safety concerns, money is a big issue. She said if your child is above 2 years old, you must sign a lease for them, doubling the cost of rent in certain apartment complexes and University-owned properties. Hunt said she was disappointed in WVU’s decision to scrap the program.
SEE PARENTS P. 3
A LOOK INSIDE
The high cost of Greek life The fraternity buildings ranked from most to least expensive page 4
Board of Governors approves additional WVU Hospitals parking BOG approves lease for additional parking at Health Sciences
page 3
Pros and cons of WVU’s 35-6 win over Kansas State Despite many positives for West Virginia, there are still some things to work on page 9
We’re hiring!