Overview
In the Academic year 2014-15, the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University (ASSOU) chose to offer students a childcare subsidy in order to assist students who have children who are pre-school age or younger to attend classes at SOU. This subsidy is funded from the incidental fee that students pay when they enroll at SOU.
The subsidy is included in a student's full financial package and can impact other financial aid the student would have otherwise received. Because of this, the subsidy is administered through the Financial Aid office at SOU.
Questions may be addressed to dos@sou.edu.
Understanding the ASSOU Childcare Subsidy
How do I apply for the Subsidy?
To apply for the ASSOU Childcare Subsidy, submit an SOU Cares Report with the following information:
- Your name
- Your student ID number
- The name of your childcare provider
- An uploaded bill, invoice, or estimate of monthly cost.
What are the requirements to qualify for the subsidy?
- Applicants must be the parent or legal caregiver of a child.
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Applicant's child must be currently enrolled in a DHS approved child-care program or the Community Preschool at SOU.
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Applicants must be in good academic standing and making adequate progress toward graduation.
Eligibility will be determined by enrollment and unmet need with the Federal Financial Aid Package.
The subsidy is awarded per term – however, despite being awarded in one full amount during each term, eligibility must be maintained for the entire term in order to earn the full subsidy. Failure to maintain eligibility either through student enrollment status, child care enrollment status, or other will lose eligibility and may require repayment of all or part of the subsidy previously awarded.
Applicants who report fraudulent information will be disqualified from the subsidy pool and may have a debt to the University for any subsidy funds received.
How much is the subsidy for?
Applicants are eligible to apply for up to $500 per term in childcare assistance.
Students who do not maintain eligibility for the entire term, for any reason, may be required to repay the subsidy. If a student's documented child care costs are less than the maximum subsidy, the subsidy will be reduced appropriately. Otherwise, the subsidy is not prorated based on the number of applicants or a student's total need.
When are applications due for the start of a term?
Applications are due on Friday of week 5 and will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Special Opportunity with the SOU Preschool
Did you know that SOU has a preschool program located on our beautiful campus in the Education/Psychology Building?
Check out these special opportunities for Fall 2020:
- SOU students and employees displaced by the recent fires will receive a 50% discount on tuition for fall term.
- SOU students may access an ASSOU childcare subsidy to help pay for tuition.
Curious about the Community Preschool at SOU?
The Community Preschool at SOU provides a play-based environment where experiential learning is encouraged. Their play-based curriculum bridges theory into practice and is guided by professional staff through careful observation and planning based on children’s strengths, interests and needs. The environment is arranged with meaningful and relevant selections that support self-initiation and choice making. Children are encouraged to appreciate their own and other’s abilities and ideas, to try new experiences; all the while their own intellectual, social, emotional, and imaginative competencies are nurtured daily.
Contact Info
Phone: 541-552-6922
Web: inside.sou.edu/preschool/index.html
Email: preschool@sou.edu
Director: Rebecca Tree, M. Ed.
Hours of Operation: 8:30 am – 1:30 pm, Mon-Fri (options for 2, 3 or 5 days/week)
Once I apply and receive the subsidy, can I move my child?
Yes, but you will be required to validate that you continue to have child care costs that match or exceed the subsidy. If you move your child to a center that is not licensed or otherwise would not have qualified you for the subsidy (DHS approved), you may lose eligibility for the subsidy and have to repay part or all of the subsidy. If you switch child care providers at any point during the term, you are required to notify the Student Advocate.
I have multiple children who need care, can I get the subsidy for both?
No. The subsidy is awarded on a per student basis, not a per child basis. The subsidy is not prorated based on total child care costs, except in cases where documented costs to not meet the amount of the subsidy, in those cases the subsidy is reduced appropriately.My spouse and I are both students at SOU, can we both apply the subsidy?
No. If both parents/guardians of children are SOU students, only one of the students can claim the child or children for purposes of both, financial aid calculations and application for the subsidy.
When will I know if I have been awarded the subsidy?
As the subsidy is administered through the Financial Aid office, the subsidy will be identified as part of a student's financial aid award and be applied to their student account during each term.
How will I receive the subsidy?
Given that the subsidy is treated as financial aid, the subsidy is received similar to any other financial aid award. The subsidy will be included in a student's financial aid award and applied to their student account in the same manner as any other financial aid award.
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In general, charges for tuition, housing, and other similar actions are posted as charges to a student's account. Credits such as financial aid or payments for tuition and housing, etc. are applied against the balance on a student's account. The Childcare Subsidy will be applied as a credit against the student account.
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If their child is enrolled at another state licensed child care center, the subsidy will still be applied against their overall charges on their student account and will be part of any refund the student may receive if their aid exceeds their charges. They can then utilize their refund to apply toward their child care costs at another licensed center.
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If you are already receiving maximum Financial Aid for the year (there is no remaining unmet need) the subsidy may replace less desirable Financial Aid, such as loans.
Do I need to reapply each term?
No. While the subsidy is awarded for single terms, it is not the intention that students who receive the subsidy have to apply for following terms within the same academic year.
Approved students need to only verify continued eligibility to continue to receive the subsidy for the duration of that academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring terms only). They will, however, be required to reapply and compete with all other qualified students for the subsidy in separate Academic years (Fall-Summer is a single academic year).
New enrollments in Winter and Spring terms will be limited to only filling vacant subsidy awards, either made available from students who lost their eligibility or subsidies not awarded in the previous term.
Contact Dean of Students Office for further questions
For general and immediate questions on the Child Care Subsidy or on the application process, students could contact Dean of Students Office at dos@sou.edu.For specific questions on their subsidy and disbursement, once awarded, students could contact the Financial Aid office at SOU at finaid@sou.edu.
