The WorkLife office, in coordination with Graduate Studies and the Financial Aid office, offers limited grants to students with dependent children to assist with childcare expenses.
Currently accepting applications for 2025 Spring quarter ONLY.
Summer 2025 and Academic Year 2025-26 will be available July 1st.
For Postdoctoral Scholars: Visit the UC Davis Graduate Studies website for more information:
https://grad.ucdavis.edu/postdoctoral-scholar-benefits
Send all inquiries to: gsacadpers@ucdavis.edu.
The UC Davis Child Care Grant program consists of two grants that are designed to partially defray student families' actual childcare expenses.
The Graduate Student Child Care Grant (GSCCG) is available to Graduate and Professional students, while the Community Based Care Grant (CBCG) is available to all students identified with financial and situational needs.
Award amounts range between $900-$2200 (per quarter) depending on program and eligibility.
On this page, you will find:
Please read through all provided documents before contacting our office.
All program inquiries should be directed to: studentchildcaregrants@ucdavis.edu
Student Parent Child Care Grant Handbook
Please read through the entire handbook to learn about the complexities of the two programs offered by WorkLife:
Student-Parent Childcare Grant Handbook
The Graduate Student Child Care Grant Fact Sheet
For eligibility requirements, grant amounts, and how to apply, please read the:
Graduate Student Childcare Grant (GSCCG) Fact Sheet
The Community Based Care Grant Fact Sheet
For eligibility requirements, grant amounts, how it supplements the GSCCG, and how to apply, please read the:
Community Based Care Grant (CBCG) Fact Sheet
Applications by Student Status
Once you have read through the Handbook and separate Fact Sheets, and know which grant(s) you are eligible to receive, select your Student Status below to access the applicable application:
- Graduate/Professional Student
- Undergraduate Student
Graduate/Professional Student
Graduate or Professional students may be eligible to apply for the Graduate Student Childcare Grant (GSCCG) AND the Community Based Care Grant (CBCG).
Select the required application below, download the fillable PDF Form, and complete all sections. Sign and date the application, and then have your childcare provider sign and date the application. Save the fully executed application as a PDF document. Gather your supporting documents, as noted on the application, and follow the directions below to submit your application securely.
I want to apply for the Graduate Student Childcare Grant:
To apply for the SUMMER terms, complete the:
- 2024 Summer Graduate/Professional Student GSCCG Application
To apply for the Academic Year (Fall, Winter, Spring), complete the:
I want to apply for the Community Based Care Grant, as
- I have both financial and situational need or
- I have financial and situational need, AND I am in a self-supporting graduate program.
For Resident students, complete the:
For International students, complete the:
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the Community Based Care Grant (CBCG).
Select the required application below, download the fillable PDF Form, and complete all sections. Sign and date the application, and then have your childcare provider sign and date the application. Save the fully executed application as a PDF document. Gather your supporting documents, as noted on the application, and follow the directions below to submit your application securely.
To apply for the SUMMER terms, complete the:
- 2024 Summer Undergraduate Student CBCG Application
To apply for the Academic Year (Fall, Winter, Spring), complete the:
Application Submission Process:
Once your application has been completed and signed by all parties and you have collected all your supporting documents, save everything to your computer as a PDF, or take photos of your documents using your phone.
We only accept applications through our Secure Submission Portal.
FOR YOUR SECURITY, DO NOT EMAIL YOUR MATERIALS
To ensure that your application is received and tracked correctly, once you have accessed the submission portal (linked below), follow these guidelines EXACTLY when completing the submission form:
FROM: your UC Davis email address
SUBJECT: your Last Name, First Name_Terms for which you are applying ("W" for Winter, and "S" for Spring. If applying for more than one term, please indicate which terms you are applying for; as an example, if Harry Styles is applying for Winter and Spring, the subject line will read: Styles, Harry_WS)
MESSAGE: indicate your Student Status, Type of Childcare Provider, and Application items attached; for example: "I am an Undergraduate Student and my childcare provider is my neighbor. Attached are my application for Winter and Spring quarters, my child's birth certificate, and my 2024-25 FAFSA MyAwards page."
You can also use this space to provide any additional information you feel is important for us to process your grant application appropriately.
Then drag and drop your files, or use the "+Add Files" button, to attach your application materials.
Click the "Send" button to submit your application.
The submission box is monitored:
Monday through Thursday from 7:30am - 5:00pm, and Friday from 7:30am - 11:30am
You will receive an email once we have downloaded your application. If you do not hear from us within three weeks of submission, please contact us at studentchildcaregrants@ucdavis.edu.
TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION, click on the following link:
Program Reminders
- Self-Supporting Programs are not eligible for the GSCCG as these programs do not contribute to the monies that fund the program.
- A verification of employment may be completed and signed by a supervisor and used instead of providing paystubs to verify employment for Adult/Parent 2 (unless self-employed) for CBCG.
- Applications are processed on a rolling basis.
- You must apply before the last day of instruction for the term for which you are requesting funds. (See applicable deadlines posted in the right banner of this webpage).
- Expect processing to take up to 8-12 weeks, especially at the start of the program year.
- Funds are deposited into your student account. As these grants are provided by UC Davis, the funds will be absorbed by any debt you may have in your account.
- To expedite the receipt of funds, visit the Student Accounting webpage to set up direct deposit.
- Grants are reportable income. You will need to access your 1098T from UC Davis when your award is posted.
- PLEASE NOTE: If you receive additional funding other than what is posted on your financial aid package at the time your application is processed, including but not limited to Departmental Awards, Fellowships, Stipends, Research or Teaching Assistantships (RA/TA), etc., these funds may affect the amount/eligibility of your Childcare Grant. To ensure accuracy and avoid additional billing or return of aid, report these additional resources by logging into MyAwards.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Is this a child credit?
- NO. These funds are to be used to offset ACTUAL CHILDCARE EXPENSES only. These grants are intended to help with childcare costs so a student parent can pursue their education at UC Davis. If you do not incur childcare costs, you are not eligible for this grant. Also, note that a childcare provider must be someone other than the child's parents or siblings under the age of 19.
- Do I just apply for the current term?
- You can, but we prefer that you apply for the entire year (July -June), if possible. If that is not a possibility, we do accept applications by term.
- What are the defined terms?
- For students on the quarter system: Summer is July, Aug, Sept. Fall is October, November, December. Winter is January, February, March. Spring is April, May, June.
For students on the semester system: Professional programs with usually no summer enrollment or ASE employment. Fall is September, October, November, December. Spring is January, February, March, April, May. - Can I receive funds for terms that have passed?
- NO. You must apply before or during the term for which you are requesting funds. The last day we accept applications is the last day of instruction, as noted on the official University calendar.
- What about summer terms?
- Both grants are available for summer. Enrolled undergraduates, graduates, and professional students must have a minimum of 6 credits for summer to qualify for CBCG. Graduate or Professional students must either be enrolled full-time (12 units) or employed as an Academic Student Employee (AI, Reader, TA, Community Teaching Fellow, Remedial Tutor/Tutor) or a GSR (at least 25% appointment) to qualify for GSCCG. The Summer Candel Workshop, fellowships, or outside internships are not considered employment for summer GSCCG.
- What is Filing Fee Status?
- Filing Fee status is when a graduate student has completed all requirements for their degree except for filing a master’s thesis or a doctoral dissertation. Students may be funded for one term (GSCCG only) on Filing Fee. Students are technically not enrolled in coursework while on filing fee status so must contact the WorkLife office right away as we need to override the Financial Aid system to ensure disbursement of grant funds.
- What is a Self-Supporting Program (SSP) and what does that mean for me?
- A Self-supporting program is a graduate/professional program that does not pay into student fees so students in these programs are ineligible for GSCCG funds. These students may be eligible for CBCG funds if they have both financial and situational needs. To apply, please submit both the GSCCG application (as it contains pertinent information about your childcare provider) with a completed CBCG application indicating SSP status on the applications. HERE is a list of SSPs.
- I noticed a new question asking if I am a "CCAMPIS Grant" participant. What is the CCAMPIS Grant?
- CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School), pronounced see-campus, is a federal grant from the US Department of Education designed to provide funding for child care and related services to promote the success of student parents. The Early Childhood Laboratory (ECL) and Transfer and Reentry Center (TRC) received a CCAMPIS grant to support student parents at UC Davis. For more information, visit https://trc.ucdavis.edu/services/student-parent/ccampis
- My family is expecting a baby during the academic year. When can I apply?
- You must wait until the child is born before you apply. Note: Newborn care will be prorated from the first full week after birth.
- How do I indicate that Adult/Parent 2 does not provide any support to my child?
- Complete and sign the section on the CBCG application that indicates that Parent 2 does not financially contribute to the child(ren).
- I'm applying for the financial and situational need-based grant, I have completed the FAFSA (or Dream Act Application), and Adult/Parent 2 is reflected on it (filed as married). Do I need to provide additional financial information?
- NO. As long as both parents are included in the FAFSA we do not need additional financial information beyond the copy of your MyAwards Page or Dream Act report. If Adult/Parent 2 is not reflected in the FAFSA or Dream Act we need verification of the financial support they provide for the care of the child for which you are applying.
- Is there a second parent work or school requirement for the financial and situational need-based grant (CBCG)?
- YES. To be eligible for the CBCG grant, the second parent/adult in the household must either work at least part-time (20 hours per week) or attend an accredited university/college at least part-time (6 units). Verification documents would include paystubs to cover the most recent 30 days of employment, a Verification of Employment completed by their supervisor, verification of self-employment and hours worked, or a current enrollment form to verify their student status.
- I'm an International Student. Am I eligible?
- Undergraduate Students: Please contact WorkLife at studentchildcaregrants@ucdavis.edu.
Graduate/Professional Students: There are no differences in eligibility for GSCCG for international students. International students, who are not eligible to complete a FAFSA or Dream Act application are still eligible to apply for CBCG but must complete an additional application specifically for International students. In addition, they must provide a copy of their I-20 F-1 Visa, and if applicable, verification that adult/parent 2 in the household either works part-time or attends an accredited university/college at least part-time, a recent US tax return, and 6-month copies of all bank account statements. Additionally, International Students who have established funding for “Expenses of Dependents” as listed in their I-20, are not eligible, for those dependents, as they have established they have funding for dependents as part of their agreement.