How
do I apply for the Voucher Program?
Voucher
Program applications are available at the Office of Student
Life. If you prefer, you may call (928) 523-5181 to
request an application be mailed to you. Applications must
be submitted in person to Student Life. The application provides
a checklist of materials that must be submitted with a complete
application. On the application, there is one page of information
for the student to complete, and one page for the student’s
“monthly budget” which must be notarized, as well
as a two-sided half sheet “release of informaticlass
schedule. "With the notarization, the student attests
to the honesty of their application and their need for assistance.
Currently there is free notary service for NAU families at
the ASNAU office (Room 206 University Union) upstairs from
the Office of Student Life.
Incomplete
applications are NOT accepted, and front office staff in Student
Life will review the checklist when the student submits his
application. When submitting an application for the Child
Care Voucher Program, the following must be submitted at the
same time to the Office of Student Life (as noted on the Checklist).
I.
A descriptive
statement, written by the student, which provides additional
information for the Child Care Committee. This statement allows
the student to describe their expected use of child care (part
time, full time care, and for what chichildren) and any additional
information regarding their situation which will help the
committee in determining their need for assistance. In this
statement the student can also describe the monthly balance
surplus or deficit on their budget, if necessary.
II.
Verification
of current income of the student aor spoupartner. This should
be in the form of recent check stubs, or a letter from the
individual’s supervisor stating hours and wages.
III.
Documentation of AFDC, Government, aor Tribal Support
(if applicable)
IV.
Child Support Allocation Letter (if applicable)
V.
DES AwaAuthorization Form (if applicable)
VI.
Schedule of Classes (Applicant and spoupartner’s)
printed from LOUIE, which shows class standing
VII.
Intended Child
Care Provider’s Proof of Eligibility (license or certification)
- unless the provider is a local child care center and Student
Life already has a copy of their license (ask Student Life
staff if unsure)
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Is
my student financial aid considered as income?
Yes.
Student financial aid, including grants, scholarships, work
study, waivers, and loans are incorporated in the student's
monthly budget worksheet. The full amount of financial aid,
minus the cost of tuition and books, is calculated by the
student and counted as income. The child care committee strongly
recommends that students apply for financial aid in order
to be eligible for the Voucher program. After submitting an
application for the Voucher program, the Student Life staff
will access the student's financial aid information from the
NAU computer system. This demonstrates the student's "unmet
financial need" which is considered when awarding vouchers.
In addition, a copy of each student's Voucher Award letter
is forwarded to the Financial Aid office and can be taken
into account should a student appeal their financial aid.
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What
is the Child Care Committee?
The
purpose of the Child Care Committee is to provide a body for
fair, impartial distribution of university funds, in order
to service NAU students with children, in an attempt to retain
and graduate current students. The Committee consists of representatives
from the Office of Student Life, Residence Life,
Recreation
Center
, Student
Financial Aid, and the Development Office. There are no less
than five committee members at any time, and a minimum of
three members must be present in order to review applications
and award vouchers. The Committee generally meets weekly when
there are new applications to be reviewed.
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What
happens after I apply?
New
applications are reviewed by the Child Care Committee in the
order of their receipt at the Office of Student Life. The
Child Care Committee uses a matrix in order to guide award
decisions. The matrix incorporates four categories; student course
load (or credit hours), marital status and whether
one or both parents are students, student hours working, and
the unmet financial need (as determined by the Financial Aid
office). While the matrix is an important part of the award
decision, student’s applications are reviewed thoroughly
to give the committee an overall picture of the student’s
situation. This includes examining the student’s monthly
budget and reading the descriptive statement. Occasionally,
committee members have questions or concerns that they wish
to pose to applicants, and may ask for clarification before
making a decision on an award. In some instances, a student
may be awarded and asked to clarify questions so that
the committee can consider increasing the student award.
Students
may be invited to schedule a time to attend a committee meeting
to better explain their need for a voucher. In addition, during
the award process, the committee may suggest to the students
some additional resources available to assist them. These
suggestions are added to the award letter. If a student wishes
to appeal the committee's award decision for any reason, they
may do so by scheduling to attend a meeting. Even though these
instances may delay the committee’s decision, should
a student be awarded, they will always be eligible for reimbursement
retroactively to the application turn-in date. In some instances,
the Child Care Committee may award a student for a single
semester, and request updated information for the following
semester in order to reconsider the student application. This
occurs when a student expects their financial situation to
change significantly in the next semester.
Following
the Child Care Committee Meetings, the program Graduate Assistant
or Student Life representative mails award letters to students
who have been awarded vouchers. Students not awarded are mailed
a notice of award denial. The letters are sent within two
days of the Committee Meeting, and students can expect to
receive notification within approximately one week. For students
awarded a voucher, the effective date of reimbursement is
the date that the completed application was received in the
Office of Student Life, or the Monday of that same week. If
the student applied before fall semester, the effective date
is the first day of orientation week. The award letter displays
the student's award percentage, the effective date, the child's
or children's names that are covered by the voucher,
and the child care provider's name. Together with the award
letter, the student will receive a schedule of the submission
dates for receipts as well as several receipt forms that are
to be used for reimbursement. A copy of the award letter is
mailed to the NAU Office of Financial Aid.
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How
am I reimbursed for Child Care after I'm awarded a Voucher?
Students
are responsible for submitting "receipts" (available
at the Office of Student Life) every two weeks according to
a pre-determined calendar, which is printed on the back of
the student’s award letter. Receipts are to be FILLED
OUT and SIGNED by the child care provider, whose
signature verifies the amount paid for child care. Reimbursement
dates are made known to the student, and receipts must be
received by the close of business on the specified Monday
in order to have reimbursement processed, according to the
schedule. Receipts submitted late will be held for the next
reimbursement date (every two weeks). Checks are processed
and mailed to students; they cannot be picked up, and the
student can expect their reimbursement within a week from
the reimbursement date.
Checks
are mailed to the student's local address on record at the
registrar's office, or on record with the payroll office for
students working on campus. It is important to understand
that all reimbursement amounts are processed through the university
accounting system, and therefore funds are always applied
to any holds on the student's account before a check is issued.
Any student with outstanding fees including parking fines, Fronske
charges, or on-campus housing charges should expect their
child care reimbursement to be applied first to those charges,
with any remaining amount issued by check and mailed to the
student. It is important to note that usually on-campus
housing charges are posted to students’ accounts in
advance, so that if your rent is due in a week or two your
child care reimbursement may still be applied to that upcoming
rent charge, and you will receive a credit through Residence
Life. Receipts should be turned in every
two weeks to coincide with the reimbursement schedule.
There
are maximum reimbursement amounts with each award level, and
these maximums are re-calculated every year. A Voucher Award
of 50% is currently "Up to $wechild", meaning that
even if a person pays $1week for child care AND they have
a 50% voucher, their reimbursement will only be $50 for a
week. The Child Care Committee uses a City Index, calculated
yearly, averaging the child care costs charged by the five
providers most utilized by NAU families. Due to the rising
costs of childcare, a 50% voucher could increase in worth
(for example, a maximum of $wechild) some time in the future.
When
a student is awarded for more than one child in the family,
separate weekly receipts and separate registratideposholding
fee receipts should be submitted for EACH child. Reimbursement
amounts are calculated for each child separately, although
the reimbursement total is all added together for one single
reimbursement. A student who is awarded a voucher is awarded
a percentage PER CHILD, so the maximum would also be PER CHILD
PER WEEK.
If
a student has additional child care assistance such as DES
or Tribal assistance, documentation should be included with
the original application so that the aid can be taken into
account when the committee decides on an appropriate award.
This aid should also be indicated on the student’s monthly
budget. Child Care receipts submitted (our2 sheets) must indicate
three dollar amounts; first, the TOTAL BILL, or the total
cost of child care for the week (per child); second, the AMOUNT
PAID by DES or Tribal Assistance; and third, the amount that
the PARENT paid. The amount paid by the parent should be the
difference between the TOTAL BILL and the amount paid
by DES or Tribal Assistance. If these amounts do not add up,
the Student Life representative will contact the child care
provider to verify payment amounts.
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Does
the Voucher Program assist with Child Care Registration Fees,
semester breaks, holidays, or Holding Fees?
While
funds are available, annual or semi-annual registration fees
or deposits in approved, voucher-eligible programs may be
reimbursed to the students. If the student wishes to have
the registration fee reimbursed, they must submit a separate
receipt to the Office of Student Life for reimbursement
of registration charges. Reimbursement will not take place
until, at a minimum, the first two weeks of direct care receipts
have been turned in. This gives greater assurance that the
award recipient will be using that particular provider. The
Voucher Program will not reimburse a student for multiple
child care provider registration fees for the same child during
a single academic year.
So
long as funds are sufficient, the voucher program can reimburse
students for university holidays when NAU is closed. These
include Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas,
and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In general, child care providers
are also closed on those days,
however they may charge families for holidays even if they
are closed. Also depending upon funding, the Voucher Program
will reimburse students for child care costs during breaks
such as winter break (between fall and spring semesters) and
Spring Break. This means that if a student is charged a holding
fee or partial to full tuition while NAU classes are on break,
or if they continue using their child care provider during
the break, they may submit receipts for that time and be reimbursed
at their award level. Semester breaks can only be included
for voucher reimbursement when the student has registered
for the following semester and submitted their new NAU class
schedule to Student Life.
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How
do I continue using my voucher from one semester to the next?
Once
an NAU student is awarded a Child Care Voucher, his voucher
amount continues until the end of Summer Session II, after
which time participants must reapply. However, each semester,
the student is responsible for submitting his new class schedule
to the Office of Student Life in order to continue their award.
Students who fail to update their class schedule each semester
will not be reimbursed for child care until they do so. In
addition, students are encouraged to notify the Student Life
staff of any significant changes in their family circumstances,
including changes in their financial situation or changes
in work status. The Child Care Committee can review a student's
application throughout the academic year to consider an increase
in award levels if the student's situation merits an increase.
Any student who decides to change child care providers must
notify Student Life and be certain that a copy of the provider's
certification is on file. If funds become limited and a Voucher
Program Participant is not utilizing his voucher, the committee
reserves the right to take away the student's voucher in order
to award another student in need of assistance.
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What
happens in the summer?
As
indicated, students who submit their NAU summer class schedule
may continue using their voucher for the summer session(s)
they are enrolled. Students may continue using the same child
care provider, or another certified child care provider. However
students may wish to consider using the NAU Child Enrichment
Program through the
Recreation
Center
, for
children at least 3 years of age. The Enrichment Program provides
recreational and child care services at a reduced cost for
NAU students and faculstaff during the summer. Students must
be enrolled in summer school in order to register their child
in the Summer Enrichment Program. For the past few summers,
there has been an arrangement between the Voucher Program
and the Child Enrichment Program. Through this arrangement,
instead of reimbursing voucher participants after they have
paid for child care, those students using the Enrichment Program
have their reimbursement money transferred directly from Student
Life to the Enrichment Program, and thus only pay
the difference to the Enrichment Program.
Students
are asked to notify Student Life prior to the start of summer
classes of their intent to use the voucher program or the
Enrichment Program. If using the Enrichment Program, the student
first registers their child with the Enrichment Program and
then brings the registration form to the Office of Student
Life. By doing this, Student Life can transfer their award
amount to the Recreation
Center
so the
students only need to pay the remaining balance. Students
must advise Student Life of any changes throughout the summer,
such as a change in expected course
load or a change in intended use of the Enrichment
Program.
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Does
the Office of Student Life keep a record of Voucher participants?
The
Office of Student Life keeps files for NAU students in the
Voucher program for five years after the student stops using
their voucher. The record includes application materials as
well as reimbursement amounts. The reimbursement records indicate
when your reimbursement was applied to holds on campus. Sometimes
students wish to have a record of their reimbursements for
tax purposes, and the Office of Student Life can provide you
with this information.
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