The U.S. Department of Education will grant ULM almost $123,000 to help parents in school achieve their goal of earning a college degree.

The grant was announced by the office of Congressman Ralph Abraham.

The ULM TRIO Programs received the grant through the Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) program.

The program helps low-income parents pursue a college degree by providing access to campus-based childcare programs. The full amount of the grant is $122,626.

According to TRIO Programs executive director Catherine Estis, student-parents are more than three times as likely to finish their degrees if they have access to childcare on campus.

Estis said the grant will help fill funding gaps for student-parents who struggle to provide childcare and balance the demands of higher education.

According to her, students are thrilled at the potential impact the grant will cause in the community.

“The services provided through the award might make the difference between graduating and not graduating for some student-parents,” Estis said.

Abraham, himself a student-parent, said it’s tough to go to school and raise a family. He also went on to say that those eligible for help face added financial challenges.

“This grant is so important because, it will help students from across Northeast Louisiana achieve their dreams of earning a college degree that they’ll use to get better jobs and make more money to help raise their families,” Abraham said.

ULM has been awarded nearly $750,000 in federal funding this semester. The announcement of this grant makes it three grants in two months for ULM.