SSFC hears CCTAP budget proposal, approves WSUM budget proposal

‘I think that this budget is a great example budget to kind of show other people this is how you should be considering your F22 priorities,’ SSFC Representative says

February 1, 2021

The Student Services Financial Committee met Tuesday to hear the budget proposal of the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program and to discuss the WSUM budget proposal.

CCTAP Director Cigdem Unal presented the organization’s budget proposal. Unal spoke about how important this organization is for student-parents to maintain their education.

“Ninety-seven percent of students report that access to high-quality early childhood programs and being able to pay for them is just very important for them, in order for them to have access to education at UW-Madison,” Unal said.

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CCTAP has three campus centers and six childcare network centers for students and families to access. This is one of the many assets CCTAP provides for student parents, Unal said.

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CCTAP Parent Resource Specialist Barb Douglas shared additional data about the program.

“For the fiscal year 2019-2020 — that would include fall, spring and summer of 2019-2020 — we had 267 students apply,” Douglas said. “Of those, 213 families were eligible for at least one semester of the three that they attended school.”

The families who were declined had issues with income and incomplete applications, Douglas said. COVID-19 played a role in some of those incomplete applications, Douglas said.

The CCTAP did not ask for any segregated fee increases for the next fiscal year. CCTAP presented written testimonials in which student-parents shared their thoughts on the program.

“I could never afford studying here if we didn’t have CCTAP,” one of the written statements said.

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SSFC also passed the proposed budget by WSUM, the campus radio station. SSFC voted 13-0-1 to approve the WSUM 2022 fiscal budget as it stands with no alterations.

Representative Jordan Prasbrig acknowledged the strength of this budget proposal.

“I think that this budget is a great example budget to kind of show other people this is how you should be considering your F22 priorities,” Prasbrig said.

SSFC Chair Tessa Reilly said they will discuss recommendations for CCTAP at the next meeting Feb. 4.