You must have a child enrolled in one of the four JHU partner child care centers: the Homewood Early Learning Center, Bright Horizons at 98 N Broadway, Bright Horizons at Bayview, or the Weinberg Early Childhood Center, to be eligible for the Child Care Scholarship.

Eligibility is dependent on your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and the number of children under age six (6) that you have in child care. If you have a spouse or legal partner, he or she must be employed or enrolled in school at least 15 hours per week, be actively looking for work, or have documentation that a disabling condition prevents full-time caregiving, to qualify for this program.

Faculty and Staff:

Full-time Johns Hopkins University faculty, staff, and bargaining unit members who are full-time benefits-eligible and have completed their 120-day probationary period (or 90 days for bargaining unit) may be eligible for the Child Care Voucher program.

Students and Learners:

The following graduate students are eligible for the Child Care Voucher program:

• Full-time doctoral and medical students
  • For the Whiting and Krieger Schools, this includes non-resident and post-certified full-time doctoral students
  • For the School of Nursing, this includes full-time PhD or DNP students, and all DNP Advanced Practice students; excludes Executive DNP students
• Full-time postdoctoral fellows
• Full-time house staff (including residents and interns)

• If your child is not enrolled in one of the four JHU partners, you are not eligible. Please review the Child Care Voucher, which can be used for paid care outside of the JHU partner centers.

• If your spouse/partner is a stay-at-home parent and will not have taxable income in the award year, you do not qualify for the child care voucher. Spouses or legal partners must be employed or enrolled in school at least 15 hours per week, be actively looking for work, or have documentation that a disabling condition prevents full-time caregiving, to qualify for this program.
• Foster children are not qualifying dependents.
• Faculty and Staff: Those who are not employed by Johns Hopkins University; visiting faculty; temporary, limited, part-time, or casual employees; and those who are not benefits-eligible, are not eligible for this program.
• Students and Learners: Trainees, visiting scientists and researchers, undergraduates, and master’s students are not eligible for this program.
• Benefits-eligible School of Medicine fellows who receive their pay from a sponsoring institution, and are not paid by JHU, may have a conflict of interest with receiving child care voucher and/or scholarship funds. Contact your fellowship administrator to confirm. It is your responsibility to identify potential conflicts and decline to receive the funds as needed. Please notify [email protected] if you must decline due to conflict of interest.

International students in the U.S. on a visa are eligible as long as they are otherwise in the eligible group and meet all other criteria. Individuals can check with their divisional administration about eligibility. As long as you are an enrolled student who meets the above criteria, you are eligible to participate.

The IRS requires that if you have a spouse or legal partner, they must be employed or enrolled in school at least 15 hours per week, be actively looking for work, or have documentation that a disabling condition prevents full-time caregiving, to qualify for this program. If your spouse or legal partner has a visa that does not allow them to work in the U.S., then actively looking for work in the U.S. is not an acceptable status, and you do not qualify for the scholarship program. 

If your spouse receives an Employment Authorization Document, then this is a qualifying life event, and you must apply for the program within 30 days following receipt of their EAD.

For each additional pre-kindergarten child you have under the age of six, the AGI caps rise by $10,000. The IRS defines Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) as gross income minus adjustments to income (AGI is line 11 on Form 1040.) Please review your family income and the award tier table above carefully.

If you have multiple children enrolled at JHU partner center, you receive a scholarship award for each child. Scholarships are awarded per child enrolled, not per family.

Yes, the income chart is based on family size and AGI. If your children are not attending kindergarten, you can consider them when using the income chart to determine your maximum scholarship award. As long as one of your children attends a JHU Partner Center, you are eligible to receive an award for them.

Employees, please contact Benefits and WorkLife at 410-516-2000 or [email protected].

Students, please ask the divisional contact for your own school, listed below:

If you do not have a US tax form for the prior year, you may submit alternate documentation of income in the form of one of the options below. Documentation of spouse or domestic partner’s income is also required. If you have additional questions about alternate documentation, please contact (410) 516-2000 or [email protected].

• A letter from your supervisor, sponsoring organization, or national government stating your annual income. It must be on letterhead, be signed, and have legible contact information in case we need to verify income. In our experience, sponsoring organizations are happy to provide this type of letter.
• A W-2 or other annual income statement.

The scholarship may only be used if your child is enrolled at one of the following JHU partner centers. Read more about Baltimore-area JHU Child Care Center partners here.

If you would like to join the waitlist to enroll your child at one of our partner centers, contact the center directly.

When you apply for the Child Care Voucher, indicate that you are on the wait list at a JHU Partner Center. The application for both the voucher and scholarship is the same. This way, you will be pre-approved for scholarship if you are offered a spot.

If you are on a waitlist, it is wise to plan for other care in the meantime. The Maryland Family Network is the state expert in licensed child care, helping parents and caregivers navigate child care by providing information, tools, and support networks. Learn how to choose quality child care, or access the child care locate search to find child care that works for you and your family, where you can search all licensed child care programs near your home or work location and find immediate openings.

More information about finding child care is available on the HR website.

Scholarships may only be used for tuition at JHU’s three partner centers.

The Child Care Voucher may be used for any paid care, including licensed centers and informal, in-home care. The Maryland State Department of Education also offers financial assistance to eligible working families. For more information about the Maryland Child Care Scholarship, visit the MSDE website.

Scholarship awards are divided across twelve months. The monthly award is capped at 1/12 of the annual award, see below.

A portion of your scholarship will be paid to you in each paycheck, with taxes withheld. The University will process scholarship amounts in the two pay periods before a monthly tuition payment is due. For example, your June scholarship will arrive in your two May paychecks.

If your child is enrolled part-time or for a partial month, the award is prorated.

PLEASE NOTE, AWARD RECIPIENTS ARE AT ALL TIMES RESPONSIBLE FOR:

• Paying full tuition directly to your child care center and abiding by your tuition agreement;
• Repaying any scholarship amounts that exceed tuition in combination with a voucher you may receive;
• Notifying Benefits & WorkLife 30 days in advance of any change in your position, including termination of employment, graduation, or leave of absence, (as affecting your personnel number), and repaying resulting overpayments;
• Notifying Benefits & WorkLife 30 days in advance of your child’s postponement, change, or withdrawal of enrollment at one of the partner centers (i.e. reducing from full-time to part-time);
• Recertifying your scholarship during the annual enrollment period each fall for continued benefits in the following calendar year;

By accepting these scholarship funds, you agree to repay any amount the University determines was overpaid to you and authorize the University to deduct the amount of the overpayment from your pay immediately upon notification.

Certain postdoctoral fellows may be awarded in one paycheck each month and are required to pay quarterly taxes according to rules that outline their fellowship.

Your award is a taxable benefit, just like salary and other income. Scholarship funds are subject to Federal, State, Local, Social Security, and Medicare withholding. The gross amount is reduced by withholding these required taxes and the net amount is distributed to you with your pay.

Newly hired employees become eligible to receive the scholarship award only after completing their 120 day probationary period (or 90 days for Bargaining Unit). Your effective date will be the first of the month following completion of your probationary period. Your payroll disbursements will begin in the pay period that immediately follows your effective date.

Effective dates that crossover into the next calendar year are void. You must apply at annual enrollment for funding in the following calendar year.

Yes, scholarships are available throughout the year. Applicants should elect the scholarship each year during annual enrollment, identify which JHU Partner Center you prefer, and apply to be on their waitlist. If you are on a waitlist, you will be pre-approved for a scholarship. Once the child has a start date to enroll at the center, notify Benefits and WorkLife immediately so your award can be activated. (410-516-2000, or [email protected])

If you are offered a spot at a partner center and have not been approved for voucher or scholarship, you will need to complete the application with “a change in child care needs” as your life event.

There is no wait for the scholarship, however there are wait lists at the JHU partner centers for most age groups. If you would like to receive the scholarship, we recommend that you apply to a partner center as soon as possible, and apply for the scholarship during annual enrollment. Once you are offered a spot, notify Benefits and WorkLife immediately so the payroll process can be initiated for you to receive your award. Contact the centers directly to apply for a spot.

If a family has two parents who meet the eligibility requirements, then both parents will receive awards, up to the full cost of tuition. Both parents must apply for the scholarship, and scholarship awards in combination with voucher will not exceed 100% of tuition. The scholarship award is per parent, not per family.

No, the child care scholarship does not give funds to cover deposits.

It is your responsibility to pay back any amount that exceeds tuition. Contact the Benefits Service Center at 410-516-2000 or email [email protected] immediately.

Yes, you use both the scholarship and voucher to pay for your child’s tuition. Voucher funds are tax-free, so you should make sure to use them fully. To calculate the appropriate voucher amount to use each month, we recommend that you divide your annual award across 12 months. The monthly scholarship awards are capped at 1/12 of the annual amount.

You may use your voucher funds as you see fit, as long as use does not exceed the difference between your tuition and your scholarship. It is prohibited to use the voucher to reimburse yourself for spending scholarship funds, and use of funds in this way will disqualify you from the program. Contact the Benefits Service Center at 410-516-2000 or [email protected] if you have questions about the combination of your voucher and scholarship.

The Child Care Voucher provides tax-free awards to help you pay for child care, and you may combine the voucher and the scholarship. Please read the website carefully; different rules apply.

Some families consider flexible work schedules or part-time care to find an affordable solution. If your child enrolls at a JHU partner center part-time, your scholarship award is pro-rated.

The Maryland State Department of Education also offers financial assistance to eligible working families. For more information about the Maryland Child Care Scholarship, visit the MSDE website. Effective 10/10/2023, the maximum annual income for families has increased, so you may qualify now, even if you haven’t in the past. Contact the Maryland Family Network to be connected with a Resource Specialist in your county, who will guide you through the application process.

We encourage you to read about Maryland Family Network’s services and complete the registration form to connect with a specialist who’ll provide resources and referrals to child care that meets your budget. More resources for finding child care are available.

Eligibility is not affected by participation in other programs that fund child care. If you are receiving child care assistance from the state of Maryland or another private or public funding source outside of JHU, you are still eligible for the child care scholarship.

Yes. Scholarship funding is taxable and therefore does not affect your DCFSA or Backup Care spending in the way that the tax-free Child Care Voucher does.

For more information about the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, available to full-time faculty or staff, visit the DCFSA webpage. SOM Housestaff should contact [email protected] regarding the DCFSA.

For more information about Backup Care, available at a reduced rate for staff, faculty and students according to specific eligibility guidelines, visit the Backup Care webpage.

1. Part-time enrollment is only available at the Homewood Early Learning Center and is not guaranteed. If your child is enrolling part-time, then your award will be reduced proportionately to the reduction in your tuition. For instance, if your part-time tuition is 80% of the full-time tuition, then your scholarship will be 80% of the award.
2. Awards are reduced for children enrolling for half a month or less, which sometimes occurs at the beginning or end of enrollment.

• • Full-month awards are given for children enrolling between the 1st-15th, or terminating between the 15th-31st
  • Half-month awards are given for children enrolling between the 16th-31st, or terminating between the 1st-15th

Your federal income tax return indicates your AGI. It is on line 11 if you filed a Form 1040 or 1040-SR.

We understand and accept that a new dependent might not be claimed on last year’s tax forms. When applying enrolling for the Child Care Voucher and Scholarship, the system will request documentation of your new dependent. If you have not yet received a copy of your child’s birth certificate, dated live hospital discharge papers are acceptable.

To verify family income, you must show documentation of your annual adjusted gross income. If you have a spouse or domestic partner, their income must be included. Submit a completed copy of your most recent US federal income tax return.

• If you and your spouse were married filing separately, BOTH tax forms are required.
• If you filed as Head of Household and have a spouse or domestic partner living in your home who also contributes to household or child care expenses, BOTH tax forms are required.

If you do not have a completed US tax form, you may submit alternative documentation. Documentation is required for both you and your spouse or domestic partner, unless you are single or divorced. If you have additional questions about alternate documentation, please contact (410) 516-2000 or [email protected]. Accepted alternative income documentation includes:

• A letter from your supervisor, sponsoring organization, or national government stating your annual income. It must be on letterhead, be signed, and have legible contact information in case we need to verify income. In our experience, sponsoring organizations are happy to provide this type of letter.
• A W-2 or other annual income statement.
• If your spouse/domestic partner is enrolled in school, then proof of enrollment for at least 15 hours per week, as well as stipend or income statement if any.

Yes. The Child Care Scholarships are taxable funds, and here is an estimation of the monthly net awards, post-tax.

For those who receive a W-2 from the university: You will be taxed at each pay cycle and will see the scholarship tax deduction on your pay stub. Scholarship funds are subject to Federal, State, Local, Social Security, and Medicare withholding.

For students who do not receive a W-2 from the university: 

For students who are non-resident aliens:

• If you are a non-resident student and you receive a W-2 from the university, these child care dollars may be taxable income.
• If you are a non-resident student and you do NOT receive a W-2, the child care dollars awarded to you are taxable. The university is obligated to report and withhold (14%) on the child care dollars awarded to you.
• To determine your residency status, you may be required to complete a Foreign National Information Form (FNIF).

For those who are paid by a fellowship only:

• For US citizens and resident aliens, fellowship payments ARE NOT reported to you on IRS form W-2 or 1099; for nonresident aliens, fellowship payments are reported on IRS form 1042-S.
• Please review your original NOTIFICATION TO FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS regarding important tax considerations. Your scholarship award is included as fellowship income. It is your responsibility to make any required estimated federal and state income tax payments quarterly.

If you need tax help, eligible employees and students may receive one free tax consultation, per topic, per year through the Johns Hopkins Employee Assistance Program (JHEAP). Call 888-978-1262 to request services or visit CCA@YourService – company code: JHEAP for additional online resources.

If you received child care scholarship in a prior year, then your AGI will increase. You will not be penalized for this increase; the total scholarship paid to you in the prior year will be deducted from your AGI to recalculate your income for the sake of this program.

Eligibility for childcare voucher and scholarship is determined primarily by family income (AGI). If you experienced a qualifying life event that has caused your AGI at the time of this application to be lower than your AGI from your taxes last year, you will need to provide additional documentation. Approved Life Events included: divorce or separation, change in student status, death of a spouse or partner, or spouse job loss or layoff. Documentation is required in all cases. Please refer to the list below for acceptable documentation. When entering your AGI in the application, you should enter your revised AGI based on the life event experienced.

In order to be considered, the revised AGI must fall within the income ranges for eligibility. Families whose AGI is outside of the stated ranges are not eligible. You will still need to submit the required tax documents and dependent verification if your income circumstances last year are different from this year.

Additional Required Documents:

• Divorce or separation – 1. Official court document on letterhead or court stationery, must clearly state the effective date; 2. Proof of applicant’s wages (i.e. W-2, Box 1) Temporary separation can only be considered if the separated spouse is not contributing whatsoever to child care or household expenses. 
• Death of spouse or partner – 1. Death certificate; 2. Proof of applicant’s wages (i.e. W-2, Box 1)
• Job loss or layoff – 1. Employer’s letter on letterhead outlining terms of layoff; 2. Proof of unemployment benefits; 3. Proof of family’s wages (i.e. W-2, Box 1)
• Change in student status – 1. Official enrollment or transcript to demonstrate student status, and wage/stipend statement if any; 2. Proof of family’s wages (i.e. W-2, Box 1)

Yes. If your family’s AGI changes at any point in the award year and becomes lower than your AGI at the time of application, this is a qualifying life event that allows you to resubmit your application and provide new documentation. Reasons for this change include divorce or separation, change in student status, death of a spouse or partner, job loss or layoff; as well as a more recent, completed tax filing. Documentation is required. If approved, your award will be incrementally adjusted according to the pro-rated voucher amounts based on effective date. In the application, employees should select “My child care needs have changed,” and students/learners should select “Other.”

You must first visit the JHU Partner Center(s) in which you are interested, and submit an application for enrollment to be placed on the center’s waitlist. Application for scholarship is part of the Child Care Voucher application. When you apply for the voucher, indicate that you are interested in the scholarship.

Once you are offered a spot at a JHU partner center, you must notify our office right away. Call the Benefits Service Center at 410-516-2000, or email [email protected] to activate your scholarship. The Family Services Team will verify your start date, issue you a scholarship award letter to sign, then initiate payroll disbursements for your award. Please tell the center that you are applying or approved for scholarship.

Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis, following the calendar year. You must apply during Annual Enrollment each fall, to qualify for funding the following year.

Faculty and Staff apply in myChoices Benefits Enrollment.

Students and Learners apply in the OnBase form. 

Mid-Year Enrollment: You can activate your scholarship at anytime in the year, upon your child’s enrollment at a JHU partner center. If you did not apply for voucher and scholarship, and your child is enrolling at a JHU partner center, then complete the award application with life event “I have a change in child care needs.” Your award will become effective on the first day of the month following the complete submission of the required application documents. Monthly awards are capped at 1/12 the annual amount.

• Newly Hired Employees: You are eligible for the benefit the 1st of the month following your 120 day wait period, (90 days for Bargaining Unit).
• Newly Enrolled Students and Learners: You are eligible for the benefit on the first day of your full-time semester or term.