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Get Tuition Assistance

Ready to apply for preschool tuition support from Denver Preschool Program? Below is a step-by-step guide for Denver families.

Two preschool girls with arms over one another's shoulders

Step-by-Step Guide to Apply for Preschool Tuition Assistance

Denver Preschool Program (DPP) provides preschool tuition assistance for all families with 4-year-olds in Denver and many with 3-year-olds. Denver families can also apply for Colorado Universal Preschool (Colorado UPK), which can be combined with DPP tuition credits to meet the needs of every family. Get preschool tuition assistance!

Steps

  • 1

    Check Eligibility

  • 2

    Find a Preschool

  • 3

    Enroll in a Preschool

  • 4

    Calculate Tuition Support

  • 5

    Submit Application

  • 6

    Get Notified

  • 7

    Receive Tuition Support

Check Eligibility

Denver Preschool Program tuition assistance is available to ALL families, regardless of income or immigration status, who live within the City and County of Denver. To be eligible for assistance, a 4-year-old must be enrolled in a participating preschool program in the year before kindergarten. Many 3-year-olds may also qualify.

DPP tuition assistance eligibility:

  • Your family must live within the City and County of Denver
  • Your child must be 4 years old on or before Oct. 1 of the current school year
  • Your child must be enrolled at a participating DPP preschool

Your child must be 4 years old on or before October 1 of the application school year. The application year must be the child’s last year of preschool before attending kindergarten. When you apply, you must provide documentation verifying your child’s age, such as a birth certificate.

Denver Preschool Program provides tuition support to children who are older than 4 and not yet in kindergarten. If your child is in their last year of preschool and does not meet the 4-year-old age requirement, written acknowledgment signed by the parent and the preschool Director/Principal is required.

Use this chart to determine eligibility for when your child can start receiving tuition support based on their birthdate:

DPP for 4-year-olds Turns 4-years-old by  Eligibility Period Action
October 1, 2024 September 1, 2024-August 31, 2025 Apply now 
October 1, 2025 September 1, 2025-August 31, 2026 Apply starting Spring 2025 or determine if eligible for DPP’s Preschool for 3s tuition assistance

Through our Preschool for 3s Program, we aim to equitably expand access to quality preschool for a limited number of children who turn three by October 1. This program complements our traditional tuition credit for 4-year-olds. To qualify, a 3-year-old must be enrolled with a licensed community provider and not participate in a Head Start program, which is already subsidized.

DPP for 3-year-olds Turns 3-years-old by  Eligibility Period Action
October 1, 2024 September 1, 2024-August 31, 2025 Apply now 
October 1, 2025 September 1, 2025-August 31, 2026 Apply starting Spring 2025

Enrollment in the Denver Preschool Program is open to all families living in the City and County of Denver. When you apply, you must provide documentation of family residency at a valid Denver address, such as a utility bill. A valid Denver address is defined as an address within the City and County of Denver that can be found on the www.denvergov.org website.

To be eligible for Denver Preschool Program (DPP) tuition credits, you must be enrolled in a DPP provider program. To determine if your preschool participates in DPP, visit our find a preschool search tool and verify the program’s participation. If your program is not listed, please email us at info@dpp.org. We would be happy to reach out to the provider and tell them about the benefits of signing up to be a DPP preschool partner.

ALL Denver families, regardless of income, are eligible for Denver Preschool Program tuition support. Tuition credits are distributed on a sliding scale based on household income, household size, the length of the day a child attends preschool, and the quality rating of the preschool program. You can use our Tuition Credit Calculator to see how much tuition credit your family may be eligible for.

Submittal of income verification is optional; if you choose not to provide verification of income, you will automatically receive the minimum level of financial assistance from Denver Preschool Program.

When you apply, if income is reported, verification of one month’s (4 consecutive weeks) gross income is required for at least one parent/guardian reporting income in the DPP application. If more than one month’s income is submitted, the most recent documents are used for the calculations. You may also complete and sign a DPP Income Affidavit instead. To request an Income Affidavit please email info@dpp.org.

School Year

Family Size

Gross Annual Income

Participation Type

Your Monthly Estimated Tuition Credit

$820 - $1227

DPP’s tuition calculator gives estimates for planning purposes only. The calculator does not guarantee specific funding amounts or eligibility.

Learn more about the calculator.

Depending on your family’s income, you may be eligible for additional preschool tuition support from Denver Preschool Program. This support would be in addition to standard DPP tuition credits and could cover up to 100% of your preschool costs.

To be eligible for this additional support, your child must be:

  • Eligible/approved for standard Denver Preschool Program tuition credits
  • Enrolled as a full- or extended-day student at a community-site preschool

And, your family must: 

  • Make less than $51,000 per year for a family of 4
  • Not be receiving other public funds (Head Start, CPP/ECARE or CCCAP)

If your child and your family meet these requirements, your child may be eligible for additional funding from the Denver Preschool Program! For more information, please view this page, call 303.595.4377 or email info@dpp.org.

Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) is a state-funded program that provides up to 15 hours per week of free, high-quality preschool for children in their year before kindergarten. Colorado Universal Preschool assistance can be paired with DPP tuition credits to meet the needs of your family. Applicants must complete the Colorado UPK application before applying for Denver Preschool Program tuition support if you plan to use both. Families may qualify for more than the 15 hours of state funding based on qualifying factors

To apply for Colorado Universal Preschool, you must provide: 

  • Your address
  • Child’s name and date of birth 
    • Use this Colorado UPK Eligibility tool to determine what age your child must be to participate in Colorado UPK. For the 2024-2025 school year, your child’s birthdate must be between October 2, 2019 and October 1, 2020 to be eligible for UPK Colorado.
    • Children who are 3-years-old (born between October 2, 2020 and October 1, 2021) and who  meet qualifying criteria may be eligible for Colorado UPK’s 3-year-old support. 
  • Number of people in your household*
  • Annual income*
  • Your contact information
  • Relationship with child
  • Race and ethnicity

*These items help determine if you may meet the qualifying factors for additional hours of Colorado Universal Preschool.

Download the Colorado Universal Preschool family ‘24-’25 guidebook for complete details on eligibility and how to apply.

Technical Assistance Note:
Need Assistance Determining Eligibility?
Call Denver Preschool Program at (303) 595-4377 or email info@dpp.org.

Find a Preschool

With more than 260 preschool providers participating in Denver Preschool Program, families have a variety of options to choose from across the Denver area. These options range from family child care homes to community-based programs and Denver Public Schools programs.

Regardless of the exact setting or type of program, all of our preschool partners are licensed and undergo a rigorous quality rating process. That process includes an evaluation of positive interactions between teachers and students, professional training, the classroom environment, class size, accessible hours, cultural sensitivity, and connections for health screenings and support services.

Colorado Universal Preschool utilizes the same rigorous quality rating process as Denver Preschool Program, ensuring that families have peace of mind in choosing a preschool. Now, let’s find the perfect school for your family!

Find a preschool that best meets your needs. Visit our Find a Preschool tool and search by address, neighborhood, mode of transportation or other factors to find the best fit for your child.

Nearly all Denver Preschool Program providers participate in Colorado Universal Preschool. However, it’s important that if you want to participate in both that you make sure your chosen provider participates in both Denver Preschool Program and Colorado Universal Preschool. To search for providers that are offering Colorado Universal Preschool, visit the Colorado Universal Preschool search tool. Once you locate a provider that meets your needs, then use the Denver Preschool Program Find a Preschool tool to ensure that the provider you selected also participates in our preschool tuition program (most of them do).

Both Denver Preschool Program and Colorado Universal Preschool utilize the Colorado Shines Quality Rating & Improvement System (QRIS). Under this rating system, licensed child care and early education providers are assessed in five areas, then given a composite score from 1 to 5 with 5 being the best. This score creates a foundation from which early childhood care and education providers can improve the quality of the services. When choosing a school that’s right for your child, you should consider their quality rating but also know that any provider working with Denver Preschool Program is receiving ongoing support to improve the quality of their program.

Technical Assistance Note:
Can’t find your school?
Email us at info@dpp.org for more information. For assistance in Spanish with finding a preschool and applying for DPP tuition credits, contact Briana Gonzales, DPP Bilingual-Spanish Preschool Navigator, at enroll@dpp.org.

Key Resources

Find A Preschool

Link

How to Choose a Preschool 101

Link

How to Choose a Preschool Downloadable Guide

PDF

Enroll in a Preschool

Denver Preschool Program recommends that you enroll directly with your chosen provider first. If you wish to participate in Colorado Universal Preschool for the ‘24-’25 school year, you should apply for Colorado Universal Preschool first, enroll in the school, and then apply for DPP tuition credits.

If you plan on enrolling your child in a Denver Public Schools (DPS) preschool program, please complete the DPS parent application, which can be downloaded from the DPS Early Education website or picked up at the school. Denver Preschool Program application forms are included in DPS application materials.

Please visit Denver Public Schools’ website for information and dates related to DPS enrollment and the school choice process.

We recommend you contact your preschool of choice about how to enroll. If you still have questions, email us at info@dpp.org for more information. 

Key Resources

Find a Preschool

Link

How to Choose a Preschool 101

Link

How to Choose a Preschool Downloadable Guide

PDF

Calculate Tuition Support

Use Denver Preschool Program’s Tuition Calculator to see how much DPP tuition assistance your family may be eligible for. If you are still looking for a preschool, visit our free preschool search tool.

DPP’s tuition calculator gives estimates for planning purposes only. The calculator does not guarantee specific funding amounts or eligibility. The Tuition Credit Calculator provides an estimate of how much tuition assistance you can receive if your 4-year-old is enrolled in a preschool program. It is only an estimate and not a guarantee. Our tuition credit scale ranges from $15,930-$169,520 in gross annual income. If you make $15,930 or less your credit is equal to the amount shown for an income of $15,930. If you make $169,520 or more your credit is equal to the amount shown for an income of $169,520. All families receive tuition support regardless of income.

School Year

Family Size

Gross Annual Income

Participation Type

Your Monthly Estimated Tuition Credit

$820 - $1227

DPP’s tuition calculator gives estimates for planning purposes only. The calculator does not guarantee specific funding amounts or eligibility.

At this time, Colorado Universal Preschool does not offer a tuition calculator for families. For the ’23-’24 school year, Denver families received nearly $5,000, on average, for preschool tuition assistance through Colorado Universal Preschool. Visit the Colorado Universal Preschool website for more information.

Technical Assistance Note:
Questions about DPP’s tuition calculator?
Email us at info@dpp.org for more information.

Submit Application

After enrolling in a preschool, families wishing to benefit from Denver Preschool Program tuition credits can complete the DPP application online or by downloading a PDF form below. If your child is enrolled in a Denver Public Schools (DPS) preschool program, the Denver Preschool Program forms were included in DPS application materials, and your tuition credit will be applied directly to your provider.

Simply fill out our online application or download one of the PDFs (Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese/Mandarin, French, English, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese) and submit your application for Denver Preschool Program support today. 

Mail, fax, or email your completed application and any supporting documents to:
Denver Preschool Program
P.O. Box 40037
Denver, CO 80204-0037
Fax: 303-295-1750
Email: application@dpp.org

Technical Assistance Note:
Need help with your DPP application?
Call Denver Preschool Program at (303) 595-4377 or email info@dpp.org.

For assistance in Spanish with finding a preschool and applying for DPP tuition credits, contact Briana Gonzales, DPP Bilingual-Spanish Preschool Navigator, at enroll@dpp.org

 

Families can apply for Colorado Universal Preschool for the ’24-’25 school year online on Colorado UPK’s website. Based on the time of year of applying, families may also be able to apply directly with their chosen preschool provider.

Technical Assistance Note:
Need help with your Colorado Universal Preschool application?
Denver Preschool Program is Denver’s local resource for information about Colorado Universal Preschool. Our dedicated team to support families with Colorado UPK can be reached by calling (720) 221-8500 and leaving a message or emailing denverupk@dpp.org. We will return your call within 24 hours. 

Key Resources

Start Your Application (Online)

Link

Start Your Application (Downloadable PDFs)

Link

Get Notified

Approximately eight (8) business days after you submit a completed Denver Preschool Program application, we will send you and your chosen preschool provider an acceptance letter, typically via email and mail, with the amount of tuition support your family will receive. Tuition credits are paid directly to the preschool, which will be deducted from your monthly bill.

The process for receiving notifications for Colorado Universal Preschool eligibility and funding depends on the time of year you are applying. Visit the official Colorado Universal Preschool website for the most updated information. Colorado Universal Preschool requests a preferred mode of communication for families–either text or email. Families are then directed into their Colorado UPK portal online to confirm their match, at which point they work directly with their provider to enroll.

Technical Assistance Note:
Still waiting on your notification?
Call Denver Preschool Program at (303) 595-4377 or email info@dpp.org

Receive Tuition Support

Once enrolled with a preschool provider and notified of tuition support from Denver Preschool Program, you will receive tuition support paid directly to your preschool provider. Your provider will then deduct that amount from your monthly statement. Colorado Universal Preschool follows the same process, paying your preschool provider directly. Your provider will then deduct that amount from your monthly bill.

Technical Assistance Note

Questions about your tuition support?
We recommend that you first talk to your preschool provider. If you still have issues or concerns, call Denver Preschool Program at (303) 595-4377 or email info@dpp.org.

Our younger son will be in preschool this fall and, by combining Colorado UPK and DPP tuition credits, our monthly tuition will be down by about 40%. That’s huge! It means we have a little extra money to enroll our kids in summer camps and can look at purchasing a second car, which we’ve needed.”

Denver Mother of 2

Get Email Updates from DPP

Sign up for Family Dispatch, our quarterly newsletter for families, to stay updated on recent DPP news, important enrollment dates, local events, learning activities, and more!

DPP Tuition Credit Questions and Application Support

For questions about DPP tuition assistance or your application, please call us at 303.595.4DPP(377)
or email info@dpp.org.

DPP Tuition Credit FAQs

Check out the most frequently asked questions about Denver Preschool Program's tuition credits on our FAQ page.

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