How to Change Preschools and Still Benefit from UPK Colorado

Sometimes life brings unexpected changes, and your family may need to switch preschools even after the year has begun. If that happens, how can you ensure your little learner continues to benefit from UPK Colorado? The great news is that your family can still participate in Trường Mầm non Colorado Universal (known as Colorado UPK and UPK Colorado) tuition support to lower your preschool costs even if you change schools or are just now deciding to apply for the 2025-2026 school year. Families who live in the City and County of Denver can also benefit from tuition assistance from Denver Preschool Program. 

Learn how you can transfer your preschool tuition support now that the 2025-2026 preschool year is underway. 

4 Steps to Changing Preschools and Keeping Your Colorado UPK and DPP Assistance

Colorado UPK is available to all Denver 4-year-olds in the year before kindergarten (and some 3-year-olds based on qualifying factors). DPP also offers tuition assistance for all Denver families with 4-year-olds and many 3-year-olds. The vast majority of Denver preschool providers who participate in UPK Colorado also participate in DPP, helping Denver families maximize their preschool savings. 

If you are considering changing preschools now that the school year is underway and are planning on continuing to benefit from UPK Colorado and DPP tuition assistance, we recommend that you use DPP’s Find a Preschool tool to search for, visit, and select a chosen preschool first. If  you are only planning on UPK Colorado support, then visit their search tool here. 

After you find a preschool that works for you and your family, follow these four steps (note that all of these steps can be done in-person with your new chosen preschool provider): 

1. Inform your current preschool about your decision to move your child to a different preschool. Your current provider will need to “unenroll” your child from their Colorado UPK roster. 
2. Contact the UPK Colorado Help Desk online or by calling 303-866-5223 if your UPK Colorado application won’t allow you to select a new provider or if you have any issues. 
3. Once your application is unlocked, search and select your chosen provider. 
4. They will then be able to offer you a UPK Colorado “seat,” based on availability.  
5. You will then need to “accept” their offer of enrollment in the UPK portal. 

Please note that each preschool provider has their own enrollment process, so check with that provider about any additional information they may need. If you are looking to enroll your child at a Denver School District preschool, you will need to contact DPS for their enrollment process. 

Once enrolled at the new preschool, apply for DPP tuition assistance. Your DPP tuition support could vary if your new preschool provider has a different Colorado Shines rating. 

Still Considering Applying for the 2025-2026 School Year?

It’s not too late to enroll your child in a preschool and benefit from Colorado UPK and DPP tuition assistance. Read our blog post, Tôi vẫn có thể nộp đơn xin hỗ trợ học phí cho Chương trình Mầm non Universal Preschool Colorado và Denver chứ?, to learn more.