Registration is now open for the 2026-27 school year for the Colorado program that provides up to 15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool for children during the school year before they enter kindergarten, with some children qualifying for additional benefits.
More than 2,000 licensed providers, including more than two dozen in Fort Collins, have applied to participate in the program for the 2026-27 school year, according to a news release from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. Providers can be community-, school- or home-based.
Providers receive tuition for students enrolled in the program directly for up to 15 hours a week during the August-May school year from the state, saving families an average of more than $6,300 per student since its inception in 2023, the news release said. Some students will qualify for additional hours, provided adequate funding remains, and others are eligible to enroll a year earlier based on income qualifications and other factors that are outlined on the Universal Preschool Colorado website…