Is Pre-School Free?

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No, pre-school is not free.

Pre-school, sometimes called transitional kindergarten or Pre-K, can be quite spendy. It’s very expensive given the high staff costs required to provide low adult to child ratios. For many, preschool programs also double as child care.

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However, there are several state and federal government programs that support young children from low income families. These programs offer low-cost or free pre-school for children.

Head Start and Early Head Start are the biggest Federal programs. They offer pre preschool or early childhood education to low-income children. Since their creation in the 1980s, these programs have grown considerably.

Head Start provides free or pre-school to millions of eligible family. But Head Start isn’t free for everyone for this program, and it’s not a universal program. Head Start is not offered to all families with preschool aged children. You have to qualify – there are income-based requirements. Newer programs have been in the works (or at least in conversation) for sometime, with many lawmakers pushing to create a program for free universal preschool for all families.

While many countries offer free preschool to all, at this time the United States does not offer pre-school for all. There are some states, however, that do offer universal preschool programs for their residents. And there is free, online-preschool learning that any family can access.



What States Have Universal Free Pre-School?

According to the nationwide non-profit Reading Rockets, only three states offer free, universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds.

States with Free Pre-School

  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Oklahoma



Eleven other states offer some form of free, universal pre-school, but these programs may have some gaps. For example, they may only offer free pre-school 3 days a week. Or, it may be a stipend which may or may not cover the full cost of pre-school tuition.

States with Subsidized or Partially Free Pre-School

  • Colorado
  • Iowa
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Michigan
  • Nebraska
  • Texas
  • Vermont
  • Washington D.C.
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin



A handful of other states are working on multi-year plans to implement free, universal pre-school for all 4-year-olds. (Illinois and Washington D.C. plan to include 3-year-olds in their pre-school program, too.) Some states that offer partially-free pre-school (subsidized) are included in the list below as they are looking to expand their public preschool program.

States Working on Multi-Year Plans to Introduce Free Universal Pre-School

  • District of Columbia
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Louisiana
  • New York
  • West Virginia



Eleven states have no state-funded pre-school programs – and this is a growing list. These eleven states do not offer free pre-school or partially fund pre-school.

States without Any State-Funded Pre-School Programs

  • Arizona
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Indiana
  • Mississippi
  • Montana
  • New Hampshire
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Wyoming

Other states not covered in these lists may have some form of free pre-school, but it is not universally offered to all state residents. Other states may offer free or partially free pre-school based on family income or kindergarten readiness.

Kindergarten readiness is a test or assessment of whether a child is “ready” to start kindergarten. It looks at a child’s social and behavioral skills and cognitive skills (thinking, understanding, remembering, and learning). There is no single agreed upon definition of what these skills should be, or what the testing method should be. There is debate within early childhood education circles. Different states, counties, or school districts have their own way of defining and measuring kindergarten readiness.



Is Pre-School Free Online?

You can find pre-school online, but in most cases it’s not going to be the same quality of learning your child would receive in a classroom with a trained teacher and other children.

There are thousands of free and budget-friendly online preschool programs and preschool learning activities. Online pre-school with tuition or fees is usually quite cheap – $5 to $150 a month vs the $500 to $2,500 a family might have to otherwise pay.

If you’re looking for affordable or free pre-school options online, here are some resources to check out.

These programs have an early education curriculum that’s designed by preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers.

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What is the Universal Pre-K Bill that President Biden is Proposing?

The Biden Administration has proposed expanding Head Start and Early Head Start programs to offer universal Pre-K for all three and four-year-olds in the country, regardless of their family’s income or ability to afford it.

The bill also mandates higher standards and better pay for all child care centers, which could dramatically improve the quality of Pre-K across the country.



Is it Likely the “Free Preschool Bill” Will Pass?

We aren’t a crystal ball when it comes to Congress. But based on current media coverage and historical precedent, it’s very unlikely the Universal Pre-K Plan will pass in its current form. The high cost of this proposed federal program makes it unpopular, and there would likely be many political trade-offs needed to get a bill through.

The idea of free universal pre-school is very popular though, so it is likely that some form of universal pre-K will get passed and rolled out by Congress in the coming years.



How Do You Get Free Preschool?

You can get pre-school by looking for free online options, or qualifying for a free pre-school program offered by your state.

To see if you qualify for free pre-school for your child, reach out to your local school district.

  • Search online “What’s my school district?” or
  • Find your public school district online on the CCD (Common Core of Data).
  • Email or call your local school district and ask them “Does my child qualify for pre-school?”

Your local school district is going to be a great resource here. They know what programs or assistance are offered to everyone, or programs that you may specifically qualify for. And it’s not necessarily income-based. If your child is having delays with speech, walking, eating, or other developmental skills, these programs may provide free in-home assistance with a therapist.

In addition to your local school district, you can ask your pediatrician’s office or contact your local county government’s office.

Additionally, there are several free and affordable online preschool learning resources shared earlier in this post.



Can I Get Scholarships for Preschool?

Yes, there are scholarships for pre-school.

  • Head Start: national program that offers free pre-school for families meeting income and other eligibility requirements.
  • County awards: many local counties offer scholarships for free childhood education. Some awards may have income requirements. For others, the only requirement may be residency. Check with your local county government. Find your local county government website here.
  • Richard M. Schulze Foundation: Offers pre-school scholarship awards from $500 to $3,000 for children attending an eligible Catholic pre-school. Program is specifically for middle-income families.
  • Private Pre-School Scholarships: Most private pre-schools will offer scholarships to students. These are generally income-based.
  • Upromise Rewards: Each month, there are 5 winners of a $529 Upromise scholarship. Scholarship funds may be applied to pre-K, K-12, college, trade school, or other educational expenses.

Every year, Upromise gives out over $31,000 in free scholarships to 60 families. Join Upromise now.

Upromise is a free loyalty program similar to Swagbucks, Honey, or Rakuten. Members earn cash back rebates for shopping online, using coupon codes, taking short surveys, and other online activities.

Typically these funds get redeemed for free Amazon gift cards or PayPal. But Upromise is a different kind of reward program. Members earn rewards to save for their child’s future education. Money you earn through Upromise goes to your child’s college savings plan or 529 plan.



Bottom Line on Free Preschool

Parents, teachers, and the early education research are all in agreement: High quality preschool sets your child up for success in K-12 school and beyond.

Free, universal preschool for all in the U.S. might not be a reality for several years or more. But there are still a number of ways to access quality preschool programs.

  • Head Start
  • Country or local district programs
  • Online learning
  • Private scholarships

Free targeted programs for low-income children, online programs and learning activities, and preschool scholarships all offer families options to get quality early childhood education.



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