The policy of DCP is that a portion of the preschool's earned income be placed in a scholarship fund for confidential scholarship awards. This fund is designed to assist families who might not otherwise be able to enroll in the preschool and to support families who encounter financial difficulties.
DCP requires that all families, regardless of the scholarship status, meet the parent participation and fundraising requirements of the school.
All families who have entered the lottery for the 2024-2025 school year must complete the scholarship application and provide requested documentation by the February 23, 2024 deadline to be considered**. In most cases, submission of the application as well as a copy of your 2023 federal income tax return is all that is required. Please send these materials and direct questions to our Manager of Operations, Shandon Wells at shandon@dcpplay.org. Applications have names redacted by the Manager of Operations.
**Families who are offered a class placement after the lottery has been held are welcome to submit a scholarship application any time after they have confirmed their enrollment and paid the enrollment confirmation fee.
DCP Scholarship Guidelines and Policies
In addition to the income eligibility numbers utilized by the Denver Public Schools free lunch program, Denver Cooperative Preschool will utilize the DPS Early Education Tuition Estimates – ECE 3 & 4 year olds as a guideline for awarding scholarship funds. While DCP does not have the resources of Denver Public Schools, and therefore cannot match the discounts provided, DCP considers the discounts based on family size and income levels to be a helpful guideline that considers the cost of living in Denver more than the National Poverty Level guidelines.
The families who seem most in need will have their requests met first. Funds will generally be awarded in the following order: 1) families that meet the National Poverty Level guidelines; 2) families at 150% of National Poverty Guidelines; 3) families that do not meet the National Poverty Levels but do qualify for the DPS ECE discounts; 4)Others
DCP is participating provider in the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Depending on income level, we may request that in addition to financial aid provided by the school, you apply to access funds through the CCAP Program. We will contact families who may be eligible for this program to provide them with further information on how to apply. More information about CCAP can be found here: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdhs/child-care-assistance
Older Preschool Families residing in Denver county must utilize Denver Preschool Program funds first, but can apply for additional scholarship money if needed. Their application will be considered using their income level compared to the tuition after DPP funds.