The Preschool Scholarship program is designed to help make preschool affordable by reducing the financial burden on families.

Scholarships are funded by Early Childhood Iowa and administered through Community Action of Southeast Iowa and are available to qualifying families residing in Des Moines, Henry, Louisa, and Washington Counties

August 2024-2025 School Year

  • 2024-2025 Preschool Scholarships Information Flyer
  • 2024-2025 Preschool Scholarships Application (print & complete)
    • Review the Flyer. If you feel that you may qualify, then print & complete the application, and attach income documentation. Mail to Community Action of Southeast Iowa, 2850 Mt. Pleasant St. STE 108, Burlington, IA 52601.
  • Families may choose a local participating preschool and must be able to pay the portion of the monthly tuition that exceeds the amount of the scholarship.
  • If eligible for free preschool, you are not eligible for the Preschool Scholarship program unless denied or on a waitlist for those programs.
    • Head Start and some local school districts have free preschool programs.
      • Contact Community Action for Head Start to Apply Online or by phone: 319-753-0193
      • Contact your local school district about free preschool programs for 4-year-old children.
      • Contact iowaccrr.org or call 855.244.5301 for free referrals to preschool and child care providers.

See what participating families had to say about the Preschool Scholarship Program:

  • “The preschool scholarship has helped our family so much. We had been paying for our daughter to go to preschool because I find it important to start learning in a school setting as early as possible. All of my other children have benefited from it. And come to find out my daughter needs speech therapy services that the school offers. So I knew it was now even more important that she goes, but the monthly fee plus all our other bills were starting to add up. I thought we were going to have to take her out of the program. But then I received the call that we got approved for the scholarship. We are very grateful to everyone who funds the scholarship; you have helped my family out a lot. So thank you and God bless you all!”                      ~Anonymous parent
  • “Our family greatly appreciates being a recipient of the Preschool Scholarship Program. Our family has two working parents with well-respected jobs in our community. Many would be surprised to understand how much of our income goes towards childcare. If we didn’t receive the scholarship we would have to duplicate our childcare costs as our daycare still charges us for the time my kids are in preschool. For our family, we have 3 kids in daycare and two of my children can attend preschool without us having to duplicate an expense necessary to go to work.”  ~Anonymous parent
  • “My family has been so blessed with the Preschool Scholarship. Without it, my son would simply not have been able to attend preschool. As a single mother who struggles to even get bills paid and food on the table, I am beyond grateful for the assistance we were able to receive. I have watched my little boy grow so much, not only academically, but mentally and emotionally he has grown with the ability to attend preschool. Without this [scholarship] program I don’t know where he would be or how far behind others he would have been at kindergarten time. Thank you for all you do!!” ~Anonymous parent

For additional information contact Kalisha Lutz at:

Kalisha.Lutz@caofseia.org

2850 Mt. Pleasant St., Suite 108
Burlington IA 52601
(319) 753-0193