The Preschool Open Doors program has been expanded, allowing families to apply at any time throughout the year on a rolling basis, instead of the previous fixed application period from January to the end of March.

The program provides monthly preschool tuition subsidies to qualified families for up to two years before kindergarten. Parents can choose any preschool licensed by the state Department of Human Services.

The first-come, first-served open application period began July 1, now including eligible 3-year-olds, building on the recent Preschool Open Doors, or POD, expansion.

At a news conference Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, serving as acting governor, said that the new application system allows “much more flexibility for our income-limited families to apply for Preschool Open Doors grants to send their kids to private preschool.”

In 2023 the state Legislature increased the funding for POD to $50 million from $12 million.

Luke noted that with the previous $12 million allocation, the state could use only about $5 million to $6 million due to the limited three-month eligibility period.

With the new $50 million allocation, Luke said, DHS has already committed about $25 million to families and encourages more parents to apply for the program, given the substantial increase in funds.

The expansion also includes eligible 3-year-olds and raises gross income eligibility limits, making preschool more affordable and accessible. The previous limits raised concerns that some families earned too much to qualify but not enough to afford preschool.

According to People Attentive to Children, which administers the POD program, families are eligible if their monthly gross income is $4,193 for a family size of one, $5,670 for two, $7,148 for three, $8,625 for four, $10,103 for five, $11,580 for six, $13,058 for seven and $14,535 for eight.

“The average cost of preschool tuition is about $1,100, so this program actually (makes) a huge difference in the everyday life of our ohanas,” DHS Director Ryan Yamane said.

Yamane reported that over 1,300 students statewide expressed interest in the POD program this year, compared with approximately 740 applications received in 2023.

“By expanding the income eligibility, we can support more working families throughout our state,” Yamane said.

POD will process applications through Jan. 31 or until the funding limit is reached.

PATCH encourages all families to apply, even if they are uncertain about their eligibility, as those who may have been over the income limit in previous years might now qualify.

Mother of four Aureana Nguyen said at Tuesday’s news conference that POD has been instrumental in her life.

With $279,000 in student loans, Nguyen expressed concern about her ability to work and earn income to pay off her debt while covering her family’s preschool expenses.

Nguyen said she’s now able to send her second child to preschool due to the new system’s flexibility in application and eligibility, which has also allowed her the opportunity to return to the workforce and work toward paying off her student debt.

“Many times, folks like myself shy away from applying because we didn’t think we would qualify, but they should just try,” Nguyen said. “This new initiative is so much more flexible and understanding. I think it really helps many families and gives many children a head start in education and in life.”