Personalized Solutions for Ohio Educators, Students, and Families

Tuition Assistance - Ohio Preschool Program

About the Ohio Preschool Program

The Ohio Preschool Program (OPP), formerly known as Early Childhood Education (ECE) funding, is a type of child care assistance accepted by some Summit Preschool sites. Families who are eligible and approved for this funding will not be required to pay any tuition for preschool at the approved site.

Each year, the State of Ohio allocates a specific number of seats to Summit Preschool for this funding - they are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Families should review eligibility information below and complete the application process as soon as possible to secure their funding.

Eligibility

All children must meet the following requirements to be eligible to receive OPP funding:

Be a verified citizen or qualified alien of the United States (only the child or children being considered for funding will have citizenship verified).
Be a member of a family with income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line (see Income Chart below), or meet categorical eligibility requirements listed below.
Be a resident of the state of Ohio.
Must be age 3-5 and not be age-eligible for Kindergarten in their school district of residence (once awarded, a child remains eligible for OPP funding until they are age-eligible for kindergarten as long as they continue to attend and participate in the program)

Children may be considered Categorically Eligible (will not have to meet income requirement above) if one of the following applies:

The child is placed in foster or kinship care.
The child is homeless
The child is exiting early intervention (EI)
The child is eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Cash Assistance, or Medicaid

This information outlines the criteria for meeting eligibility to receive OPP funding. Eligibility determinations are made by your County Job and Family Services office after an application has been submitted.

How to Apply

All families who are interested in pursuing OPP must submit an application to Job and Family Services. There are two options for submitting an application for OPP: Submitting an Online Application via OhioBenefits Portal OR Filing a Paper Application with your County JFS Office. In either case, you have the option to only apply for OPP unless you are interested in applying for additional assistance.

Information You Will Need for Either Method

You will need the following information regardless of which way you choose to apply:

Proof of US Citizenship for Each Child You Are Applying For
Proof of Household Income (Pay Statements, Tax Records, Award Letters, Child Support)
If Applicable: Proof of Any Child Support Paid for Children Not Living With You
Name, Address, and Program License Number of OPP Site You Want Your Child to Attend (Click Link to View List)
Protective Child Care/Foster Care/Kinship Care- Family Case Plan, Court Order for Foster Care or Proof of KPI
EI Exiters - Signature Page of Individual Family Service Plan
Any Medicaid, SNAP, or Cash Assistance award letters, if applicable

Online Application via OhioBenefits

The OhioBenefits Portal has been recently updated. You will need an OHID account to login, if you don't have an OHID account you can easily create one. On the website are helpful "How To" videos for creating accounts, applying, and making changes.

Filing a Paper Application with County Job and Family Services

You are welcome to complete a Paper 07200 Application and submit it to your County Job and Family Services office along with your required supporting documentation. On this application, if only applying for OPP, the application begins on Page 6, you should check OPP in Step 1, and then complete Step 2, Step 3, Step 4 (if utilizing an authorized representative), Step 7, Step 8, Step 9, Step 10, Step 11, Step 12 (for each child you are requesting care for), Step 13, and Step 14.

You can submit your application to the County JFS office in which you live:

Summit County

1180 South Main Street Ste. 102

Akron, OH 44301-1256

PO Box 3675

Akron, OH 44398

Phone: 844-640-6446

Fax: 866-351-8292

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://summitdjfs.org

Portage County

449 South Meridian Street

PO Box 1208

Ravenna, OH 44266

Phone: 844-640-6446

Fax: 330-297-3439

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.portagecounty-oh.gov/jfs

The Early Learning Office at Summit ESC is Available to Assist Families With Completing and Submitting Applications for OPP Assistance - Please Contact the Office at 330-945-5600 to Schedule an Appointment

OPP Income Eligibility October 1, 2026 - September 30, 2027

Family Size	Monthly Income	Annual Income
2	$3,607.00	$43,284.00
3	$4,554.00	$54,648.00
4	$5,500.00	$66,000.00
5	$6,447.00	$77,364.00
6	$7,394.00	$88,728.00
7	$8,340.00	$100,080.00
8	$9,287.00	$111,444.00