Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that more than 13,000 families have already participated in Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program four months into its launch while speaking at a news conference at Tohopekaliga High School in Kissimmee.
The VPK program, established in 2005-06, provides free prekindergarten to all 4-year-olds with a focus on literacy, math, and other subjects, regardless of family income. More than 3.1 million students have benefited from VPK since its inception.
Moreover, parents may receive a $100 bonus when applying for a VPK program. The announcement comes in direct partnership with Florida's Prepaid College Savings plan, which encourages early childhood education and long-term financial planning.
Florida's Prepaid College Savings Plan, created in 1987, is the largest prepaid tuition plan program in the United States. The plan allows Florida families to secure future college tuition, fees, and dormitory costs at current costs.
More than 1.2 million Florida families have participated in the lock-in option. In addition, more than 646,000 students have attended college using Florida Prepaid, and it is accepted at over 370 schools nationwide.
The program also provides families with college savings accounts to invest in for other post-secondary costs.
"This is yet another great option for Florida families. We're proud of what we've been able to accomplish with the prepaid program, but obviously always looking out for the best interest of the families, more so than the government's interest," DeSantis said. "And when you have excess funds, you've got to get that back into families' pockets, and I know a lot of people have appreciated that over recent years."
"This is a huge thing to have this many people signing up so soon after the launch, and I imagine this is going to be something that's going to be very popular in the months and years to come," DeSantis added.
Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Stasi Kamoutsas joined Gov. DeSantis for the announcement.
"The fact that we make it easier for families is what we do here in Florida," Kamoustas said. "It's called putting students first."
Notably, Florida has been ranked No. 1 in higher education, partly due to its low in-state tuition, for the past decade.
