Over 30 Catholic Schools across the Archdiocese of New York have partnered with the NYC Department of Education and school districts outside NYC to provide free full day UPK programs for three- and four-year-old children. Click here and check the “Pre-K/UPK” box to view the full list of Catholic Schools offering Free PreK and/or 3K programs for the 2023-24 school year.

  • For New York City: Be sure to reference the UPK Site # of your chosen school when applying for PreK for All/3K for All admittance in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx. Click on the name of each participating school below to find that school’s UPK Site # in the description. Click here to apply with the City of New York.
  • Outside NYC: Click here for information about FREE UPK Programs Outside of New York City.

3K For All (for three-year-olds)

Who May Apply: Children who live in NYC who were born in 2020 may apply for 3K for All.

All NYC families with children born in 2019 must submit their 3K For All applications for the 2023-2024 school year by the March 10, 2023 deadline. Visit https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/3k or click here to apply.

PreK For All (for four-year-olds)

Who May Apply: Children who live in NYC who were born in 2019 may apply for PreK for All.  Current 3K For All children must reapply for a seat in this program, even if you intend to continue at your school.

All NYC families with children born in 2019 must submit their PreK For All applications for the 2023-2024 school year by the March 10, 2023 deadline. After this date, please call the school for information. Visit https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/pre-k or click here to apply.

Information regarding the admissions process can be found:

Interpretation services are available in more than 200 languages for over-the-phone and in-person application submissions.

Accept Your Pre-K Offer

All families who submit an application by the deadline will get an offer later this Spring. Please be sure to accept the offer by the deadline indicated on the letter. If you do not get matched to a program that works for you, contact the school directly to find out about being added to their Waitlist.

FREE, Pre-K Programs Outside NYC

If you are interested in applying for Universal Pre-K outside of New York City, please contact your Catholic school of choice for further information.

Universal Pre-K (UPK) is excellent, high quality Pre-K education for 4-year-olds, available at no cost, regardless of household income. Offered in partnership with New York State and local public school districts, UPK is designed to help more children begin their education at an early age and get a solid start on the road to active learning – and it’s completely free!

Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) is the time to turn your curious child into an active, interested student who looks forward to going to school. A love of learning that begins in Pre-K starts your child down the road that leads to success in high school and beyond.

Your children will enjoy a safe, caring environment and receive high quality instruction from dedicated and knowledgeable early childhood professionals. Children will extend their understanding and nurture their curiosity through exploration in centers for each learning domain (literacy, math, science and social studies). As they play, learn, make their own choices and socialize, children develop creative and critical thinking, as well as refine their large and fine motor skills, through active, hands-on exploration. Learn more about our curriculum and Center-Based Learning.

UPK is offered in many of our schools, with a maximum of 18-20 children in each class. Full day sessions are available starting 7:30am-8am and running for 5 hours. A limited number of schools offer half day sessions Monday-Friday for two and a half hours, generally from 9:00am-11:30am and 12:00pm-2:30pm. Children will participate in only one session , but families of 4 -year-old children in need of additional time can take advantage of our Wrap-Around Program at a reasonable cost.