Helping More Families Access
Authentic Montessori Education
At Pearlily Montessori, we believe children deserve a learning environment that honors their independence, curiosity, concentration, and natural development. We also understand that high-quality early childhood education is a significant family investment. That is why we help families explore different ways to make a Pearlily Montessori education more accessible, including payment plans, public childcare support, military fee assistance, local scholarship programs, and Pearlily’s sliding scale tuition scholarship. Our goal is to help as many families as possible access authentic Montessori education while ensuring our school remains strong, sustainable, and able to serve children for years to come.
Publicly Funded Child Care
Pearlily works with eligible families who participate in Ohio’s Publicly Funded Child Care program, often referred to as PFCC and formerly known by many families as Title XX. PFCC helps eligible families pay for child care while parents or guardians are working, in school, or participating in qualifying activities. Eligibility is determined by the appropriate public agency and is based on household size, income, family circumstances, and program rules. Families who may qualify for PFCC will generally be encouraged to apply for public assistance first.
Child Care Choice Program
Some Ohio families who are over income for PFCC may qualify for the Child Care Choice Program, sometimes described as a child care voucher program. This program is intended to help eligible families who may not qualify for PFCC but still need help paying for child care. Eligibility and funding are determined by the program, not by Pearlily. If your family may be eligible, our Admissions Team can help you understand how this option may fit with your enrollment process.
Franklin County RISE Scholarship
Franklin County RISE, administered through Action for Children and community partners, may provide child care scholarship support for eligible Franklin County families with young children attending licensed programs. RISE funding, eligibility rules, application windows, scholarship amounts, and documentation requirements may change from year to year. Applications are typically completed with the licensed child care provider selected by the family. Pearlily can help families understand whether RISE may be an available option during the enrollment process.
Military Child Care Fee Assistance
Military-connected families may be eligible for child care fee assistance through Child Care Aware of America or related military child care programs, depending on branch of service, family eligibility, provider eligibility, and program rules. If your family is military-connected, please let our Admissions Team know when you request tuition information so we can discuss the documentation or provider information you may need.
Free Guide: Help Paying for Preschool and Child Care
Child care and preschool funding programs can be confusing. For this reason, we created a friendly guide to Ohio and Franklin County programs to help you understand common options and where to start. While we cannot determine your family’s eligibility nor guarantee funding, we are more than happy to direct you toward the right path and provide additional information when needed. Download the free guide here.
Pearlily Access Scholarship
Pearlily Access Scholarship is designed for families who are not eligible for available public childcare support but still face a meaningful affordability gap. It is a limited, need-based tuition bridge intended for families who are above public support thresholds, denied public assistance, or left with an uncovered tuition gap. Families who may qualify for public childcare assistance will generally be encouraged to apply for those programs first. Public programs can often provide more substantial support than Pearlily can responsibly provide through its own internal scholarship funds.
How Pearlily Access Scholarship Works
Under the program, Pearlily may review the family’s circumstances through a confidential sliding scale process. Pearlily Access scholarships are not discounts, are limited, and are not guaranteed. Awards may depend on household circumstances, number of children enrolled, selected schedule, documentation provided, available scholarship funds, and classroom availability. It is a confidential, need-informed review process intended to help families who are close to being able to afford Montessori tuition but need some assistance to make enrollment possible. The review may consider factors such as:
- Household size
- Household income
- Number of children enrolling at Pearlily
- Selected schedule and total tuition
- Public assistance eligibility or denial
- Available liquid resources
- Certain financial obligations or hardship factors
- Available scholarship budget
Below are illustrative examples of how the sliding scale tuition support works in practice:
Prepare your child for life.
Is your child a dreamer? A builder? A thinker? A storyteller? An explorer?
At Pearlily Montessori, we educate children 3-6 years old and support them in becoming independent, responsible students who love to learn. Learn more about:
Our Mission
The Prepared Environment
Our Early Childhood Program
To grasp the essence of a Montessori education, just step inside a classroom.
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Please fill out this form to learn more about the school, tuition, or to schedule a visit. We will contact you at the first opportunity.