Eligibility and Application FAQs
Eligibility Criteria
Does my child have to be a certain age to apply?
Yes. Per our admissions policy, your child must turn three years old by September 1st of the Admissions year to attend for that school year. For the remainder of the 2024-25 school year, your child’s birthdate must fall between September 2, 2020 – September 1, 2021. To ensure we have an equitable admissions process for all applicants, we are unable to make an exception to our policy.
My child will be 5 years old by September 1, 2025. Why can’t we apply for the 2024-25 school year?
To ensure a great experience for the child, Bezos Academy requires students be eligible to attend for a minimum of 6 months. To be eligible for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year, your child must be three years old by September 1, 2024, with a birthdate between September 2, 2020 – September 1, 2021.
What if my child is too young to apply?
We recommend signing up for our email interest list here in order to receive updates on schools you are interested in.
What if I make more than the income threshold for my family size?
If your income exceeds the threshold for your family size, you are unfortunately not eligible to apply. We do not offer an option for families who surpass the income threshold to pay tuition. Should your circumstances change, we encourage you to apply in the future.
Are income requirements based on my gross income or net income?
We look at your gross income to determine eligibility. You will be asked to provide your family’s gross annual income as part of the application form.
Application
How will I know that you’ve received my application?
You will receive confirmation via email or text message when your application is received.
Can I apply to multiple Bezos Academy locations?
Yes. Families may apply to multiple schools during a lottery cycle by ranking their school choices but will receive only one offer. We conduct separate lotteries for each school. If selected in more than one school during the lottery, you will receive the seat at your highest ranked school. If you did not receive a seat at your top choice(s) you will remain on that school’s waitlist.
If I have more than one child, do I need to complete a separate application for each child?
Yes, you must submit a separate application for each child applying to attend Bezos Academy. You may use one family account to submit applications for multiple children.
When do applications open for the 2025-26 school year?
Applications for the 2025-26 school year will launch in February 2025. If you would like to be notified when applications launch, please sign up for our email interest list here so that you can receive updates on schools you’re interested in.
Is the Bezos Academy lottery application available in other languages?
Yes, the Bezos Academy application is available in the following languages: Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Yoruba.
Bezos Academy provides interpreters to assist families with completing their application. Please email [email protected] or call 1-833-560-2221 for interpreter assistance.
How do I contact Bezos Academy with other questions about the application process?
You can email [email protected] or call 1-833-560-2221 with questions. We can provide interpreters to assist families with completing their application. Our staff also host in-person application events in the community to help families complete their applications – see the timeline of events on the individual school pages.
Lottery
How will I learn if my child receives a seat in the lottery or is waitlisted?
Bezos Academy will notify you by email within one week of the lottery. If you apply after the lottery date, our team will review your application and will notify you by email. You can also see the status of your application at any time by logging into your account here.
Are seats awarded on a first-come-first-served basis?
No. All applications received before the school’s lottery date will be entered into the lottery. The date that you submit your application will not affect your chances of gaining a seat. Applications received after the school’s lottery date will be reviewed and offered a seat or added to the waitlist, depending on capacity available at the school.
Do siblings get a spot in the school if one child is selected in the lottery?
Yes, if two siblings apply in one lottery and one child receives admission during the lottery, their sibling is offered a seat if one is available. Bezos Academy considers siblings as any of the following who reside in the same household: full siblings, half siblings, step siblings, and children residing in a family foster home.
Waitlist
How do I check my current waitlist position?
Log into your Avela account here to view your child’s current waitlist position. Your waitlist position will be displayed on your homepage next to the school’s name.
Why did my waitlist position change?
Admissions preference is given to income eligible children who are experiencing homelessness or living in foster care, siblings of Bezos Academy students, children of Bezos Academy employees, and students transferring from another Bezos Academy location. Students who are waitlisted are added to the waitlist in the order they apply, and waitlist placement may move up or down as new applications are submitted based on an applicants’ eligibility and Bezos Academy preferences.
What is the likelihood of my child being offered a seat?
Waitlisted students will be offered a seat as capacity becomes available when attending student exit the program. This makes it so that we are unable to forecast the likelihood of a waitlisted student being offered a seat. We do encourage you to continue checking your waitlist status in the system here. If your child is #1 on the waitlist and a seat becomes available, a member of the Enrollment team will notify you right away.
If I accept the offer at a lower ranked school will my child still be eligible for a higher ranked school?
Yes. If you accept an offer at a lower ranked school, your application will remain active at any higher ranked schools you applied to. If a seat were to become available at those higher ranked schools, a member of our team will notify you and you can decide to either keep your child enrolled where they are, or transfer to a higher ranked school.
Enrollment
Will my family be charged a fee for attending?
No. Bezos Academy is tuition-free, which means that the preschool is free of charge to eligible families. Each Bezos Academy also provides materials, supplies, and meals for students at no cost to the families.
Does my child need to be toilet trained?
We ask families to make every effort to ensure their child is toilet trained by the first day of school.
How long will I have to accept my offer at Bezos Academy?
You have two weeks (14 days) to accept the seat.
Once my child is enrolled, do they keep their seat the following school year?
Yes. Children keep their seat year-to-year until the student graduates from our program.
My child speaks a language other than English and does not speak English yet. Can I apply?
Yes. Bezos Academy supports English language learners.
Does Bezos Academy accept children with special needs?
Yes. Our policy is to accept students and provide reasonable modifications in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), its regulations, and any other applicable local, state, or federal laws pertaining to the provision of services to individuals with disabilities. Bezos Academy works with families to ensure we have the right program that fits your child’s learning needs. If Bezos Academy is not able to provide necessary services, then we are committed to working closely with families to ensure your child receives the services they require in the appropriate setting.
How does Bezos Academy ensure a classroom with age diversity?
A mixed-age environment is a core principle of the Montessori approach. Bezos Academy seeks age diversity as it adds value to each child’s experience. Bezos Academy may move three-year-old children up on the waitlist to ensure a classroom with age diversity.
School Hours and Schedule
Does Bezos Academy enroll children that attend less than five days a week?
Bezos Academy provides a year-round education that is full day and five days a week. Bezos Academy expects students to attend the program five days a week from 9:00am – 3:30pm. Participating in Morning or Evening Extended Day Learning is optional.
What are Bezos Academy school hours?
Hours of operation vary based on school location. The regular school day is from 9:00am – 3:30pm. Extended day is available to all children and families. The typical extended hours are 8:00am – 9:00am and 3:30pm – 5:00pm but can vary based on the school location. One day a week we have reduced operating hours to allow for staff development. Please check each school’s page for hours of operation.