Classes & Tuition
From our Blog
Tuition Is Too High; Teachers Are Paid Too Little; and Preschools Are Losing Money & Closing
The childcare industry is collapsing. San Diego has only half the number of childcare spots that it needs, and yet more preschools are closing than are opening. Preschool tuition has become exorbitant, and yet preschool teacher remains one of the lowest-paid professions and most child care centers lose money or barely break even. Fewer and fewer families can afford preschool, and somehow there are not nearly enough of these expensive spots to go around. How can all of these things be true? It’s because childcare in America has been left almost entirely to the private market, so the small, finite number of families at any preschool must bear all of the costs of running a labor-intensive, brick-and-mortar business in a time of skyrocketing wages, rent, and supplies.
Tuition FAQs
Would my child be subject to the infant, toddler, or preschool rate?
The tuition rate is based on the classroom a child is in (and the rates are different because the student-teacher ratios are different). Children in the infant classroom are subject to the infant tuition rate. Children in the toddler classroom are subject to the toddler tuition rate. Children in the preschool classrooms are subject to the preschool rate.
To enroll in one of our preschool classrooms, a child must be at least 2-years-old by September 1st of the school year. So if your child turned two or older before September 1st of the current school year, he or she would start in a preschool classroom and thus be subject to the preschool tuition rate.
There is some confusing overlap in the age-groups for our infant classroom and toddler classroom, which is due entirely to regulations set by the childcare licensing agency. As a result, there are times when a child could enroll in either classroom. Under the licensing regulations, a child must be at least 18 months old to enroll in a toddler classroom. So generally speaking, if a child is younger than 18 months today, then he or she would join the infant classroom if they were to start today. If the child is at least 18 months old and turns 2 by September 1st of the upcoming school year, he or she would join the toddler classroom.
Will I receive the preschool rate once my child turns 2 (or the toddler rate when they turn 18-months)?
A child's tuition rate is based on the room the child is enrolled in, not their age on any given date. So a child enrolled in the infant classroom is subject to the infant rate, and a child enrolled in a toddler classroom is subject to the toddler rate. If a child changes classrooms, then their rate changes to the rate for the new classroom. This is because our tuition rates are based on the student-teacher ratio for each classroom (the infant classroom has a lower ratio than the toddler classroom, which has a lower ratio than the preschool classrooms).
Do you offer any discounts (sibling, military, etc.)?
No.
We have phased out the sibling discount starting August 2024 because the per-spot cost of running a preschool are the same regardless of whether a spot is occupied by a sibling of another enrolled student, and .
We have also phased out the military discount because all Aspen Leaf Preschool locations are now eligible for the MCCYN military subsidy. Active military families must apply for the MCCYN subsidy directly (https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mcc-central/mcchome/mccyn).
How much notice do you require to withdraw or reduce schedule?
We require 60 days notice to reduce schedule or withdraw.
Once enrolled, can I switch Aspen Leaf locations?
Yes, though this of course depends on space being available at the location you'd want to switch to.
Why is there a lower "federal" rate downtown?
Our downtown location is in the Schwartz Federal Building downtown. We operate under a contract with the federal General Services Administration, which is tasked with ensuring that federal employees have access to quality care. Accordingly, federal employees are given priority to enroll when spaces become available, and federal employees (including active military) are subject to a discounted rate.
Monthly tuition rates
Hillcrest, North Park, University Heights
(Sept. 2024 – Aug. 2025)
Preschool
(approx. 5:1 student-teacher ratio)
5-days (M-F): $2575 per month
Toddler (NP & UH)
(approx. 4:1 student-teacher ratio)
5-days (M-F): $2840 per month
Infant (NP & UH)
(approx. 3:1 student-teacher ratio)
5-days (M-F): $3290 per month
Downtown
(Sep. 2024 – Aug. 2025)
Preschool
TBD
Toddler
TBD
Infant
TBD
Hillcrest, North Park, University Heights
(Apr. 2024 – Aug. 2024)
Preschool
Approx. 5:1 student-teacher ratioFull-day | |
Full-time (Mon-Fri) | 2,150 |
Three days (Mon, Wed, Fri) | 1,370 |
Two days (Tue, Thur) | 895 |
Toddler (NP & UH)
4:1 toddler-to-teacher ratioFull-day | |
Full-time (Mon-Fri) | 2,320 |
Three days (Mon, Wed, Fri) | 1,425 |
Two days (Tue, Thur) | 995 |
Infant (NP & UH)
3:1 infant-to-teacher ratioFull-day | |
Full-time (Mon-Fri) | 2,700 |
Three days (Mon, Wed, Fri) | 1,615 |
Two days (Tue, Thur) | 1,125 |
Downtown
(Sep. 2023 – Aug. 2024)
Preschool
Approx. 6:1 student-teacher ratioFederal | Community | |
5 days (M-F) | 1,664 | 1,916 |
3 days (MWF) | 1,055 | 1,181 |
2 days (TTh) | 724 | 813 |
Toddler
4:1 toddler-to-teacher ratioFederal | Community | |
5 days (M-F) | 1,937 | 2,152 |
3 days (MWF) | 1,233 | 1,370 |
2 days (TTh) | 840 | 934 |
Infant
3:1 infant-to-teacher ratioFederal | Community | |
5 days (M-F) | 2,244 | 2,493 |
3 days (MWF) | 1,394 | 1,548 |
2 days (TTh) | 963 | 1,071 |