Billionaire Jeff Bezos opens tuition-free pre-school in San Antonio area

Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos is taking a break from blasting rockets into space to offer free preschool to underprivileged children.

And who said all billionaires are evil?

Indeed, the high-flying rich dude is opening 23 tuition-free preschools, including nine in Texas and one in the San Antonio area.

Bezos Academy in Universal City is accepting a limited number of applications for children between the ages of 3 and 5 through July 14. To qualify, a family of four must earn less than $124,800. The full eligibility requirements can be found on the Bezos Academy website.

In a promotional video, Bezos shared his personal connection to the initiative. As a child of a 17-year-old mother in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he credits his time at the local Montessori preschool with some of his success.

“I remember using the sandpaper letters that you trace,” Bezos said. “The boards that you used to learn how to tie shoes. These things may sound really small, but I know it made a huge difference in my life.”

Enrollment will be decided via a lottery system. Visitors to the school’s website can enter their children for a chance to enroll.

“If you get a kid started right, get them a little bit ahead, they can stay ahead,” Bezos said.

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This article appears in May 1-14, 2024.