Hilltop Child Development Center

Enrollment & Admissions

Hilltop’s primary mission is to provide convenient, high quality care and education for the children of University families. One of our primary goals is to help student parents complete their education at KU successfully. Children of University of Kansas students receive highest priority on our waiting lists. KU staff and faculty families receive the next highest priority because of the important role they play in making it possible for KU students to succeed in attaining their education and career goals. Children from non-KU affiliated families are accepted only if there are no KU affiliated families on the waiting list for the child’s age group.

Applications for admission to Hilltop are accepted for children 3 months and older. Classroom placement is according to child’s age on August 31st (except for Toddlers who must be at least one year old by August 1st) of the academic year in which enrolled.

Completed applications may be returned to Hilltop along with the application fee. You may bring them by the building or mail it to Hilltop at 1605 Irving Hill Road, Lawrence KS 66045. We are not able to process the applications until the application fee is received.

View our current enrollment openings!


Definition of KU Affiliated Families

For Hilltop enrollment purposes, undergraduate and graduate students must be enrolled for at least six credit hours and pay the required campus fee during fall and spring semesters. An exception will be made for graduate students taking a smaller number of dissertation hours. Enrollment solely in independent study courses that do not carry the campus fee do not quality for KU student status at Hilltop. Summer KU enrollment is not required in order to maintain student family status.

For Hilltop enrollment purposes, full and part time employees of the University, KU Medical Center and University affiliated corporations (Athletics, the Alumni Association, the Endowment Association, Student Housing, the Unions, Continuing Education, K.U.C.R., Hilltop, etc.) are considered to be University affiliated.

Changes in the KU student or staff/faculty status during the child’s enrollment period may affect the length of the child's enrollment. Preference in all categories is given to requests for year round, full-day, five days a week care in all classrooms except the AM preschool, the half-day After Kindergarten program and after school program. Requests from MWF/TR or half-day enrollment will be filled only if there is corresponding enrollment for the alternate time.

Filling Vacancies
As vacancies occur, children are accepted in the following order according to the date of application.
  1. Children of Hilltop staff
  2. Siblings of KU affiliated children currently attending Hilltop
  3. Children of KU students
  4. Children of KU faculty & staff
  5. Non-KU affiliated children, as space allows after May 1st for fall enrollment.

Program Placement

Children enrolling in Hilltop will be placed in classrooms according to their birthdate and assigned to a group of same aged peers. All children remain in their classrooms for a full school year together (fall, spring and summer) and move on to their new classrooms the next fall.

Toddlers must be 1 year old by August 1st, Early Preschoolers must be 2 years old by August 1st, and Preschoolers must be 3 years old by August 1st. Please note: an incoming toddler with a birthdate after August 1st will not be eligible to begin enrollment until the following fall.

Toddlers must also meet the following conditions: be walking independently, no longer need a bottle during the day, no longer require a morning nap and be able to eat independently.

Pre-K children must be 4 years old by August 31st and Kindergarteners must be 5 years old by August 31st.

All children enrolled in Hilltop's Preschool (3-4) and Pre-K (4-5) classrooms must be completely toilet trained as no changing facilities are available in these rooms.

Application Fee and Deposit

A non-refundable application fee of $25 is required to place a child on the waiting list. A $350 refundable deposit is required before a child is admitted to Hilltop. Once the child is in attendance, the deposit is carried forward each semester until the child is withdrawn from the center.


Non-Discrimination Statement
Hilltop Child Development Center admits children of any race, color, religion, national origin, or sex and qualified handicapped children to all rights, privileges, programs and activities of the Center and does not discriminate on the basis of any of these factors in the administration of its educational policies, fee payments, food service programs and other school administered programs.

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.