Paid to Homeschool: State Money Families Can Use

If you want to get paid to homeschool, no state pays you a salary, but 22 states have a state funding program, and programs in 14 states let you stay a homeschooler. For example, Arkansas offers a $7,208 Education Freedom Account, and Idaho offers a tax credit of up to $5,000. In several states, you must leave homeschool status to receive program funds.

The key question is how a program defines your child’s education. Some programs let you remain a homeschooler, while others require enrollment under the program or in a public correspondence program.

• SProgram you can use while staying a homeschooler (14)
• CProgram only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules (8)
• NState says it offers no money for homeschoolers (7)
• ?Check the state page (21)

50 states · Letters or ages identify each tile; counts appear in the legend.

Read the state-by-state chart

State homeschool funding programs at a glance

State	Chart category
Alabama	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Alaska	Program only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules
Arizona	Program only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules
Arkansas	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
California	Check the state page
Colorado	State says it offers no money for homeschoolers
Connecticut	Check the state page
Delaware	Check the state page
Florida	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Georgia	Program only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules
Hawaii	Check the state page
Idaho	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Illinois	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Indiana	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Iowa	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Kansas	Check the state page
Kentucky	State says it offers no money for homeschoolers
Louisiana	State says it offers no money for homeschoolers
Maine	Check the state page
Maryland	Check the state page
Massachusetts	Check the state page
Michigan	State says it offers no money for homeschoolers
Minnesota	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Mississippi	Check the state page
Missouri	Program only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules
Montana	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Nebraska	State says it offers no money for homeschoolers
Nevada	Check the state page
New Hampshire	Program only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules
New Jersey	Check the state page
New Mexico	Check the state page
New York	Check the state page
North Carolina	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
North Dakota	Check the state page
Ohio	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Oklahoma	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Oregon	State says it offers no money for homeschoolers
Pennsylvania	Check the state page
Rhode Island	Check the state page
South Carolina	Program only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules
South Dakota	Check the state page
Tennessee	Check the state page
Texas	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Utah	Program you can use while staying a homeschooler
Vermont	Check the state page
Virginia	Check the state page
Washington	Check the state page
West Virginia	Program only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules
Wisconsin	State says it offers no money for homeschoolers
Wyoming	Program only if you leave homeschool status or meet other enrollment rules

Key Takeaways

• State support comes through education accounts, tax benefits, scholarships, and public-program allotments.
• Some programs let you keep your homeschool status; others require a change in enrollment.
• Check your state’s rules for eligibility, program status, and the way funds can be used.

Is Funding a Parent Salary or an Education Benefit?

State homeschool funding comes as an education benefit, tax benefit, scholarship, or public-program allotment, not a parent’s salary. Education account funds and scholarships have program rules for who qualifies and how the money is spent. Tax credits and deductions relate to eligible education expenses.

Some benefits have income limits, award caps, priority rules, or lotteries. A program’s name alone does not show whether you can keep homeschooling under your state’s rules, so check the program’s homeschool-status requirements before applying.

What Types of State Funding Can Homeschoolers Use?

Homeschool funding comes in several forms, including education savings accounts, tax credits, tax deductions, scholarships, and public correspondence allotments. Each form has its own eligibility and spending rules.

An education savings account (ESA) places program funds in an account for approved education expenses. For instance, Texas lists an ESA amount for homeschool students, while Utah has home-based award amounts through Utah Fits All.

A tax credit reduces eligible tax owed, and some credits are refundable. A tax deduction reduces the amount of income subject to tax. Program rules determine which homeschool expenses qualify; Illinois and Minnesota, for example, list credits or deductions for qualifying expenses.

A public correspondence allotment is tied to enrollment in a public correspondence program. In Alaska, the district sets the allotment amount, and the student needs an individual learning plan and a certificated teacher.

Which Programs Let You Stay a Homeschooler?

Fourteen states have programs that let you keep homeschooling under the program’s stated rules. Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

The rules differ within that group. Arkansas EFA families still file a homeschool notice and follow the program’s testing rule, while Alabama’s home education funds are for students not enrolled in and physically attending an Alabama school. Texas lets a parent identify a homeschool or other educational setting on the application. For help with your state’s homeschool process, see how to start homeschooling.

Some programs in this group serve students with disabilities. North Carolina’s ESA+ is only for students with disabilities; Montana’s ESA and Florida’s FES-UA also serve students with disabilities. Ohio’s Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship are disability programs, and the table below gives their amounts or directs you to the state page.

Which Programs Require Leaving Homeschool Status?

Arizona ESA, New Hampshire EFA, South Carolina ESTF, Florida PEP, Wyoming Steamboat, West Virginia Hope, and Missouri MOScholars require families to leave homeschool status and enroll under the program. These programs are not money for homeschoolers as such; participation changes the child’s education status under the program rules.

Arizona counts the signed ESA agreement as school attendance. In New Hampshire, home education ends when EFA participation begins. South Carolina excludes students homeschooling under its homeschool options, while Florida PEP students register with a scholarship organization instead of the district.

In Wyoming, the family gives the district notice of ESA participation, and the student is not counted as a home-based program student. West Virginia Hope students file a Hope notice instead of a homeschool notice. A Missouri MOScholars family must operate as a family paced education school; a statutory home school cannot enroll.

Three other arrangements have distinct rules. In Indiana, ESA students who learn at home are not treated as homeschoolers and must take the statewide assessment. Alaska’s allotment requires enrollment in a public correspondence program; families using the parent exemption get no allotment. Georgia Promise requires prior Georgia public school attendance, except for a rising kindergartner, so current homeschoolers without that qualifying school history do not qualify.

What Funding Is Available for Students With Disabilities?

Disability-related homeschool support includes Montana’s special-needs ESA, Florida’s FES-UA, North Carolina’s ESA+, and two Ohio scholarships. Each program has its own disability and enrollment rules.

Montana’s ESA serves qualifying children with special education needs, and its handbook says parents must unenroll the student from public school and register the student as a homeschooler with the county superintendent. Florida’s FES-UA permits eligible students to remain in a home education program and lists home education tuition, fees, and annual evaluation fees as allowable expenses.

North Carolina’s ESA+ is for students with disabilities only and counts Part 3 home schools as nonpublic schools, allowing the family to keep its registered home school. Ohio’s Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship let eligible home-educated students enroll with an approved provider; the amount for each program is given in the table when the state provides one.

Which Programs Face Court Challenges?

Utah Fits All and Wyoming’s Steamboat program are in litigation, and Montana’s ESA status for the 2026-27 school year needs confirmation. Check each state page for current program details before making plans.

Utah Fits All was ruled unconstitutional by a district court in April 2025, and the program continues while the state’s appeal is pending at the Utah Supreme Court. Wyoming’s Supreme Court lifted an injunction on May 14, 2026, while the program’s challenge continues in district court.

Montana’s ESA court stay ran only through June 30, 2026. Confirm the program’s 2026-27 status on the state page.

Which States Say They Offer No State Money?

Seven states say they offer no state money for homeschool families: Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Their statements distinguish family funding from public classes or private-school programs.

Colorado says no funding is available for homeschooling, though districts, charter schools, and BOCES may offer free part-time public programs. Kentucky says it provides no financial assistance to homeschool families. Louisiana says approved home study families have no state funding and cannot join the LA GATOR program.

Michigan says no funding is set aside for homeschooling and parents are not compensated; nonessential district courses fund the district, not the family. Nebraska says no funding is available through its education department for exempt home schools. Oregon says it has no state money for homeschool materials or testing. Wisconsin says it provides no funds for homeschool curriculum, and its voucher programs and tuition tax subtraction cover private schools only.

Which States Should You Check on the State Page?

Families in 21 states should check the state page for current homeschool funding rules. That instruction does not mean the state has no program; eligibility and homeschool status must be checked state by state.

Check the pages for California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

A state page may explain that a named private-school choice program does not cover homeschoolers. For a broader state comparison, see best states to homeschool.

How Does Homeschool Funding Vary by State?

The programs below range from tax benefits you can use while homeschooling to accounts that require a change in status. The table gives each program’s type, stated amount, and homeschool-status rule.