Do You Get Paid To Homeschool?

Do you get paid to homeschool or do you get money for homeschooling is a common questions that homeschooling parents have, especially new homeschoolers. Let’s cover do you get financial help with homeschooling…

DO YOU GET PAID TO HOMESCHOOL?

Do Parents Get Paid to Home School?

Homeschooling your child is a private choice (much like private school) and is not employment. Therefore, parents do not get paid to homeschool their children. However, in some states families may receive a tax credit, deduction, or even a stipend if homeschooling under an umbrella school (like a charter school). Check with your state homeschooling laws if you are interested in those kinds of incentives.

There are no federal tax deductions, but state laws, regulations, and rules vary and may include homeschool tax benefits. Be sure to check your state laws — whether it be Indiana homeschool laws, Illinois laws, or if you’re wondering do you get paid to homeschool in Texas or Washington state reimbursement for homeschool or what are New York homeschool laws about payment or or North Carolina rules (or any other state)!

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE WARNING BELOW ON “FREE MONEY” OR WONDERING WHAT STATES PAY YOU TO HOMESCHOOL AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO ANSWER TO DO YOU GET PAID FOR HOMESCHOOL!

 

Does the government pay for homeschooling?

No. In the United States, the government does not pay for homeschooling and your family is responsible for the expenses associated with home school. However, there are public schools who have schooling from home. Because this is still public school (just completing the courses at home through the local school district), the costs are covered the same way as any public school and offered free to kids.

 

 

How much do parents get paid to homeschool?

If you are in a state that offers educational funds from the state, the amount parents get paid to homeschool varies according to their state. The stipend for homeschooled students can be from a few hundred dollars into the thousands. For example, previously the California educational fund had a stipend of up to $2,600/year.

State funding for homeschooling: The stipend for homeschool or homeschool money differs by state for full time homeschool families, so check with your state laws / homeschool laws and inquire about state funding.

For example, in our home state of Indiana, the tax credits and deductions from the Indiana Department of Revenue state:

Details

You may be eligible for a deduction based on education expenditures paid for each dependent child who is enrolled in a private school or is homeschooled.

• Your dependent child must be eligible to receive a free elementary or high school education in an Indiana school corporation;
• You must be eligible to claim the child as a dependent on your federal tax return; and
• The child must be your natural or adopted child, if not, you must have been awarded custody of the child in a court proceeding making you the court appointed guardian or custodian of the child.

Who is eligible?

If you have education expenditures for each dependent child who is enrolled in a private school or homeschooled you may be qualified for a $1,000 deduction per qualified child.

[SOURCE]

This is just an example of the homeschool tax credit Indiana. Your state’s homeschool tax information may look very different (or not exist!).

You should look for similar statements for your state or area for any child benefit and / or seek legal advice. (This post is just informational for your homeschooling journey. Work with a tax professional for homeschool tax deductions or home schooling tax credit questions.)

HOMESCHOOLER PRO TIP: Some people use homeschooling reimbursement as part of their determination for best states to homeschool or categorizing homeschool friendly states. I, personally, would not use that as a criteria. State funding can change dramatically or even be taken away all together.

 

Do you get a tax credit for homeschooling?

Some states do allow tax credits or deductions, but the laws are very specific and always changing. You cannot deduct homeschool supplies on your federal taxes. According to the IRS, those deductions are reserved for higher education beyond high school or those with a high school diploma. You should check tax laws and with an accountant to provide you direction on this for your specific state deductions.

 

Read on to fully understand do you get paid if you home school your child…

Understanding The Cost Of Homeschooling In Order To Make Informed Decisions

Some states pay parents to homeschool: FALSE

Do homeschooling parents get paid?

The truth is parents may get stipends or tax deductions with very specific requirements attached to them, not a payment for homeschooling.

Parents don’t get paid to teach their kids at home, so it’s probably not the traditional payments for homeschooling that you may be thinking! There’s not a nice little homeschooling payment check arriving to your door for teaching your children at home.

So, don’t be confused if you’re wondering do parents get paid for homeschooling and about a home schooling payment!

BEWARE MISLEADING SITES TELLING YOU THAT YOU GET PAID TO HOMESCHOOL!

I’ve noticed an increase in sites marketing how you get paid to homeschool (as clickbait) and then when you click over it’s about getting tax deductions.

(Which, really isn’t getting paid in the way a job pays you. I think we can agree, right?!)

Or, it’s full of misinformation about free school supplies for homeschool or course books from local schools.

I’ve even seen some non-homeschool sites trying to explain that you get paid cash to homeschool your kids in an answer to do homeschool parents get paid.

(Be aware of where you are getting your information!)

If these sits are telling you about the states that pay for homeschooling, they mean there may be tax deductions or other forms of payment (aka: reimbursments / stipends).

Many times a government payment or other form of payment (ranging from tax deduction, vouchers, stipends, or even ESAs, or Education Savings Accounts) come with strings attached and may be considered public funding (what some people call “free money”), which may jeopardize your ability to create an individualized home instruction plan for your own children homeschoolers as homeschool parents.

For example, if you take stipends or tax incentives, you may be required to report an annual assessment or quarterly reports that you may not have needed to submit otherwise and lose some of your freedom of homeschooling.

Remember: You should be able to direct your own educational experience for homeschooling without state requirements infringing on your homeschool lifestyle — from your youngest child to homeschool high school students! It’s the best thing about home schooling!

Some states advertise that they pay to homeschool, which are really stipends, state grants (or even other grant sources), or deductions in taxes. This is not a true payment as you would think about getting paid to do something.

IMPORTANT: Before you take government money of any kind (tax breaks, stipends, etc.), please carefully weigh your options and completely understand what is required of you if you take these “homeschool payments.” Oftentimes this money is presented to help pay for homeschooling curriculum and extracurriculars, which can be enticing because homeschooling can be costly and you want to cut costs or save extra money whenever you can.

I recommend connecting with your state homeschooling group and discuss the pros and cons of a homeschool payment in various forms. Good state homeschool groups often keep track of laws and bills for the state and provide information and direction to homeschoolers on those. It’s the best way to keep track of what’s going on in your state for homeschooling, including what you need to know about taking money for homeschooling from the government.

Before you take incentives and grants provided by states (or even grants from private institutions) or look into federal funding further, please do complete research so you can make an informed decision on homeschooling vs traditional school.

 

 

READ THIS NEXT: How do I make homeschooling work financially?

How much does it cost to home school?

(And how do I make it work with the family budget or as a single parent?)

This will help you understand how to budget homeschooling for curriculum, field trips / extracurricular activities / music lessons (etc), homeschool supplies, and more to fund your homeschool education.

 

 

Can you write off homeschool expenses?

There are no federal tax deductions for homeschoolers for any reason, so you cannot write off homeschool expenses in that regard. However each state homeschool law varies, so you need to check your state home schooling law to see if there are any stipulations for homeschooling expenses.

A great place to start is searching online for homeschool laws [your state] or government money for homeschooling [your state].

This should be your first step if you’re looking to homeschool your child so that you completely understand the requirements for home school and in your area’s own policies and regulations.

 

Are there any grants for homeschooling?

There are some homeschool state grants and homeschool federal grants available to homeschoolers from private organizations—especially for homeschooling families who have met hard times and are struggling. Just search for homeschooling grants to see if any fit your needs.

 

Who Pays For Homeschooling?

Do you have to pay for homeschooling?

Since homeschooling is a choice, the parents or guardians are responsible for paying for homeschooling. Parents may get stipends, deductions, or grants, but it is your responsibility to pay for homeschooling curriculum, school supplies, extracurriculars, field trip travels, outside classes or any other thing you decide to do for your homeschooling.

You may receive reimbursement in the form of stipends or tax deductions, or this may differ if you are part of a homeschooling co-op, charter, or umbrella school listed as a home school.

 

Can you pay someone to homeschool your child?

As a homeschool parent, it is your responsibility to oversee the education of your child in your homeschooling. In some cases, your child may be in a co-operative or in other classes where you are paying a fee for the class and someone else is “teaching” your child. This is a perfectly acceptable way to homeschool. For example, maybe you cover math and language arts at home, but then pay for an outside class for Spanish. As always, check your specific state law language on parents providing their homeschooled children learning from others.

 

Can you make money from homeschooling? How To Get Paid To Homeschool Your Child

It’s not about how to get paid to homeschool, but more about how to make money while homeschooling or how to get reimbursement for homeschooling!

Can you get paid for homeschooling?

You cannot get paid for your own homeschoolers from the federal government, but there are ways to make money as a homeschooling parent or ways to get money for homeschooled kids.

 

How to get funding for homeschooling:

• Become a homeschool tutor
• Be a homeschool co-op teacher
• Offer online classes
• Offer in-person classes (like piano lessons, sewing lessons, etc.)
• Create a homeschool charter school (or work for an umbrella school)
• Look for charter schools or libraries who pay for homeschool teachers by grade level or for a class of different ages (The great thing about these options are that you can homeschool your own child during these times and get paid to have other kids in your classes or sessions, too!)
• Research stipends for gifted students
• Search out private foundations who give no-strings attached educational grants
• Start homeschool-themed classes (local libraries will often give you space to do this for free!)
• Understand state grants for homeschooling* (see warning above)
• Look for athletic grants for homeschoolers
• Search for non-profit organization that give money for different child education categories
• Ask in local homeschool groups about different ways to fund homeschooling for your family, especially if you’re going through difficult times
• Look for free homeschool programs to save money
• Look into the HSLDA grant or HSLDA scholarships

Look for donations from organizations who support homeschooling or independent education homeschool funding. For example, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a home school foundation that has various grants available for homeschooling for a variety of reasons. For example hslda grants for homeschool parents, hardships grants, low-income families, curriculum grants, disaster relief grants, and more!). 

This is a great option for homeschoolers to get financial support from a trusted source and a good alternative to government funding to help with your child’s education.

Although you can apply anytime, be sure to research options before start of the school year if you can! Just look for the hslda grant application on their site or call and ask them about their homeschooling funds / grants for homeschool families.

If you know of a great resource for homeschool grants, leave it in the comments and we’ll add them to our homeschooling funding list! 

 

CONCLUSION RECAP: HOMESCHOOL PAYMENTS FAQs

These are some common questions / frequently asked questions I get from people about homeschool payments / homeschooling money.

Can I get paid to homeschool my child?

No, but you may get a stipend, vouchers, or a tax deduction / homeschool tax break. You can get paid as a job if you choose to work for a homeschool co-op or other paid teacher role while also homeschooling.

 

Is there federal funding for homeschooling?

No.

 

Can homeschool supplies be tax deductible?

Not from the federal government. Check with your state homeschooling laws to see if school supples can be paid for homeschooling through your state and can homeschool expenses be deducted for your state.

 

Can I deduct homeschool expenses?

You cannot deduct homeschool expenses on federal taxes. However, you may be able to make some homeschool claim deductions on state taxes. Check with your homeschooling state where you reside.

 

Can homeschool be claimed on taxes? (Is homeschooling a tax write off?)

Homeschooling cannot be claimed on federal taxes. Check your local homeschool state laws for tax deductions in your state or any available homeschool tax breaks in your state. (Ask them: are homeschooling expenses tax deductible and/or what are the tax benefits of homeschooling / homeschooling tax deductions for this state.)

 

Are there tax benefits for homeschooling?

It depends on where you live (the specific homeschool state you live in) and if you OK with possible stipulations being attached to your homeschooling for taking state money (varies by state). Completely research your options for homeschooling.

 

Can you claim anything for homeschooling?

Not on federal taxes. You may be able to claim costs of homeschooling on state tax, but tax laws vary by state (as do homeschooling laws). You will need to check with a tax professional familiar with your individual state laws.

 

Does homeschool cost money?

Yes, there can be significant costs associated with homeschooling, especially in the beginning years. The costs depend on a variety of factors like curriculum, outside the home classes, field trips, extracurricular activities and more.

 

Is there a grant for homeschooling? 

Yes, there are some grants for homeschooling. I recommend starting with HSLDA to see their home school grant options and grants for homeschooling parents.

 

 

AFTER LEARNING ABOUT DO YOU GET PAID FOR HOMESCHOOLING, ALSO CHECK OUT THESE HELPFUL HOMESCHOOL TIPS: How homeschool moms make money (real ways to get extra money) and How To Homeschool For Free (Great free resources for homeschooling!) and How Do You Get Homeschooled.

 

This homeschool blog post is informational only. Check with your tax professionals and / or legal professionals for homeschooling tax credit (if there are any tax credits for homeschooling), which homeschool expenses tax deductible for your state, and other homeschooling concerns.

 

HOPE THIS HELPED COVER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT DO YOU GET PAID TO HOMESCHOOL!