A dozen or so states will help pay for homeschooling, but none of them simply mail a check for keeping your child home. The money flows one of three ways: a restricted education savings account the state funds and you spend on approved costs, a state income tax credit or deduction that reimburses part of what you spent, or a receipt-based reimbursement account for students with disabilities. Among the states that pay you to homeschool, deposits range from roughly $2,000 to over $7,600 per student, and the rules on who qualifies and what the money can buy differ sharply from one program to the next.
Below is what each state actually offers, who can get it, and where the common online lists get it wrong.
States With Education Savings Accounts Homeschoolers Can Use
An education savings account is the closest thing to being paid to homeschool. The state deposits funds into an account in your child’s name, usually quarterly, and you spend it on approved educational costs during the year.
- Arizona deposits 90 percent of what the student would have generated in public school funding into an Empowerment Scholarship Account. The amount varies by district and student, and students with disabilities receive significantly more. The program is universally available regardless of income.1Arizona Legislature. Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
- Florida’s Personalized Education Program provides approximately $8,000 per year through an ESA for parent-directed education, covering part-time instruction, tutoring, and instructional materials.2Florida Department of Education. Personalized Education Program (PEP) FAQs
- Arkansas funds Education Freedom Accounts under the LEARNS Act at $6,864 per student for 2025–2026, disbursed quarterly. Former Succeed Scholarship recipients receive $7,627.3Arkansas Department of Education. Education Freedom Accounts Information for Families
- South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund pays $7,500 per student in 2025–2026 and $7,634 in 2026–2027. The program hit its statutory cap of 10,000 students shortly after launching, so check availability before you plan around it.4South Carolina Department of Education. SC ESTF Program Reaches 10,000 Student Landmark
- West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship is tied to per-pupil state aid and is expected to be $5,435.62 per student for 2026–2027.5Hope Scholarship. Frequently Asked Questions
- New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Accounts start at a base amount of about $4,266 per student, with additional funds for low-income families, students with disabilities, and English language learners.6New Hampshire Department of Education. EFA By Municipality
- Utah’s Fits All Scholarship pays homeschool students $4,000 (ages 5–11) or $6,000 (ages 12–18) starting in 2025–2026. Private school students may still receive up to $8,000. The program now prioritizes families at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level before opening to all applicants.7Utah State Board of Education. Utah Fits All Scholarship
- Alabama’s CHOOSE Act delivers refundable income tax credits structured as ESAs. Homeschoolers get up to $2,000 per student and $4,000 per family. Families using private school can receive up to $7,000.8Alabama Department of Revenue. Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students Education Act of 2024 – The CHOOSE Act
States Where the Money Requires a Public Program
A couple of states will fund your child’s education at home, but only if your child enrolls in a public correspondence school or virtual charter. On paper the student is a public school student, which brings curriculum requirements, periodic check-ins with a supervising teacher, and standardized testing.
- Alaska: Families who enroll in a public correspondence school can access educational allotments of roughly $4,000 per year, depending on the district, spent on curricula, materials, and approved activities.9Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. Explore Your Options
- California: Enrolling in a virtual charter school opens access to roughly $3,000 per year for materials, with the amount varying by charter and grade level.
If independence from public school oversight is part of why you homeschool, this money comes with strings that may not be worth it.
States With Homeschool Tax Credits or Deductions
Tax benefits don’t fund your school year up front. You pay the costs, then recover some of them when you file. Whether the credit is refundable matters: a refundable credit pays out even if you owe no state income tax, while a nonrefundable credit stops at the amount you owe. A $750 nonrefundable credit against a $200 tax bill leaves $550 on the table.
- Oklahoma: A refundable credit of up to $1,000 per homeschooled student for curricula, textbooks, tutoring, and standardized testing fees. You get the full amount even with zero tax liability.10Oklahoma Tax Commission. Parental Choice Tax Credit Taxpayer Resources
- Minnesota: Both a deduction (up to $1,625 per child K–6, up to $2,500 per child 7–12) and an income-dependent credit covering 75 percent of qualifying expenses up to $1,500 per child. Homeschool expenses specifically qualify.11Minnesota House of Representatives. Minnesota K-12 Education Subtraction and Credit
- Louisiana: A deduction equal to 50 percent of qualified educational expenses for home-schooled children, capped at $6,000 per child. The deduction cannot exceed your taxable income.12Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 47:297.11 – Tax Deduction; Educational Expenses for Home-Schooled Children
- Indiana: A $1,000 state income tax deduction per homeschooled child for unreimbursed expenses including tuition, textbooks, software, and supplies. This reduces taxable income rather than tax owed.13Indiana Department of Revenue. Indiana Income Tax Information Bulletin 107 – Unreimbursed Education Expenses Deduction
- Illinois: A nonrefundable credit of 25 percent of qualified expenses over $250, capped at $750 per family regardless of how many children you homeschool. Covers tuition, book fees, and lab fees.14Legal Information Institute. Illinois Code tit 86 100.2165 – Education Expense Credit
- Ohio: A nonrefundable credit of up to $250 per qualifying homeschooled student. Beginning with tax year 2025, the credit applies per student rather than per return.15Ohio Department of Taxation. Income – Individual Credits (Education, Displaced Workers and Adoption)
Programs for Students With Disabilities
A few states run narrower programs for children with special needs, with eligibility that requires documentation of the disability.
- Indiana Education Scholarship Account: Up to $20,000 for students with disabilities and up to $8,000 for their siblings. Funds sit in a dedicated account and are spent directly on pre-approved expenses; parents cannot be reimbursed for purchases made with personal funds.16Indiana Treasurer of State. Indiana Education Scholarship Account
- Mississippi Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act: Parents submit receipts quarterly for reimbursement on private school tuition, licensed tutoring, curricula, testing fees, and educational therapies, with consumable supplies capped at $50 annually. Note that Mississippi’s program excludes homeschooled students from tutoring reimbursement and some other services; curricula and testing fees remain covered.17Legal Information Institute. 7 Miss Code R 3-74.21 – Education Scholarship Account18Mississippi Department of Education. Education Scholarship Account FAQ
- Montana Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Account: The state deposits 95 percent of per-pupil funding into individual accounts and reimburses parents after they purchase approved items.19Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 20-7-1709 – Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Account
What ESA Money Can and Can’t Buy
Approved expenses look similar across most ESA programs: curricula and textbooks, online learning platforms, tutoring from approved providers, standardized testing and college entrance exam fees, educational therapy services, and some supplies. A few states also allow transportation, part-time classes at brick-and-mortar schools, and educational camps.
What’s off-limits in most programs: recreational activities not tied to the curriculum, food, household expenses, and dual-use technology, though some states permit computers under restrictions. Each state keeps its own approved vendor and expense lists, and purchases outside those lists can trigger repayment and removal from the program.
How to Apply and Keep the Money
Eligibility rules differ, but a few patterns hold. Many ESA programs historically required the student to have attended public school for at least one semester or be entering kindergarten, though several states have dropped that requirement as programs have expanded. Arizona and Arkansas are universally available regardless of income; Utah prioritizes families at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level before opening to all applicants.
Applications usually go through the state education department or program administrator’s website. Deadlines vary, and capped programs like South Carolina’s fill fast. Expect to provide proof of state residency, the student’s birth certificate or age verification, withdrawal documentation if your child was previously in public school, and whatever notice of intent to homeschool your state law requires.
After approval, most states disburse funds quarterly. Keep records of every purchase. Some states run annual audits, and misspending can mean paying the money back. For tax credits and deductions, you claim the benefit on your state income tax return and should hold onto receipts for qualifying expenses.
Programs That Get Listed but Won’t Pay You
Several programs still appear on homeschool funding roundups despite having ended or never covering homeschoolers in the first place.
Idaho’s Empowering Parents Program, which had paid $1,000 per student (up to $3,000 per family), was eliminated by the state legislature. The site remains online but no longer accepts applications.20Empowering Parents. Frequently Asked Questions
Colorado has considered homeschool tax credits more than once, including a $500-per-child proposal in 2020 and another in 2023. Both were postponed indefinitely in committee.21Colorado General Assembly. HCR20-1003 – At-home Instruction Tax Credit Colorado currently offers no tax credit or direct funding for homeschooling.
Iowa’s Homeschool Assistance Program provides a supervising teacher and some access to school resources, but state law explicitly prohibits the program from giving money to parents or students.22Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 299A.12 – Home School Assistance Program Iowa does run a separate ESA, but it requires enrollment in an accredited nonpublic school rather than homeschooling.23Iowa Department of Education. Students First Education Savings Accounts
This area moves fast. New ESA legislation appeared in multiple states in 2024 and 2025, and existing programs regularly adjust funding and eligibility. Before you plan a school year around any of these numbers, verify current amounts, deadlines, and availability on your state education department’s website. Figures tied to per-pupil funding change every year.