How to raise funds for homeschool costs
Homeschooling has grown across the US in recent years. Almost 6.26% of all school-aged children were homeschooled during the 2024-2025 academic year, totaling 3.4 million homeschooling students.
If you’re considering joining this growing group of Americans, you may be wondering how to pay for homeschool costs and which grants for homeschooling are available to you. From government grants to community-based homeschool funding, we’re breaking down the costs of homeschooling and some ways you can cover them.
How much does homeschooling cost?
While there’s limited research on the average cost of homeschooling in the US, anecdotal evidence from various national homeschooling organizations suggests that homeschool costs range from $300 to $3,000 per student each academic year.
Homeschooling costs vary widely depending on location, grade level, curriculum choices and the number of children involved. So, before you begin a home education program, it’s important to ensure that the following expenses are accounted for.
Curriculum
Educating your children at home enables you to choose from a wide range of homeschool curricula, but not all of them are priced the same. Depending on your child’s age, needs and educational goals, a homeschool curriculum from an accredited institution may be the best option. These can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000 on average.
Alternatively, you may choose to design a personalized homeschool curriculum by using a range of different educational resources. Regardless of what you choose to do, it’s important to organize your finances, conduct thorough research, and limit spending in line with your family’s means.
Homeschool supplies
As your child’s primary educator, you’ll be responsible for purchasing all of their homeschool supplies. While individual items can be relatively inexpensive, the total cost of homeschooling can quickly add up, especially if your curriculum requires expensive technology and educational software. Here’s a list of common homeschool supplies and their average annual cost per child:
- Textbooks, chapter books, and workbooks: $200
- School supplies—like notebooks, pens, and calculators: $75
- Project materials—like markers, poster boards, and art supplies: $100
- Teaching materials—like planners, whiteboards, and supply organizers: $100
- Technology and software: $200
- Memberships and subscriptions to learning resources: $200
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to save money on homeschool supplies. Instead of buying new books, consider buying them secondhand or borrowing from your local library. If neither of these options are available to you, you can research stores that offer homeschool discounts to parents educating their children at home.
Field trips
Field trips are an important part of any curriculum, and this is especially true for homeschooled children. They allow students to expand their education outside of the home, creating a safe environment for experiencing the world and learning new things. Private school and high school students enjoy many outings during the academic year, so it’s important to give your children the same opportunities by factoring field trips into your list of homeschool expenses.
On average, families spend about $220 per year on homeschool field trips. But depending on the type and frequency of field trips you take with your child, they don’t have to break the bank. For example, many museums and nature centers organize educational programs for homeschool students. Contact your local homeschool cooperative to learn more about cost-effective field trip ideas.
Extracurricular activities
While all children need to participate in rewarding extracurricular activities, it can be especially meaningful in a homeschool environment. Extracurriculars allow homeschooled children to explore their creativity, meet new friends, and discover passions that they will carry through to adulthood. Some of the most popular extracurricular activities include:
- Sports
- Competitive academics
- Visual and performing arts
- Volunteer work and community service
- Clubs and special interest groups
- Political organizations
- Paid work
- Cultural, religious, and identity groups
- Writing and journalism
- Scouting
While homeschool costs for extracurricular programs can vary greatly, there are many activities that your child can participate in for free. Homeschooling laws in some states entitle your child to participate in extracurricular activities organized by their local public school system. However, you may need to purchase items for certain extracurriculars, like sports equipment or art supplies.
Hidden homeschool costs
When paying for homeschooling, it’s important to be aware of the hidden homeschool costs that first-time homeschoolers might not be aware of. These include, but may not be limited to:
- Assessment & Intervention fees, which are applicable in nine US states
- Gas money for field trips and other outings
- Potential tutoring expenses
- Increased grocery bill due to eating more meals at home
- Higher utility costs due to spending more time at home
- Lost income due to a parent or guardian’s full-time commitment to homeschooling
6 ways to pay for homeschool costs
From engaging in grassroots fundraising to searching for government grants and scholarships, there are many ways to raise funds for homeschooling. Modern crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe allow you to instantly gather support from friends, family, and your wider community, while making it easy to share your story across social media. Through an online fundraiser, you can raise homeschool funding and receive donations directly to your bank account, making it easier than ever to find help.
However, creating an online fundraiser is far from the only way to pay for homeschooling costs. Here are just a few of the creative ways to pay for home education to enhance your child’s home education experience.
1. Crowdfunding
With so many crowdfunding websites to choose from, you might be wondering which platform is right for accessing homeschool funding. As you compare the top crowdfunding sites, consider the following factors to guide you in your selection:
- Fees—including both service and payment processing fees
- Customer support options
- Accessibility to funds and limitations on withdrawals or deposits
- Fundraiser sharing capabilities
- Ease of use and website design
GoFundMe is a great option when it comes to raising funds for homeschooling. GoFundMe makes it easy to access donations as they come in.
To learn more about different fundraising websites and how they compare, check out our guide to choosing the right crowdfunding platform for you.
2. Grants for homeschooling
While there are currently no grants offered to homeschoolers at the federal government level, a number of financial supports are provided by educational organizations and certain state governments.
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a non-profit advocacy organization that provides representation and support for homeschooling parents. They run two separate HSLDA grants for homeschooling, which might help you pay some of the associated costs of homeschooling.
- Curriculum Grants: Donor-funded grants of $300-$400, which can be used by parents to purchase textbooks, educational technology, assessment materials, and other back-to-school supplies.
- Disaster Relief Grants: Compassionate grants for homeschooling families whose homes have been affected by natural disasters during the past eighteen months. Maximum $650.
3. Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are publicly funded school choice mechanisms that provide financial support for parents struggling with homeschool costs. Organized at the state level, the monetary value of an ESA is generally based on the expenditure of its state’s public school system. Once approved, ESAs can be used by parents to purchase educational materials, online programs, tutors, therapies, and other school-related resources.
There are currently 18 states operating ESAs across the country, each setting its own eligibility requirements and the maximum value of allowances.
4. Fundraising events
If you’re struggling to meet the eligibility criteria for grants for homeschooling or simply need some additional support paying the costs of homeschooling, organizing your own fundraising event can be a great way to raise homeschool funding in a creative, meaningful way. Whether you want to gather your homeschooling group for a classroom fundraiser or launch one within your family, educational fundraisers can be a powerful tool.
Here are some of the strongest options for parents raising money for homeschooling.
Bake sale
Bake sales are cheap to set up and easy to run. Pick a high-traffic spot like a farmers market, church lobby, or a neighborhood event, then fill a table with homemade brownies, cookies, banana bread, and cupcakes. If you want more variety on the table, ask a few friends or family members to bake a couple of items each.
Keep a donation jar out front for people who want to throw in something extra. And if your local weekend market lets vendors set up regularly, grab a recurring spot. Running a bake sale once a month brings in small but consistent money over the school year, which adds up faster than a single big event.
Yard sale
Most families have a garage or closet full of things they don’t use anymore, and all of it is worth something to someone. Go through your home and pull out clothes your kids have outgrown, old textbooks, curriculum sets, toys, kitchen items, and anything else sitting around.
Late summer and early fall tend to be the sweet spot for timing because other homeschool parents are actively shopping for the new year. You can also ask friends or relatives to throw in their own items and split whatever comes in.
Ask local businesses for support
Walk into a few local bookstores, restaurants, tutoring centers, or family-owned shops and tell them what you’re doing. Most small businesses get asked for donations regularly, so be specific about what you need. A gift card, a bag of supplies, or a “dining for a cause” night where the restaurant sends a cut of the evening’s sales your way are all realistic asks. Bring a one-page sheet that breaks down your child’s annual homeschool costs and explains how you’ll credit the business. A social media shoutout, a mention in your GoFundMe updates, or a sign at your next event all work as a trade.
Car wash
A car wash takes minimal investment. You need buckets, sponges, dish soap, towels, and access to a water hose. Ask a local church, gas station, or community center for permission to use their parking lot on a Saturday morning. Make large, readable signs and place them at nearby intersections to direct traffic.
Get your kids involved in the washing, drying, and directing traffic. A family of four can wash 30 to 40 cars in a four-hour window, bringing in a good amount of cash.
5. Host a talent show
If your child has a performance skill, you can turn it into a small fundraising event by inviting friends, family, and neighbors to watch. This works well for families whose kids play music, dance, act, or do comedy.
Direct a play
Help your child rehearse and perform a short play or skit for an audience of family and friends. Charge a small suggested donation at the door and serve homemade refreshments to make it feel like a special occasion.
Art exhibition
Hang your child’s artwork around the living room or ask a local coffee shop if they’d display a few pieces for a week. Invite people to stop by and buy what they like, with everything going toward homeschool costs.
Cook-off
Ask friends and family to each bring their best version of one dish, like chili or mac and cheese, and charge guests a small tasting fee to try everything and vote. It’s low effort to organize and easy to repeat a few times a year.
6. Share your fundraiser
Sharing your great fundraiser on GoFundMe is a great way to spread the word to your local network and beyond, helping you attract the money for your fundraising program. Many of today’s fundraisers are shared online across social media platforms, which can put you in contact with donors from across the globe and give your crowdfunding efforts a boost.
However, you don’t need to be a technology whiz or a social media expert to share your homeschooling fundraiser successfully. There are plenty of options for sharing your fundraiser without social media, such as reaching out to potential donors via email, text messages, and engaging in in-person conversations door-to-door.
For more creative sharing ideas, check out our 20 Fundraiser Sharing Tips to Increase Donations. And if you’re not sure where to start, read our useful guides to learn how GoFundMe works and find answers to all your fundraising questions.
Get the help you need to pay for homeschooling now
There are a number of reasons why you might choose to educate your children at home, but one thing is for certain: the costs of homeschooling can quickly add up. If you’re looking for financial help, consider starting an online fundraiser. With GoFundMe, you can connect with donors and start raising homeschool funding within minutes, using your donations to help cover the costs of homeschool.
Meanwhile, you can combine online outreach with homeschool fundraising events. Alternatively, grants for homeschooling and Education Savings Accounts help purchase homeschool supplies and reduce the burden of homeschool costs. Asking for help with money is never easy, so get the meaningful support you need by starting a GoFundMe fundraiser today.