Homeschool costs are often cited as a disadvantage of homeschooling. Average cost for homeschooling and estimates will vary based on different factors, with costs ranging from free homeschooling up to a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per student. Here’s how to determine what it really costs to homeschool your child…
How Much Does It Cost To Homeschool?
Before we get to the cost of homeschooling and the thoughts of “We can’t afford homeschooling!”, let’s cover a common question: Can you get homeschooled for free?
Is it free to be homeschooled?
Homeschooling can be low-cost or even free if you get creative and utilize the vast amount of free homeschool curriculum and educational resources available online. You can also supplement your learning with free local library resources.
What is the Cost of Homeschooling?
How much is it to home school a child? The average cost of homeschooling a child the first year is around $600 to $900 and up. Your homeschool costs may be lower or way higher. Just like any facet of raising a family, your costs to homeschool will be determined by your choices.
Determining a homeschool cost includes expenses like:
- Curriculum
- Classes
- Online courses
- Outside the home activities / extracurricular activities
- Supplies
If your homeschooled kid is involved in a lot of extra classes, your expenses will be higher (just like if a traditionally schooled kid is in a lot of extracurricular activities). So, how much does homeschool cost per year will depend on your homeschool choices.
Homeschooling can be costly, but the costs for homeschool are not necessarily so expensive that you cannot do it and there are ways to be frugal about it.
How much do you get for homeschooling?
Many new homeschoolers wonder do you get paid for homeschooling your child. If you are in the United States, there are no homeschooling education allowances available. Check your country’s laws, but many countries categorize homeschooling as private schooling and deem it the parent’s financial responsibility.
In some countries, you may receive a public funded student allocation per child or dependent, but not in the U.S.
There are no homeschooling education allowances available to child dependents living in the U.S.
–US Department of State–
Why is homeschooling so expensive?
Is homeschooling expensive? Homeschooling costs can easily escalate if you factor in different outside classes, homeschool activities, homeschool programs, homeschool curriculum costs, and any other extracurricular activities. One of the biggest costs comes from homeschool curriculum, especially if you have children of different ages and stages.
Your first homeschool year will probably be the most expensive because you are just figuring out how to get started homeschooling.
You may have a few trial and error purchases (curricula, books, online classes, etc.) before you find what really works for you.
One of the biggest expenses you will probably incur as a homeschooling family will be a homeschool curriculum and at-home courses (like online classes).
There are boxed homeschool curriculum or online courses available that will make your homeschooling life easier. However, these curricula and courses can run into a few hundred dollars for each kid or learning level (at the most expensive end of the spectrum).
On the other hand, there are many free or cheap resources where you can find homeschool curricula, study units, worksheets, and online reading that help keep homeschooling expenses down.
(Repeat after me: the library is your friend!)
Homeschool Costs vs Public School
Is homeschooling more expensive than public schooling?
Is public school cheaper than homeschool? Many parents find homeschooling more expensive than public schooling, mainly because of curriculum costs. However, public school and associated extracurricular activities can also be expensive. Just like anything with kids, costs will be higher the more activities they participate in, so take that into consideration.
We hope this helped you better understand homeschool costs!
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