Homeschool benefits and savings in Glendale

Glendale Public Library's Teacher's Collections lend home educators a box of up to 35 books, CDs, audiobooks, and DVDs for one month, chosen by you or by Youth Services staff. Apply for a free teacher's account, then request each box at least two weeks before you want to pick it up at one of Glendale's four libraries. Other options include recreation and camp discounts and college classes and scholarships.

By Andrew Garber, founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed August 25, 2026.

Benefits in Glendale

1. Glendale Public Library Teacher's Collections for home educators
2. Glendale Parks and Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund
3. Maricopa Promise Scholarship
4. Phoenix Public Library homeschool educator account
5. Maricopa Community Colleges Prop 308 homeschool-equivalent tuition classification

Glendale Public Library Teacher's Collections for home educators

Who qualifies

1. Teaches at home

   Teacher's Collections are for teachers and home educators with a teacher's account. The application asks for a school name and address, so write in your home school.

2. Holds a teacher's account

   Fill in the one-page Teacher's Account application with your name, home address, email, date of birth, and phone, and sign it.

3. Has a Glendale library card

   A Glendale Public Library card is free to all Maricopa County residents. Bring a photo ID and a current proof of address to any branch service desk.

What the account gives you

The limits come from Glendale Public Library's Teacher's Collections page and its Teacher's Account application.

Items in a collection

35

Staff-selected collections

One per month

Loan period

One month

Notice to request

Two weeks

Renewals

Staff discretion

Lost or damaged items

You pay

The application excludes popular DVDs, so ask Youth Services which DVDs can go in your box.

How to borrow a collection

1. Before you request

   Apply for a teacher's account

   Download the Teacher's Account application from the Parents and Teachers page, fill it in, and give it to Youth Department staff.

2. Two weeks ahead

   Request a collection

   Email YouthLibrarian@glendaleaz.com, use the online Teacher's Collection request form, or call 623-930-3600 and choose your branch. Pick your own titles or let staff select them.

3. At the library

   Pick up the box

   Youth Department staff check the collection out to you at the branch you requested.

4. Two weeks before it is due

   Ask for the next box

   Call the library if you want another collection when this one comes back, and return the materials to the branch you borrowed them from.

What it includes

Included

• Books
• CDs and audiobooks
• DVDs
• Staff selection of titles if you want it

Not included

• Popular DVDs
• Teacher privileges on your personal library card
• Guaranteed renewals

The 35-item limit and one-month loan apply only to the teacher collection; your personal card keeps its normal limits.

Who to contact about Teacher's Collections

Youth Department staff set up teacher's accounts, select and check out collections, and decide on renewals.

YouthLibrarian@glendaleaz.com 623-930-3600 Parents and Teachers page

Glendale Parks and Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund

Who qualifies

1. Lives in Glendale

   Show a government-issued photo ID and a current proof of Glendale residency, such as a City of Glendale water bill, a phone or APS/SRP bill, or a vehicle registration. If your ID shows a different address, bring two items from that list.

2. Is 17 or younger

   The fund defines a youth as 17 years of age or under, and each application is approved individually.

3. Shows household income

   Attach the two most recent pay stubs from each employer for you and your spouse (four if paid weekly), dated within 30 days, plus any child support, alimony, or government benefit letters. W-2 forms and bank statements are not accepted.

4. Picks a designated program

   Scholarships cover all Glendale Parks and Recreation programs except the licensed G.R.A.S.P. AM/PM programs. Include the program's registration form with your application.

What it is worth

The terms come from the City of Glendale Youth Scholarship Fund Instructions and Application.

You pay per program or class

At least $5

Scholarship share

Sliding scale

Family maximum

Set by the coordinator

Decision after a complete application

7 business days

Late fees

You pay

Licensed G.R.A.S.P. AM/PM programs

Not covered

The application does not publish the sliding scale or a dollar cap, so ask the coordinator for your family's maximum approved amount when you hear back.

From applying to registering

1. Before you apply

   Gather documents

   Collect pay stubs, any benefit or support letters, a government photo ID, proof of Glendale residency, and the registration form for the program you want.

2. 7 business days ahead

   Turn in the application

   Return the completed application to the Parks and Recreation Main Office at 5970 W. Brown St., Glendale, at least 7 business days before the program starts or registration closes.

3. Within 7 business days

   Hear the decision

   Staff contact you once every required document is in. Funds are given first come, first served while donations last.

4. After approval

   Register by phone or in person

   Register at the Main Office or by phone with staff. Scholarship registrations are not accepted online or at the program site.

5. Each year

   Apply again

   Financial need is assessed annually, so submit a new application each year.

What it pays for

Covered

• Glendale Parks and Recreation programs and classes
• Youth 17 and younger

Not covered

• Licensed G.R.A.S.P. AM/PM programs
• The $5 minimum per program
• Late fees
• Credit toward another program if you drop out

Donations from Valley businesses and individuals pay for the fund, and scholarships are given first come, first served while donated funds last.

Who to contact

The Main Office answers questions about the scholarship application and the documents it requires; call and choose option 1.

623-930-2820 Scholarship instructions and application

Maricopa Promise Scholarship

Who qualifies

1. Graduated from home high school

   Your student must have graduated from a public, private, home, or online high school, or earned a state-accredited GED, before enrolling.

2. Enrolls within two years

   Your student must enroll at a Maricopa Community College within two years of high school graduation. Adults 25 or older without a prior degree also qualify.

3. Gets resident tuition

   Your student must qualify for Arizona/Maricopa resident tuition, be admitted to a Maricopa Community College, and enroll in an eligible degree or certificate program with at least 6 credit hours.

4. Is Pell Grant eligible

   Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), be eligible for a Pell Grant, and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.

What it is worth

Maricopa Community Colleges charges resident students $97 per credit hour in 2026-27 plus a $15 registration fee each semester; these are the costs the scholarship helps with.

Minimum semester (6 credits)

$597

Full-time semester (12 credits)

$1,179

Semester at 15 credits

$1,470

Four semesters at 12 credits

$4,716

The 2026 announcement does not state the award amount, so email promise@domail.maricopa.edu to ask how much the scholarship pays each semester before you count on it.

From applying to keeping it

1. Before you apply

   Get an MEID and file the FAFSA

   Apply for admission to a Maricopa Community College to get a Maricopa student ID (MEID), and file the FAFSA so Pell eligibility can be checked.

2. As early as possible

   Submit the application

   Start the Maricopa Promise application with your student's MEID. Awards are first come, first served and funding is limited.

3. After applying

   Watch the student email

   All further messages about the application go to your student's Maricopa student email.

4. Each semester

   Enroll in 6 or more credits

   Stay in an eligible degree or certificate program with at least 6 credit hours and meet SAP to keep the scholarship.

5. Up to four semesters

   Use it back to back

   Support lasts up to four consecutive semesters, not counting summer, at any Maricopa Community College.

What it pays for

Covered

• Scholarship funds for up to four semesters
• Additional support services
• Use at any Maricopa Community College

Not covered

• Summer semesters
• Students without Pell Grant eligibility
• Students past two years from graduation who are under 25

Funding is limited and awards are first come, first served, so apply as soon as possible.

Who to contact

The Maricopa Promise team answers questions about the requirements and helps with the application.

promise@domail.maricopa.edu Maricopa Promise announcement

Phoenix Public Library homeschool educator account

Who qualifies

1. Educates in Maricopa County

   The library offers Teacher Accounts to teachers and educators in Maricopa County, including homeschool educators who supply the required affidavit.

2. Brings a notarized affidavit

   A copy of a notarized Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool substitutes for current faculty identification.

3. Keeps a personal account

   The Teacher Account is additional to your personal Full Access Library Account.

4. Shows identity and address

   Present valid photo identification when obtaining a card. If it lacks your current address, bring accepted address evidence such as a recent utility bill or postmarked mail.

What the account gives you

The library's current Library Cards page lists the Teacher Account's checkout, hold, loan-period, and annual renewal terms.

Books and media

50 items at once

Physical holds

15 at once

Teacher Account loans

4 weeks

Account renewal

In person each school year

How to get the account

1. Before your visit

   Prepare your documents

   Bring photo identification, address evidence if needed, and your notarized homeschool affidavit.

2. At a library location

   Request a Teacher Account

   Staff can issue the educator account alongside your personal account and explain its borrowing privileges.

3. When borrowing

   Use it for teaching materials

   Select books or media for curriculum and educational group use, within the 50-item limit.

4. Each school year

   Renew in person

   Teacher Accounts expire annually on September 6. Renew at a library location and keep your personal account in good standing.

What it includes

Included

• Teaching books
• Media for curriculum
• Physical material holds

Not included

• Interlibrary loans
• Specialty and promotional items
• Act One Culture Passes

Who to contact about the account

Library staff answer questions about Teacher Accounts, documentation, and borrowing privileges.

602-262-4636 Library card instructions

Maricopa Community Colleges Prop 308 homeschool-equivalent tuition classification

Who qualifies

1. Homeschooled in Arizona two years

   Your student attended a public or private high school or a homeschool equivalent under A.R.S. 15-802 while physically present in Arizona for at least two years.

2. Graduated in Arizona

   Your student graduated from a high school or homeschool equivalent while physically present in Arizona, or earned an Arizona high school equivalency (GED) diploma.

3. Has an eligible status

   Citizens and noncitizens, including Dreamers, qualify, but many visa types such as F1, J1, and H4 are not eligible. Talk to Admissions and Records if your student holds a visa.

4. Has graduated already

   Noncitizen students in Dual Enrollment or an early college program do not qualify while still in high school, but they do after graduating.

What in-state tuition saves

Maricopa Community Colleges charges in-state students $97 per credit hour in 2026-27 and out-of-state students living in Arizona $372.

Per credit hour

$275

One 3-credit class

$825

Full-time semester (12 credits)

$3,300

Semester at 15 credits

$4,125

Two years at 12 credits a semester

$13,200

Each semester also carries a $15 registration fee and any course fees, which are the same under either classification.

How to get in-state tuition

1. Before graduation

   Keep homeschool records

   Keep a transcript that shows at least two years of homeschool attendance in Arizona and your student's graduation.

2. At admission

   Apply to a Maricopa college

   New students are classified out-of-state until they show they qualify, so apply and ask for Prop 308 classification right away.

3. Before the semester

   Send proof

   Give the college's Admissions, Records, and Registration office valid identification and the transcript; an unofficial copy can set the rate, but an official copy must follow.

4. After classification

   Pay in-state tuition

   Your student is billed $97 per credit hour and can also receive state and local grants, scholarships, and tuition waivers.

What it includes

Included

• In-state tuition rate
• State-funded grants and scholarships
• Tuition waiver and exemption programs

Not included

• The $15 registration fee
• Course fees
• Students on ineligible visas

Prop 308 is a tuition classification, not a payment: it lowers the rate your student is charged and opens state and local aid.

Who to contact about tuition classification

Each college's Admissions, Records, and Registration office decides tuition classification; Mesa Community College's office is at 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa.

480-461-7600 Prop 308 page

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Arizona

Within 30 days of starting, file an affidavit of intent and a certified birth certificate or other authorized ID with the county superintendent. The ID rule exempts homeless pupils. Within 30 days, notify the superintendent if you stop or file a new affidavit if you resume.

Arizona sets these rules:

• Subjects: Reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science required.
• Testing: Arizona does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
• Records: Arizona does not prescribe routine academic portfolios or attendance reports; required identity documentation is filed with the county superintendent.
• Teachers: Arizona does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.

Arizona also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.

• The Empowerment Scholarship Account pays about 90% of the state funding your child's district or charter school would have received, for curriculum, tutoring, and other approved expenses. Using it is a separate path from homeschooling under state law.
• TheHomeschoolingCompany is an approved vendor for it.

Read the Arizona homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Arizona

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