Homeschool reimbursement and benefits in California

No state homeschool tax credit, deduction, or ESA for independent homeschoolers. Local programs can still help with specific costs and services.

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

What public funding exists, and what it asks of you

If you homeschool by filing the private school affidavit, your home becomes a private school and you pay for everything: the state education department says you must select and provide all curricular, instructional, and other necessary materials. You file the affidavit each year between October 1 and 15, and you keep an attendance register and a record of the courses you teach.

The public routes supply materials, but your child becomes a public school student. Independent study is a voluntary public program that follows the school's course of study. You sign a written agreement with a certificated teacher who supervises the work. The agreement lists the materials and staff the school will provide, and the content must be substantially equivalent to classroom instruction. Charter schools can also teach at home, called nonclassroom-based instruction. They must be nonsectarian and cannot charge tuition.

California also does not follow the federal rule that lets 529 savings pay K-12 costs tax-free. For California, the earnings part of such a withdrawal is taxable, plus an extra 2.5 percent tax.

Local help in California

The local programs we have checked across the state cover recreation, library resources, transportation, grants and scholarships, curriculum funding, museums and arts, college and dual credit, school services, and other services. Each local program sets its own rules for who qualifies. Search your ZIP code to see the ones that serve your address.

Search your ZIP code

The state's homeschool rules

For the home-based private-school pathway, file the Private School Affidavit during the October 1–15 annual filing period. New schools may use the online filing system during its separate August 1–June 30 opening window. Other legal pathways have their own rules.

• Subjects: The private-school pathway must provide instruction in English in the branches of study required for public schools; the parent chooses the materials and course sequence.
• Testing: California does not impose a statewide standardized-testing requirement on private-school students.
• Records: Private schools must keep the records required by California law, including attendance and faculty information.
• Teachers: Private-school instructors must be capable of teaching; California does not issue a separate homeschool-parent credential.

Read the California homeschooling guide