Homeschool benefits and savings in Burlingame
The City of Burlingame Recreation Scholarship pays up to 50% of the registration fee for after-school enrichment classes, in-house sports, recreation camps, and Village Park Preschool. Burlingame residents qualify by attaching proof of a benefit such as Medi-Cal, WIC, CalWORKs, or San Mateo County ACE, dated within the last year.
Who qualifies
Lives in Burlingame
The scholarship is for Burlingame residents and for students enrolled in a Burlingame school, so a homeschool family qualifies through residency.
Receives a qualifying benefit
Attach a Medi-Cal notice or card or a 1095-B, WIC verification, a San Mateo County CalWORKs or General Assistance letter, or an ACE (Access and Care for Everyone) card.
Has a recent document
The proof must be dated within one year of your application.
Picks a city-run program
Classes held anywhere other than city recreation facilities or Burlingame public school sites are not eligible.
What the scholarship gives you
The terms come from the City of Burlingame's scholarship application page.
- Share of the registration fee
- Up to 50%
- Rest of the fee, if needed
- Payment plan
- Proof of benefit
- Within 1 year
- Where classes must meet
- City or school sites
The page lists no income limit, dollar cap, or application period, so ask the Recreation Division whether funds remain before you register.
How to apply
- Before you apply
Find your benefit document
Locate a qualifying benefit letter, card, or screenshot dated within the last year.
- Before you register
Submit the online form
Complete the scholarship form on the city's Laserfiche portal and attach the document. Call the Recreation Division for a paper form if you have limited computer access.
- After approval
Register for the program
Use the scholarship on an eligible class, sport, camp, or preschool program. Ask for a payment schedule if you need help with the remaining half.
What it pays for
Covered
- After-school enrichment classes
- In-house after-school sports
- In-house recreation camps
- Village Park Preschool
- Certain senior activities
Not covered
- Classes away from city facilities or Burlingame school sites
- More than 50% of a registration fee
Good to know
Burlingame residents can apply
If your family lives in Burlingame, a homeschooled child qualifies. The scholarship serves residents as well as students at Burlingame schools, and the proof is a benefit document, not a school record.
Who to contact
The Recreation Division answers scholarship questions and mails paper forms to families without computer access.
recreation@burlingame.org 650-558-7300 Scholarship application
Homeschool rules and statewide help in California
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.
California sets these 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 See statewide programs in California
Questions parents ask
- We do not get Medi-Cal or WIC. Can we still apply for the Burlingame scholarship?
- Only with another listed document: CalWORKs, General Assistance, ACE, or a Social Security statement for seniors 65 and older. Call 650-558-7300 to ask whether other proof is considered.
- Is there a 2026 deadline?
- No. The city's page gives no application period or deadline, so apply before you register for the program.
- Who handles the application?
- Administrative Assistant Joleen Helley, at 650-558-7323 or jhelley@burlingame.org.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Camps and local activities give your child new interests to explore. Their discoveries can shape the examples and questions they study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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