Homeschool benefits and savings in Savannah

The City of Savannah offers financial assistance for its summer day camps for ages 6-12, which cost city residents $50 a week or $100 per two-week session, with priority for Savannah residents. The 2026 camps ended July 17 and 2027 dates are not posted yet, so ask your local recreation center about assistance before next summer's registration.

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

Who qualifies

1. Savannah residents come first

   Financial assistance is available, with priority for City of Savannah residents. Non-residents go on a waitlist and are contacted the week before camp if space opens.

2. Is the right age

   General Day Camp serves ages 6-12. Cheer Camp serves ages 5-13, and Therapeutic Youth Camp serves ages 9-22 who are still in school.

3. Registered by a parent

   A legal parent or guardian must register each camper, and spots are first come, first served for each week.

What camp costs

These are Savannah's 2026 summer camp fees; the city does not publish how much financial assistance covers.

General Day Camp, one week (resident)

$50

General Day Camp, one session (resident)

$100

All four sessions (resident)

$400

General Day Camp, one week (non-resident)

$70

Cheer Camp, one week (resident)

$50

Therapeutic Youth Camp, full session (resident)

$30

Camp fees are due by noon the Friday before each camp week, so ask the center how assistance is applied before that deadline.

From applying to keeping it

1. Before summer

   Call your local center

   Ask a Savannah recreation center about financial assistance, camp availability, and the coming summer's dates.

2. When registration opens

   Register early

   Register through the city's online catalog or your center. Spots fill fast and go first come, first served each week.

3. Friday before each week

   Pay by noon

   Pay any remaining camp fee by 12 noon on the Friday before the camp week.

4. During camp

   Drop off for the day

   In 2026, General Day Camp ran 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in four sessions from May 26 to July 17, with breakfast and lunch provided.

What it pays for

Covered

• General Summer Day Camp
• Therapeutic Youth Camp
• Breakfast and lunch at day camp

Who to contact

Each Savannah recreation center answers questions about camp availability and registration; Tompkins Center is one of the General Day Camp sites.

912-651-3042 Camp registration

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Georgia

You must submit the Declaration of Intent within 30 days after establishing the home study program, then by September 1 each subsequent year.

Georgia sets these rules:

• Subjects: Teach reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science, for the equivalent of 180 school days each year with at least 4.5 hours per day.
• Testing: Use an appropriate nationally standardized test at least every three years beginning at the end of grade 3, administered in consultation with a person trained in norm-referenced testing. Retain the scores and assessment records.
• Records: The instructor writes an annual progress assessment for each student in each required subject. Keep these reports for at least three years and retain standardized-test scores and assessment records.
• Teachers: The teaching parent needs a high school diploma or GED in Georgia.

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

• The Georgia Promise Scholarship pays up to $6,500 for 2026-27, but your child usually must have attended an eligible Georgia public school for two semesters, or be entering kindergarten, and withdraw before it is funded. It does not pay for a homeschool you already run.

Read the Georgia homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Georgia

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