Homeschool benefits and savings in Fulton County and Atlanta
A free Fulton County Library System educator card lets you borrow up to 75 items at a time, instead of the 50 most cards allow, for up to 28 days. Homeschooling parents in Fulton County or the City of Atlanta, including the DeKalb County part of Atlanta, qualify.
Who qualifies
Homeschools in the service area
The educator card is for homeschooling parents and teachers in Fulton County or the City of Atlanta, including the part of Atlanta in DeKalb County.
Shows ID with your address
Bring identification showing your current name and address, such as a driver's license, voter registration card, lease, current utility bill, or printed checks.
Keeps the account in good standing
The account is blocked once you owe $10 or more in fines or charges, until items are returned or paid for.
What the card gives you
The limits come from the Fulton County Library System circulation policy and its library card page.
- Items out on an educator card
- 75
- Items out on most other cards
- 50
- Holds at a time
- 10
- Loan period, most books
- 28 days
- Loan period, DVDs
- 7 days
- Card cost for residents
- Free
Popular Browse items go out for 14 days with no renewals, and DVDs are limited per card, so mix formats with those limits in mind.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Gather ID
Bring ID with your current name and address. You can start the application online, but you activate a physical card at a branch.
- At the branch
Ask for an educator card
Visit any of the system's 34 branches, complete the application, and tell staff you are a homeschooling parent so they issue the educator card.
- Each checkout
Return or renew
Return items to any branch, except interlibrary loan items, which go back to the branch where you borrowed them. Renew most items twice online.
- Every two years
Renew the card
Most cards are valid for two years. Renew at a branch with your card and ID after clearing any fines or overdue items.
What it includes
Included
- Books, eBooks, and eAudiobooks
- DVDs and CDs
- Up to 10 holds
- Library computer use
Not included
- Interlibrary loan returns at other branches
- Renewals on Browse items
- Borrowing from the Auburn Avenue Research Library
Who to contact about the card
Your local branch or the Ask Us service answers questions about borrowing, returns, lost cards, and fines.
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
Questions parents ask
- What do overdue items cost on a Fulton County educator card?
- Adult and young adult books are 10 cents a day up to $5 an item, children's books are 5 cents a day up to $3, and DVDs are $1 a day.
- We live outside Fulton County. Can we still borrow with the educator card?
- Yes, for $40 per person per year for full borrowing privileges. The educator card is described only for the Fulton County and City of Atlanta service area.
- Can my children have their own cards too?
- Yes. A parent or legal guardian signs the application for a child under 13 and can use their own ID to get cards for their children.
- What if I lose the card?
- Call your nearest branch right away. Replacement cards cost $1.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Books and library resources give your child something to explore. We turn their interests into coursework, so library discoveries can lead to deeper study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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