Homeschool reimbursement and benefits in Hawaii
Your Hawaiʻi resident family can get a free library card for borrowing and access to digital books, databases, and online classes. There is no school-year application window; apply online and bring identification to a branch to activate the card.
Who qualifies
Lives in Hawaiʻi
Residents and eligible military personnel and dependents receive free initial cards.
Provides identification
Adults bring valid photo ID and mailing-address proof if the ID does not show it.
Co-signs a child’s application
A parent or guardian co-signs for a child under 18 and provides current ID and address proof.
From applying to keeping it
- Any time in 2026-27
Apply online
Complete the library-card form; this service has no school-year enrollment window.
- At your branch visit
Show identification
Staff create the card so you can use it immediately.
- After card creation
Borrow and learn
Access eligible physical and digital resources with your card.
- Every five years
Renew free
Resident card renewal is free; replacement of a lost card costs $5.
What it pays for
Covered
- Books and other borrowable materials
- eBooks and audiobooks
- Online databases
- Online classes
Not covered
- Curriculum purchase reimbursements
- Parent cash
- Free nonresident cards
Who to contact
Use the directory to find your branch’s contact number and hours.
Local help in Hawaii
The local programs we have checked across the state cover transportation, recreation, and school services. Each local program sets its own rules for who qualifies. Search your ZIP code to see the ones that serve your address.
The state's homeschool rules
You must submit Form 4140 or a letter of intent to the assigned public-school principal before starting. A new notice is required when moving to another school’s geographic area or changing school level; notify the principal when ending homeschooling.
- Subjects: Parents choose instruction suited to the child’s needs and interests; Hawaii does not require the public-school curriculum.
- Testing: Submit an annual progress report. Provide nationally normed standardized test scores in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10; those scores may serve as that year’s report. Other years may use an accepted teacher evaluation or the parent’s written evaluation with supporting work and test samples.
- Records: Keep the curriculum plan listing program dates, instructional hours, subject areas, mastery methods, and instructional materials, plus annual progress-report evidence.
- Teachers: Hawaii does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Read the Hawaii homeschooling guide
Questions parents ask
- Can homeschool families get Hawaiʻi State Public Library cards?
- Yes. Card eligibility depends on residency and identification, not public-school enrollment.
- Can my child get a separate Hawaiʻi library card?
- Yes. A parent or guardian must co-sign if your child is under 18.
- Can a visitor get a card?
- Yes. Nonresident cards cost $25 for five years or $10 for three months.
The coursework alongside this program
Use it where your child qualifies. We teach the courses and grade the work, starting at your child’s level.
$149/month per child after the trial.