Homeschool benefits and savings in Mendota Heights
The City of Mendota Heights pays up to $200 per person each year toward Parks and Recreation events, trips, classes, and camps for residents of any age. Your household's share of each fee runs from 0% to 30% depending on income, measured against federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) income limits.
Who qualifies
Lives in Mendota Heights
The scholarship is open to Mendota Heights residents of all ages.
Income within HUD limits
Your household's gross income, counting every adult 18 and older living there, must fall within HUD limits of up to 80% of Area Median Income.
Shows one form of proof
Use Community Development Agency (CDA) housing, a DD214, a military ID, foster care paperwork, SNAP or Medical Assistance, income-based Social Security paperwork, or your most recent W-2.
Signs as parent or guardian
A parent or guardian signs the application for a participant under 18.
What it is worth
The city's scholarship application sets your share by HUD income limits, and the city pays the rest up to $200 per person per year.
- Extremely low income (30% of Area Median Income)
- 0%
- Very low income (50% of Area Median Income)
- 10%
- 60% of Area Median Income
- 20%
- Low income (80% of Area Median Income)
- 30%
- Most the city pays per person each year
- $200
The application does not list the dollar income limits, so ask the Parks and Recreation Director which tier your household size and income fall into.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you register
Gather documentation
Have one qualifying document ready, such as a SNAP or Medical Assistance notice or your most recent W-2.
- To apply
Submit the online form
Complete the Parks and Recreation Scholarship form with your household size, gross income, and each participant's name and birth date.
- If approved
Register for programs
Use the support for registration-based events, trips, classes, or camps, paying your income-based share.
- Each year
Track the $200
City support is capped at $200 per person per year.
What it pays for
Covered
- Parks and Recreation events
- Trips
- Classes
- Camps
Not covered
- Par 3 golf course greens fees
- Senior Golf Pass
Who to contact about the scholarship
The Parks and Recreation Director reviews scholarship questions and can tell you what documentation the city accepts.
mlawrence@mendotaheightsmn.gov 651-452-1850 Scholarship application
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Minnesota
You must file the initial report by October 1 of the first instructional year after the child turns seven, or after establishing a new resident district. You must file within 15 days of withdrawing a child seven or older from public school, or of moving out of a district. You must file annual continuation letters by October 1 for the required ages.
Minnesota sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach reading, writing, literature, fine arts, math, science, history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, health, and PE. Instruction and materials are in English unless the statutory language-program exception applies.
- Testing: Annual nationally normed achievement test for ages 7–16, plus certain 16–17-year-olds first reported after age 16. Agree on the test, administration, and location with the superintendent. State-recognized accredited instruction is exempt.
- Records: Unless the accreditation exemption applies, keep schedules, materials, assessment methods, and proof of testing. Keep immunization or exemption records for five years after adulthood. File immunization statements by October 1 of the first homeschool year and grade 7.
- Teachers: A parent may teach without a degree if the assessment requirements are met. Other instructors need a qualifying license, licensed supervision, bachelor’s degree, or recognized accredited-school route.
Read the Minnesota homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Minnesota
Questions parents ask
- Can a homeschooled child get the Mendota Heights scholarship?
- Yes. Eligibility depends on Mendota Heights residency and household income, not school enrollment, and a parent or guardian signs for a child under 18.
- Will Mendota Heights pay the whole fee?
- Only for households at or below 30% of Area Median Income, who pay 0%. Other qualifying households pay 10%, 20%, or 30%, and city support stops at $200 per person per year.
- What if my documents are not on the list?
- Contact the city's Parks and Recreation staff at 651-452-1850 to ask about using a different form of documentation.
- Can adults in our family use it?
- Yes. The program is open to residents of all ages, with the same $200 per person yearly limit.
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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