Homeschool benefits and savings in Missoula
Share the Fun grants pay up to $330 a year toward Missoula Parks and Recreation programs, camps, swim lessons, and pool passes for income-qualified city residents, and up to $165 for Missoula County residents outside city limits. Every family has to reapply for the 2026-27 season, because 2025-26 grants expired June 30, 2026. Other options include college classes and scholarships.
Benefits in Missoula
- Missoula Share the Fun and CityCard assistance
- Missoula Share the Fun and CityCard
- Missoula College Early College and scholarship
Missoula Share the Fun and CityCard assistance
Who qualifies
Lives in Missoula city or county
The City of Missoula funds grants for city residents, and Missoula County funds grants for county residents outside city limits.
Meets the income guidelines
Your household income must fall within the guidelines shown on the online application. Family size counts the head of household and the dependents on your federal tax return, and income is your yearly total from all sources on that return.
Shows proof of address
Upload a photo or screenshot of official mail with a household member's name and address, such as a utility bill, government mail, a lease or rent statement, or a vehicle registration. A driver's license is not accepted.
Applies for the 2026-27 season
Families who had a grant last season must apply again. The city lists no school-enrollment requirement, so a homeschooled child qualifies on residency and income like any other child.
What it is worth
The amounts come from the City of Missoula's Share the Fun policy sheet.
- City resident, per year
- Up to $330
- County resident outside city limits, per year
- Up to $165
- Resident Discount Card bought with grant funds
- $2 per person
- Resident Discount Card savings for city residents
- Up to 20%
- Program that costs more than the grant
- You pay the difference
The policy sheet does not say whether the $330 or $165 limit is per person or per household, so ask when the city contacts you about your grant.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Read the policies
Review the Share the Fun program policies and check your income against the guidelines on the application form.
- Any time in 2026-27
Apply once for the family
Fill out the application online, or ask for a paper packet and turn it in at Currents Aquatics Center, 600 Cregg Lane.
- Within 3-5 business days
Get your grant set up
The city contacts you and attaches the grant to your WebTrac account, which you need to register.
- When you register
Use the grant
Register for programs or buy passes and punch cards; the grant pays first and you pay any balance.
- Each season
Reapply
Grants end with the season, as 2025-26 grants did on June 30, 2026, so apply again for the next one.
What it pays for
Covered
- Recreation programs for youth and adults
- Camps
- Swim lessons
- Swim passes and aquatics passes
- Resident Discount Cards
Not covered
- Afterschool and School's Out Camps, which use a separate sliding fee application
- Costs above the grant amount
Donations from local businesses and individuals, City of Missoula funds for city residents, and Missoula County funds for county residents pay for the grants.
Who to contact
Missoula Parks and Recreation processes Share the Fun applications and answers questions about grants and registration.
parksrec@ci.missoula.mt.us 406-721-7275 Share the Fun application
Missoula Share the Fun and CityCard
Who qualifies
Lives inside Missoula city limits
The card is for City of Missoula residents only. A Missoula mailing address does not guarantee city residency, and county residents outside city limits cannot buy one.
Shows proof of address
Bring a current utility, cable, internet, or cell phone bill, a pay stub, or a voter registration card. A driver's license is not accepted.
Buys a card for each person
Each family member who wants the discount needs their own card, and you can only buy cards for people who live in your household. The city lists no school-enrollment requirement, so a homeschooled child qualifies the same way as any other resident.
What the card gives you
The terms come from the City of Missoula's Resident Discount Card page and its Share the Fun policy sheet.
- Discount on eligible programs
- About 20%
- New card, per household member
- $2
- Yearly renewal, per card
- $1
- Card good through
- Dec. 31
- Share the Fun grant for city residents
- Up to $330 a year
Programs with sliding fee scales, such as Afterschool and School's Out Camps, and programs run by contracted providers do not take the CityCard discount.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Find a bill with your address
Pick a current bill, pay stub, or voter registration card that shows your physical address inside city limits.
- At Currents Aquatics Center
Buy the cards
The customer service desk at 600 Cregg Lane in McCormick Park confirms your city residency and sells a $2 card for each household member.
- Each time you pay
Use the card
Show the card at Currents or Splash Montana, or have staff look it up in your online registration account, to get the resident rate.
- Each January
Renew for $1
Cards run until December 31, so renew each card for $1 to keep the discount in the new year.
What it includes
Included
- Admission at Currents Aquatics Center and Splash Montana
- Swim passes and swim punch cards
- Youth and adult recreation programs
Not included
- Programs with a sliding fee scale
- Programs run by contracted providers
- Residents outside city limits
City property taxes help pay for these programs, which is why the resident rate is limited to people who live inside city limits.
Who to contact about the card
Missoula Parks and Recreation answers questions about the Resident Discount Card, city residency, and Share the Fun grants.
parksrec@ci.missoula.mt.us 406-721-7275 Resident Discount Cards
Missoula College Early College and scholarship
Who qualifies
Lives in Montana
Montana high school and homeschool students get One-Two-Free and the dual enrollment tuition rate. Out-of-state students pay nonresident Missoula College tuition and fees.
Is a junior or 16-19
Your student must be at least a high school junior or between 16 and 19, and on track to finish a diploma within four years. Some sophomores are admitted as exceptions.
Applies as a homeschool student
On the first question of the application, choose "Montana High School/Home School student." A student under 18 adds a parent or guardian as an approver.
Takes 100- or 200-level courses
Early College students can take any 100- or 200-level course on campus or online in fall, spring, or summer, under the same deadlines and policies as other undergraduates.
What it saves
Missoula College lists 2026-27 in-state tuition at $131 per credit, and Early College students pay 50% of that rate, $65.50 per credit.
- One 3-credit class at the regular in-state rate
- $393
- One 3-credit class at the Early College rate
- $196.50
- First two classes, up to 6 credits
- Free
- Each later 3-credit class
- $196.50
- Later classes with the Beyond 1-2-Free Scholarship
- Tuition covered
Mandatory fees are not charged to Early College students, but you still pay any course fees, textbooks, materials, and a parking permit if your student parks on campus.
From applying to keeping it
- By Jan. 6, 2027
Apply for spring
Submit the online dual enrollment application before the Early College deadline. Spring semester begins January 13, 2027, and the autumn 2026 deadline has passed.
- After you apply
Finish the application
An email from BeAGriz@umontana.edu sends login details. Create a password, complete each section, and add a parent approver if your student is under 18.
- Each term
Choose courses
Send a course selection form listing each course number, title, and 5-digit CRN if you know it. The office registers your student if seats are open, and you confirm the schedule in GrizPortal.
- Once a year
Apply for the scholarship
If your household qualifies, file the Beyond 1-2-Free Scholarship application once each year to cover tuition past the first two classes.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition on the first two courses
- Half of in-state tuition on later Early College courses
- Later tuition with the Beyond 1-2-Free Scholarship
Not covered
- Textbooks and materials
- Course and program fees
- Campus parking permits
- Federal financial aid
The two free courses come first; after that, your student pays the Early College rate unless the Beyond 1-2-Free Scholarship covers the tuition.
Who to contact
Program director Jordan Patterson and dual enrollment specialist Ben Nelson answer questions about eligibility, course choices, and scholarships.
DualEnrollment@UMontana.edu 406-243-7901 Dual enrollment program
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Montana
You must notify the county superintendent each school fiscal year. State law does not set a specific calendar deadline.
Montana sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide an organized course covering the public-school basic instructional program and meet grade-level aggregate hours: 720 for grades 1–3 and 1,080 for grades 4–12. Kindergarten is 360 hours half-time or 720 full-time. For graduating seniors, 1,050 hours may suffice; statutory proficiency exceptions may apply.
- Testing: Montana does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Montana requires you to keep attendance records and make them available to the county superintendent on request. Current homeschool law does not require immunization records.
- Teachers: No state teaching-license or degree requirement for a homeschool parent.
Montana also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- Montana's special-needs Education Savings Account reimburses approved tuition, curriculum, tutoring, and therapy costs for students with a qualifying disability. Check the program's current notices: a court stay has affected when it operates.
Read the Montana homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Montana
Questions parents ask
- Can a homeschooled child get a Share the Fun grant?
- Yes. Eligibility depends on where your family lives and your household income, and the city does not ask about school enrollment.
- Do I have to send tax returns or pay stubs for Share the Fun?
- Not when you apply. You sign a statement that you will provide proof of income if City of Missoula financial auditors ask for it.
- Can a homeschool family get a CityCard?
- Yes. The card depends only on living inside Missoula city limits, and the city's page does not ask where your child goes to school.
- Does every child need a CityCard?
- Yes. The discount applies only to the person named on the card, so buy one for each family member who signs up for programs or swims.
- Can a homeschooled student take Early College classes?
- Yes. Missoula College opens Early College to Montana high school and homeschool students, and both are eligible for One-Two-Free and the reduced tuition rate.
- Who qualifies for the Beyond 1-2-Free Scholarship?
- A current high school or homeschool student taking 100- or 200-level courses, when someone in the household takes part in free or reduced lunch, Montana Healthy Kids or Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, TANF, SSI, a Section 8 housing voucher, Head Start, or McKinney-Vento services.
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.
Find benefits for your ZIP code