Homeschool benefits and savings in Burlington County
Burlington County Library System (BCLS) gives each homeschool family one educator card, valid for a year, if you live in one of its 37 participating municipalities and show proof that you homeschool. Homeschool families can also borrow the library's grade-level classroom kits for six weeks. Other options include college classes and scholarships.
Benefits in Burlington County
- Burlington County Library System homeschool educator card
- Burlington County Library System museum passes
- Public-college homeschool course discount
Burlington County Library System homeschool educator card
Who qualifies
Lives in a member community
You must show proof of residence in one of the 37 participating municipalities.
Shows homeschool proof
Bring verification that you homeschool, such as confirmation of withdrawal from the school district. If your child never enrolled in school, a military ID or other documentation the BCLS school liaison accepts can work.
Brings photo ID
Show at least one photo ID, such as a New Jersey driver's license or non-driver ID, and one address document, such as a utility bill or bank statement.
Takes responsibility for items
The card is issued to the adult who is responsible for everything charged to the account.
What the card gives you
BCLS's Lending and Access Policy and its educator resources page list these limits.
- Books, music, magazines, and DVDs
- 50 for 28 days
- Renewals on those items
- 2
- Digital titles on OverDrive and Libby
- 10 at a time
- Classroom kits
- 1 for 6 weeks
- Mobile hotspots or laptops
- 3 for 21 days
- Museum passes
- 1 for 3 days
Classroom kits carry a $1.00 per day late fee and cannot be renewed, though BCLS may extend the loan when no one is waiting for the kit.
How to get the card
- Before you apply
Gather your documents
Collect a photo ID, proof of address in a participating municipality, and your homeschool verification.
- At any branch
Ask for the educator card
Apply at any BCLS location. Online applicants have 60 days to provide ID and proof of residency.
- During the year
Request classroom kits
Request a themed, grade-level kit online. BCLS notifies you within three to four days when it is ready at a pickup location.
- Each year
Renew with proof
The card is valid for one year once proof is provided. Renew by showing that you still homeschool; educators can renew online and email proof.
What it includes
Included
- Full borrowing of books, media, and devices
- Digital titles and online resources
- Classroom kits for homeschool families
- Museum pass reservations
Not included
- Free cards for residents of Moorestown, Mount Laurel, and Willingboro
- More than one educator card per family
- Renewing a classroom kit
A BCLS membership covers checkout and download of library materials, online resources through the library website, and public computer use.
Who to contact about the card
BCLS staff at 5 Pioneer Boulevard in Westampton and at every branch answer questions about cards, homeschool proof, and classroom kits.
609-267-9660 Get Help contact form
Burlington County Library System museum passes
Who qualifies
Holds a BCLS library card
Passes are reserved and picked up with your BCLS library card. The program has no school enrollment rule.
Reserves one pass a day
Each card can reserve one museum pass per day, and each museum once per month.
Books timed tickets when needed
Some museums also require a timed ticket for the same date, which you reserve on the museum's own website.
What the passes give you
BCLS's museum pass page sets these reservation and return rules.
- Passes reserved per day, per card
- 1
- Reservations per museum
- Once a month
- Different passes per month
- Up to 5
- Booking window
- Up to 45 days
- Late fee for physical passes
- $25/day, $75 max
- Lost pass
- Cost of pass
BCLS does not list how many people each pass admits, since each pass is a set of tickets that varies by museum, so check the museum's listing before you reserve for a large family.
How to borrow a pass
- Up to 45 days ahead
Reserve a pass
Search online by museum, date, or pickup branch, or call your local library.
- From 3 p.m. the day before
Pick it up
Bring your BCLS card to your chosen branch. Printable passes can be printed anywhere and are good only on the day of use.
- Day of use
Visit the museum
Book any required timed ticket on the museum's website for the same date.
- By 11 a.m. the next day
Return a physical pass
Return it to the branch where you borrowed it by 11 a.m., or 1 p.m. on Sunday. New York City passes are due two days after the day of use.
What it includes
Included
- New Jersey: Battleship New Jersey, Insectropolis, Morven Museum and Garden, Naval Air Station Wildwood
- New York: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Children's Museum of Manhattan, Guggenheim, The Frick Collection
- Pennsylvania: Eastern State Penitentiary, Penn Museum, Independence Seaport Museum, Mercer Museum, and more
Not included
- Timed tickets some museums require
- Reservations after two no-shows in 60 days, for two months
Who to contact about museum passes
Your local BCLS branch or the main line can reserve passes and answer questions about pickup and returns.
609-267-9660 Borrow a Museum Pass
Public-college homeschool course discount
Who qualifies
Is a high school student
The discount is for high school students, and RCBC's homeschool page lists it as an opportunity for homeschool students.
Completes the high school application
An Admissions staff member walks you through the enrollment process and a special high school student application.
Meets course prerequisites
Admissions helps with prerequisites, and some courses require a placement exam.
Picks a discounted online course
Only the listed online courses carry the 25% discount, and they are not guaranteed to run every term.
What it saves
RCBC's tuition page lists $235.50 a credit for Burlington County residents and $254.50 for other New Jersey residents, plus a $22.50-per-credit ACCESS fee for course materials.
- Regular tuition, Burlington County
- $706.50
- 25% discount, Burlington County
- About $177
- Discounted tuition, Burlington County
- About $530
- Discounted tuition, other NJ counties
- About $573
- ACCESS fee for course materials
- $67.50
RCBC describes the discount as a tuition discount, so ask Admissions whether it also reduces the ACCESS fee or any course fee.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Contact Admissions
Call or email the Office of Outreach and Admissions to start the high school student application.
- Before registration
Clear prerequisites
Admissions staff review prerequisites with you and tell you if a placement exam is needed.
- Each term
Register for a listed course
Choose from BUA 230, CIN 109, CRJ 102, CRJ 103, CRJ 106, EDU 112, POL 101, POL 102, POL 103, PSY 101, or THR 101, if it is running that term.
- Beyond the list
Take other courses at full price
Your student can also take other courses online or at the Mount Laurel or Mount Holly campuses, without the discount, if they meet the prerequisites.
What the discount includes
Included
- 25% of tuition on 11 online courses
- Introductory psychology, government, criminal justice, cinema, theater, and education courses
- Admissions help with the high school application
Not included
- Courses not on the discount list
- In-person courses
- Terms when a listed course does not run
Who to contact
The Office of Outreach and Admissions explains the high school student application, prerequisites, and which discounted courses are running.
admissions@rcbc.edu 856-222-9311 ext. 1199 Homeschool students
Homeschool rules and statewide help in New Jersey
No routine annual notice. NJDOE identifies notice obligations after an unappealed denial of district enrollment and a transfer form when withdrawing an enrolled high-school student. A district may request documentation when credible evidence suggests noncompliance.
New Jersey sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide instruction academically equivalent to the local public school for a child of similar grade and attainment. District curriculum approval is not required.
- Testing: New Jersey does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: No prescribed homeschool portfolio or routine reporting. Evidence of equivalent instruction is useful if a district requests documentation based on credible evidence of a compulsory-education violation.
- Teachers: No state teacher certification required for a parent or other person teaching at home.
Read the New Jersey homeschooling guide See statewide programs in New Jersey
Questions parents ask
- My child has never been enrolled in school. What proof do I show for the BCLS educator card?
- Families whose children never enrolled, as with many military families, can show a military ID or other documentation the BCLS school liaison approves.
- We live in Moorestown. Can we get the BCLS educator card?
- Not the free homeschool card. Moorestown, Mount Laurel, and Willingboro do not participate, and their residents can join BCLS by paying an annual, non-refundable fee that covers everyone at the same address.
- Can homeschool families use the BCLS museum passes?
- Yes. Any BCLS cardholder can reserve passes, and BCLS sets no school enrollment rule, so you can use them for homeschool field trips.
- How do I cancel a BCLS pass reservation?
- Cancel at least two days before the day of use. Cancelling the day before or the same day counts as a no-show, and two no-shows in 60 days can block reservations for two months.
- Can a homeschooled student get RCBC's 25% discount?
- Yes. RCBC's homeschool student page offers the discount on select online courses, and the discount is for high school students, which includes homeschooled high schoolers.
- Which RCBC courses are discounted?
- Small Business Management, American Cinema, three criminal justice courses, Historical Foundations of American Education, three government courses, Introduction to Psychology, and Introduction to Theatre.
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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