Homeschool reimbursement and benefits in New York
No homeschool tax credit, deduction, ESA, or voucher. Local programs can still help with specific costs and services.
What public funding exists, and what it asks of you
School districts cannot claim state aid for home-instructed students, and a district does not have to lend them the textbooks it must lend to students at religious and independent schools.
A district may still choose to help. The State Education Department (NYSED) says a district may offer textbook, library, and software loans to the extent available, and may let you borrow items such as library books and microscopes. Your child may join school-sponsored clubs, and summer school is open to all district residents.
Some doors stay closed. Your child cannot attend public school part time, and interscholastic sports require public school enrollment. NYSED says districts generally may not extend services to home-instructed students under Section 3602-c of the Education Law, except special education services. You may ask the public school to evaluate your child for special education.
If you save in New York's 529 plan, the state tax department treats K-12 tuition withdrawals as nonqualified for state tax purposes. It has not yet decided how to treat the other K-12 expenses that federal law added.
Local help in New York
The local programs we have checked across the state cover transportation, college and dual credit, recreation, school services, library resources, testing and assessments, and museums and arts. 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
Send a letter of intent by July 1 each year, or within 14 days of a midyear start. You must submit the IHIP within four weeks after receiving district forms or by August 15, whichever is later.
- Subjects: Teach the subjects required for each grade band by Part 100.10, including patriotism and citizenship. Provide the equivalent of 180 days: 900 hours annually in grades 1–6 and 990 hours in grades 7–12.
- Testing: Annual assessment: grades 1–3, test or written narrative; grades 4–8, standardized test at least every other year, with a written narrative permitted in alternate years; grades 9–12, standardized test annually. A score above the 33rd percentile or one year of growth meets the progress standard.
- Records: Keep attendance records and make them available to the district on request. Submit an annual IHIP, quarterly reports, and the annual assessment.
- Teachers: New York requires the instructor to be competent; it does not require a teaching certificate.
Read the New York homeschooling guide
Questions parents ask
- What should I confirm before buying or applying?
- Who qualifies, what the program pays for, who receives the payment, and whether you need approval before you buy. Confirm each with the provider. Keep receipts and any award or payment confirmation; a listing does not guarantee an award.
The coursework alongside those local services
Local services can help with books, travel, and activities. We teach the courses and grade the work, so you can use those services alongside your child’s learning.
$149/month per child after the trial.