Homeschool benefits and savings in Cleveland Heights

The Cleveland Heights Youth Recreation Fund pays up to 50% of a city Parks and Recreation program fee for a child, or up to 75% for additional children in the same family, with a maximum of $100 per family. Cleveland Heights residents with restricted income qualify for children 18 and under; applications are due by the first of the month.

By Andrew Garber, founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed August 25, 2026.

Who qualifies

1. Lives in Cleveland Heights

   The fund is for Cleveland Heights residents only. Send a copy of a utility bill, mortgage statement, voter registration card, recreation ID card, or landlord letter.

2. Is 18 or under

   The application covers youth no older than 18 who are still attending school. Ask the Recreation Division how it confirms school attendance for a homeschooled child.

3. Shows restricted income

   Send proof such as a food stamp verification letter, a public assistance card, a dated unemployment voucher, or other verification of restricted income.

What it is worth

Grants cover up to 50% of the cost for one child, up to 75% for additional children, and no more than $100 per family.

$40 program, first child

$20

$100 program, first child

$50

$100 program, second child

$75

$200 program, first child

$100

Any number of programs, one family

$100

Extra activities or children beyond the first request go on a waiting list and are funded only if money remains.

From applying to keeping it

1. Before you apply

   Pick the program

   Choose a Cleveland Heights Parks and Recreation activity, season, or season pass. Cain Park plays and performances are not eligible.

2. By the 1st of the month

   Send the application

   Complete the application with each child's name, age, grade, and activity, and attach residency and income proof. Incomplete applications cannot be processed.

3. Before classes begin

   Get the decision

   The Recreation Advisory Board's scholarship committee reviews requests first come, first served, and the Recreation Division tells you the amount you will pay.

4. Each new request

   Apply again

   A full application packet is required for every request, and commitments are not made beyond the next calendar quarter.

What it pays for

Covered

• Parks and Recreation programs
• Team activity seasons
• Season passes for recreation activities and facilities

Not covered

• Cain Park plays and performances
• Refunds after an activity starts
• More than $100 per family

Private donations and fundraisers pay for the fund, so every request depends on the money available.

Good to know

• Ask what proof of school attendance is accepted

  Eligibility depends on what the city accepts as proof of school attendance. The fund covers Cleveland Heights children 18 and under who are still attending school and does not exclude homeschooling, so ask the registration desk what it accepts for a homeschooled child.

• Apply by the first of the month

  Applications must reach the Recreation Division office by the first of each month. Apply early, because requests are handled first come, first served.

Who to contact

The registration desk at the Community Center, 1 Monticello Boulevard, gives out applications and answers questions about the fund.

216-691-7373 Scholarship fund application (PDF)

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Ohio

You must notify the resident district superintendent within five calendar days after beginning home education, moving into a district, or withdrawing from school, and notify annually by August 30.

Ohio sets these rules:

• Subjects: Provide instruction in English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government, and social studies.
• Testing: Ohio's current home-education law does not require an annual standardized test or academic assessment filing.
• Records: Keep copies of each notice and the superintendent's acknowledgment; the state does not require a routine portfolio submission.
• Teachers: Ohio's current home-education statute does not impose the former diploma-or-supervision requirement.

Read the Ohio homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Ohio

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