Homeschool benefits and savings in San Marcos
The San Marcos Youth Activity Scholarship pays up to half of a child's registration fees, up to $176 per child, for city recreation programs such as team sports, Summer Fun, swim lessons, and camps. Children in low to moderate income families who live in San Marcos qualify, and the city accepts proof of residency in place of enrollment in a San Marcos CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) school.
Who qualifies
Lives in San Marcos
Show proof of San Marcos residency. Attending a San Marcos CISD school is the other way in, so homeschool families qualify through their address.
Has low to moderate income
The city uses HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) limits for the Austin-Round Rock area. The moderate income line is $85,450 for two people, $106,800 for four, and $123,900 for six.
Applies for each child
Fill out a separate application for each child with family size, yearly income for all adults, and the programs you want.
What it is worth
The amounts come from the City of San Marcos Youth Activity Scholarship page and its online application.
- Scholarship per child
- Up to $176
- Share of each program fee
- Up to 50%
- Fees needed to use the full $176
- $352
- Registration and payment deadline
- September 30, 2027
- Past activities
- Not covered
Scholarships are limited and given first come, first served, so approval does not guarantee money or a spot in a program.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Check the income limit
Compare your family's total yearly income before taxes with the city's HUD income table for your family size.
- Before you register
Apply online
Submit the Youth Activity Scholarship application form for each child.
- Within 5-7 business days
Hear from the city
A Parks and Recreation representative contacts you after reviewing the application.
- By September 30, 2027
Register and pay
Once approved, the scholarship is applied automatically to your online activity registrations, and you pay the other half of the fees.
What it pays for
Covered
- Team sports, such as Jr. NBA
- Summer Fun
- Swim lessons
- Activity Center youth memberships
- City camps and youth programs
Not covered
- Activities already completed
- The family's half of each fee
- Costs above $176 per child
Who to contact
San Marcos Parks and Recreation reviews scholarship applications and answers questions about eligible programs.
512-393-8400 Youth Activity Scholarship
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Texas
You do not have to file a homeschool notice to the state.
Texas sets these rules:
- Subjects: Instruction in Texas must include reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship.
- Testing: No routine annual homeschool standardized test is required. UIL participation and public-school transfer can have separate testing requirements.
- Records: Texas does not require homeschool records, but keeping them is recommended.
- Teachers: Texas does not require homeschool parents to hold a teaching certificate.
Texas also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) awards $2,000 a year to selected home-education students for approved expenses. Applications for 2026-27 closed March 31, 2026; families who missed that cycle can join the 2027-28 interest list.
Read the Texas homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Texas
Questions parents ask
- Can a homeschooled child get the Youth Activity Scholarship?
- Yes, through San Marcos residency instead of San Marcos CISD enrollment. Where the form asks for your child's school, write that your child is homeschooled.
- How much will our family still pay with the Youth Activity Scholarship?
- You pay at least half of every program fee, plus anything above your child's $176 scholarship.
- Can we use it for a program we already paid for?
- No. Scholarship funds cannot be applied to past activities.
- Does approval guarantee a spot?
- No. Eligibility does not guarantee assistance, and assistance does not guarantee registration in a program.
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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