How much does homeschooling in NY cost? Homeschooling in NY can cost $300 to $1800 on up per student, per year. Every family has different homeschool requirements. Therefore, a definitive cost is not easy for homeschooling parents to ascertain.
According to the article “Homeschooling on a Budget” by the HSLDA, the moderate approach to homeschooling costs is $300 to $500 per year, per child.
According to Time4Learning, the average cost of homeschooling one child for a year ranges from $700-$1,800. This can inch much higher depending on the curriculum, the supplies, and extracurricular activities the child or children participate in.
The main expenses are for homeschooling curricula, homeschool games, books, and field trips. In this article, we will dive deeper into the costs of homeschooling in NY and find ways how to make homeschooling possible on a tight budget.
We split the homeschool cost into 6 categories:
- Homeschool Curriculum (free – $1800)
- Material and Books ($100 – unlimited)
- Homeschool Field Trips (free – $200)
- Extracurricular Activities (under $200-$300)
- Homeschool Set-Up (under $100 – unlimited)
- Additional Expenses (We suggest having $200 in savings for unexpected additional costs)
Journey Into Homeschooling
The journey to estimate the cost of homeschooling in NY can be daunting and a little unsettling. Potential homeschool families must research the homeschooling curriculum (both online and offline), educational supplies and books, and the costs of extracurricular activities, including field trips, classes, athletics, and club expenses and activities. These can become more costly once students are near high school age.
The costs depend on the child’s requirements and needs. Families that have students with special needs or different learning abilities may require more specialized learning programs, whether it be for remedial math instruction or more student-directed learning.
Any additional tutoring, therapy, or one-on-one, specialized instruction should also be considered when deciding on a budget and cost for homeschooling in NY. Guidance can also be found in the local school district.
1. The Homeschool Curriculum
The curriculum cost, either online or offline, can vary based on the program and curriculum. New York homeschool families must do research and find the right fit for their students and family. When considering either a traditional or online curriculum, homeschool families must carefully consider the curriculum’s cost to homeschool. Parents should ensure that the Department of Education accredits the program and curriculum they choose. This is crucial for children who want to continue their education in college in the future.
Additionally, parents should be aware of New York State homeschool laws and requirements. Parents should also work in concert with their local public school district and reputable homeschool organization to ensure that all requirements are met and glean knowledge from other New York homeschool families. There are now many public schools that provide tuition-free online programs. Homeschoolers should consult with their local school district to see what the homeschool law requirements are in their local public school, school district, and New York state.
Online or Offline – How Much Does It Cost?
Online Homeschooling Costs
Lowest Cost: Free
Online homeschooling has been exploding in the past few years. The homeschooling cost for an online curriculum in NY can range from free, to low-cost, to several hundred or thousands per year. Tuition-free accredited public schools can be researched by contacting the local public school district or the U.S. Department of Education. Close attention should also be paid to homeschool law. Homeschool support groups and co-ops can also provide information and support for other parents who homeschool. Recommendations and guidance can also be accessed via the local school district.
Some private school educational programs offer payment plans, with some having financial aid options for students who qualify. The cost to homeschool a child can be based on per semester or year. While many require that the entire cost be paid upfront, some provide parents with the ability to pay in installments spread throughout the year, or by the end of each quarter, semester, or term, or per month. Various curriculum companies and programs on the internet allow parents to pay per course, helping spread the cost out over the home school year.
Some private homeschool programs offer grants or waivers as part of financial aid assistance that some families may qualify to offset costs and expenses. Some programs may also offer reduced tuition and curriculum costs for parents who may be military or retired military members, pastors or clergy members, or those experiencing financial hardship situations. There may also be options for reduced cost per child if more than one student is enrolled per homeschooling household.
Offline Homeschooling Costs
Lowest cost: $100 per child, per school year
Offline (more traditional) homeschool programs can range in price from $100 to thousands of dollars. This depends on what offline curriculum you purchase and whether or not whole sets of books, individual subject homeschool curriculum, or a mix of subjects and other supplemental materials are chosen.
To save money, some families look to purchase previously used curricula. This can save parents between 25-50%. Many online homeschool classifieds where the homeschool curriculum is listed by grade level, subject, learning styles, and other categories. Resources for purchasing used curricula are Craigslist, eBay, and Homeschool Classifieds.
Other options may include co-op exchanges, library resources, dividing up the costs between other homeschooling families, and renting the curriculum to lower the cost upfront.
Other Things to Consider Before Choosing an Online or Offline Curriculum
Choosing between an online or offline curriculum is dependent on many things, including the age and grade level of the child, how much time family members have to devote to instruction, and the homeschooling cost per student per month, especially if there is more than one child in the home who is homeschooling, and of course the budget and cost for each child. Homeschool families need to look at the available options as a team, see the coursework structure, and determine if that curriculum option is suitable for their children.
Homeschooling parents must also plan for outside social interactions for their students. However, some outside extracurricular activities can be costly, which should be considered the overall homeschool curriculum expenses. Music lessons, dance classes, karate, and participation in sports can be costly. They should be taken into serious consideration when checking out how much money it will cost for each child to homeschool.
2. Materials and Books
Lowest Cost: From $100 per homeschool year
Curriculum, resources, and educational support are all crucial for homeschooling families. The cost for teaching resources ranges from $100 to hundreds more over the school year, per student. New York homeschooling parents will find that they need a full range of resources including, but not limited to lesson plans, manipulatives, guides, and homeschooling preparation books. Some families need supplemental materials to enhance the curriculum. The purchase of materials and books depends on the homeschooling style, students’ learning styles, and requirements.
Students can be educated successfully while still keeping expenses down, utilizing creative ways to obtain materials and books. There are numerous free resources available virtually, including worksheets, lesson plans, student materials, tutorials, and guides. Curriculum guides are also available, both on the internet and with previously purchased books and resources.
3. Field Trips-virtual or in Person
There are many field trips, both virtual or in person, that can be both fun and educational adventures for New York homeschooling kids. Many cities and towns offer free or discounted museum entrance admissions. Some museums even offer discounted entry fees specifically for homeschoolers.
Libraries can also be a place to visit and ‘travel’ around the world. Some libraries have an extensive selection of books, videos, and activities–like story hours or craft classes, which homeschooled kids and their families will enjoy. Homeschool co-ops may also be able to access discounted ‘group’ rates due to the higher number of students who attend these activities. Virtual excursions have been increasing in popularity due to more parents homeschooling or virtual learning.
Cost and Time of Homeschool Fieldtrips
Lowest Cost: From free or discounted field trips to $200.
Homeschooling provides the flexibility you want when planning field trips. These experiences give many families the opportunity for students to take their time and experience museums in-depth, taking plenty of time and care to explore. Many parents and homeschooling students have found that visiting locations as a smaller group provides many benefits, including being able to venture into areas that larger school groups cannot access. Outings cost an average of $150-200 per year, per student for homeschooling in NY.
Often, there are classes and events available during the day, when traditional school students are in class. New York homeschoolers have opportunities to visit museums, libraries, art lessons, and many other occasions per month. There may be greater access to free events at community centers, museums, and libraries for students who live in larger areas or cities. Students from grades 1 to high school can find plenty of places to visit that they want to investigate and explore. Many of these excursions can help parents save money because they are either low or free parents options.
4 Great Websites for Virtual Tours
The National Gallery of Art has 50 different children’s video tours. From Monet to Van Gogh, to Frida Kahlo, young art lovers can lose themselves in the artwork of the masters.
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History showcases the virtual experiences of every exhibition in the museum.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has live webcams so students and families can watch sharks, penguins, or sea otters swim, frolic, and play. Or you can watch the sailing and fishing boats, birds, and otters enjoying the Monterey Bay.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame offers virtual content so that homeschoolers can explore the museum from a distance and learn about the game’s history.
4. Extracurricular Activities
Lowest Cost: From $200
There are many groups, clubs, co-op organizations, and team activities for homeschooling students, parents, and families. This allows students the opportunity to socialize with other homeschool students. There are many creative ways for parents to provide their children opportunities to interact with others. Parents can sign their children up for a sports team, music lessons, art classes, or theater workshops.
There are often fees, dues, and other expenses that a homeschooling family must budget for and consider. Finding what is affordable for the family should be a top priority. Homeschool parents can spend an average of $200-300 per student per year on extracurricular activities. There are many free opportunities for activities such as clubs, opportunities for volunteering and community service, and participation in church or other charitable organizations for homeschool children to participate and become involved in.
5. Homeschool Set-Up
Children receiving home instruction should have a designated homeschooling area. Although it may be a comfortable place to hang out before or after schoolwork, the couch is not where parents should want their child to be completing assignments and projects. In an ideal situation, while your homeschooling set-up does not need to imitate a public school situation, one or more ideas can be used in a homeschooling setting.
Homeschool Desks
Lowest Cost: Less than $100
Desks are not often the first thought on a supply list. However, it is one of the most important school supplies. Since scholars spend quite a bit of time working on individual work, an organized, comfortable desk area is important. In an ideal homeschooling area, each of the children would have their desk, quiet area, or bedroom. If possible, students of different ages and grade levels should have their own areas. Most high school students would like to have a quiet place to work on assignments and projects separate from where younger siblings are learning.
A large dining room or kitchen table is perfect for group and team school activities. New desks for children are available for less than $100. By being creative, parents can find local sources for free or low-cost school furniture. Local discount stores, second-hand furniture stores, thrift stores, homeschooling co-op groups, and websites specific to homeschooling are great places to look for great prices on desks for homeschooling. If you already have a desk at home, repurpose it to save money and time.
Storage
Lowest Cost: Under $10
Storage is crucial to creating an engaging and organized learning area. Efficient storage can be created using items in the home or purchasing storage materials from outside sources. Controlling clutter is a key component to the effectiveness of a successful school learning experience. Storage bins with wheels and pull-out drawers that can be labeled by day, subject, or student are great options that can help children keep their papers and art supplies organized. These are popular items in public school classrooms and can also make home school spaces more productive.
You can turn shelves or shelving systems into storage areas or libraries for school books, reading materials, and supplies. To organize school supplies further, you can color-code items by a student, subject, grade, and so many other ways. Use bins, boxes, or baskets to store binders, folders, art supplies, calculators, and pencil boxes. Keeps them in locations that are easily accessible to both parents and students.
Many homeschooling households and classroom teachers have also found that inexpensive items such as plastic shoe hanging organizers are convenient for storing pens and pencils, notepads, flashcards, stickers, rulers, scissors, erasers, and various other items. Keeping things organized and clutter-free is key to creating an efficient and educational school area. Storage items can be inexpensively in dollar or discount stores, craft stores, teacher supply stores, or using items already owned.
6. Additional Expenses
Lowest Cost: We suggest having $200 in savings for unexpected additional costs
While preparing to homeschool your child, expenses should be considered. Whether your student is in elementary or high school, it is easy to overspend the budget when obtaining all of the necessary items. Additional expenses should always be back in mind. These expenses include supplementary materials, manipulatives, tutoring services, special therapies such as speech and reading intervention, and other costs.
Staying within a budget can be difficult, but not impossible. You can keep the homeschooling cost down while still providing the needed books, supplies, outside experiences, and extracurricular activities in NY. Homeschool parents can do all this while ensuring young scholars receive a quality education.
How to Save on Homeschool Supplies
Supplies and materials can be quite expensive unless parents set a budget for the supplies homeschooling students may need to start their education for the school year. There are a variety of ways to save money on expenses.
First, families must set a budget for supplies and stick to it. Many parents have found great deals on school supplies. Those who school at home can get together with other homeschoolers to split the cost. Another way to save money is to share textbooks and supplies with other homeschool families. Through shopping sales, two-for-one deal, buying supplies in bulk, and splitting with another family, families can keep expenses low.
Used materials can also often still be of use. Many supplies may only be gently used and can perfectly fit the bill. Thrift stores, web marketplaces, dollar or discount stores, and teacher supply stores (where there are often sales and coupons) are great places to search for supplies. Co-ops and homeschooling support groups in NY can also be great resources for where and when to find the best deals and the lowest cost.
There are also many virtual marketplaces for free and used curriculum, materials, and supplies. Supplies can range in price from $150-250 per child. Grade-specific supplies that high school students will need for more advanced math classes, such as a graphing calculator, a high-quality printer–for printing out essays and college applications, and computer programs are not only a want but a need for students, especially those in middle and high school.
In Conclusion
Finding out the exact cost of homeschooling in NY can be quite a struggle. It can be expensive if you do not plan and budget thorough. Often when homeschooling, the family is transitioning from a two-income household to a one-income household. This is also an important consideration when budgeting money for schooling at home.
Homeschoolers can choose to spend as little or as much as they please. There are many ways to give young scholars an all-encompassing, enriching education while sticking to a budget. It is crucial to make a solid plan. Consulting homeschooling groups and homeschooling books will help to save your family money and time, as well as reduce the stress that would be felt otherwise at the beginning of your new homeschooling journey.
If families budget money correctly and plan and research thoroughly, homeschooling can be affordable for any family. However, by finding resources and support, schooling children at home can be less intimidating, less expensive, and a positive and uniting whole family experience.
