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The U.S. Treasury Department has proposed rules for a national school scholarship program that may let families use funds for homeschooling expenses in some states. An opinion writer argues that the rules and wider policy debate should account for the varied reasons families homeschool; state participation and definitions will affect access.
The U.S. Treasury Department has released proposed rules for a federal school scholarship program that could allow some families to use funds for homeschooling costs, tutoring and special education therapies. Access may depend on how each state defines a school and whether it joins the program, leaving the rules’ practical reach for homeschool families unsettled.
The development was described in an opinion article published by The 74, whose author writes from her experience homeschooling two daughters for different reasons. One daughter has a learning disability; the other balanced homeschooling with intensive ballet training. The author says her family chose home education to meet their children’s needs, rather than as a rejection of public education.
The article reports that Treasury’s proposal could cover eligible education expenses, including homeschooling costs, in states that recognize homeschools as schools. Families in states using a different definition may not qualify on the same basis. The piece also says some states have not opted into the federal program. The proposal is not a guarantee that every homeschool family will receive scholarship funds.
The article cites an estimate of nearly 3.5 million homeschooled children, or about 6% of U.S. K–12 students, in the 2024–25 academic year. It says that figure is nearly twice the level before the pandemic. The source does not provide the underlying study details or a specific pre-pandemic count in the supplied material.
State Rules May Shape Scholarship Access
The proposed rules could make state policy decisive for families seeking federal scholarship support. As the opinion article explains, two families with similar educational needs could face different access if one state recognizes homeschooling as schooling for program purposes and another does not. The article does not establish which states would qualify or how many families might benefit.
The debate also carries consequences for how policymakers design education programs. The author argues that public discussion often treats homeschoolers as a politically uniform group, despite families choosing home education for varied reasons, including disability-related support, bullying, extracurricular demands or other circumstances. That is the author’s assessment, while the cited enrollment estimate indicates the option has expanded.
For readers, the immediate issue is whether the program’s final rules and state decisions will make eligible support available to families whose children learn at home. The program’s scope will depend on decisions still ahead, rather than on the Treasury proposal alone.
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A Growing and Varied Homeschool Population
The article situates the Treasury proposal amid a broader increase in homeschooling. It reports nearly 3.5 million homeschooled children in 2024–25, amounting to roughly 6% of U.S. K–12 students and nearly twice the pre-pandemic number. It also argues that families’ reasons and circumstances are more varied than common political stereotypes suggest.
The author recounts that one daughter left school after being bullied on a bus. Another, she writes, had sensory and motor delays, later diagnoses of obsessive compulsive disorder and autism, and difficulty receiving support through school services. The family found homeschooling more flexible for arranging support. Her older daughter also trained and performed at a pre-professional ballet school before an injury changed that path.
These are the writer’s personal accounts, not a representative survey of homeschool families. The piece uses them to make the case that education choices can change with a child’s needs, and that some families continue to use services connected to public or private schools.
“The line between ‘homeschoolers’ and everyone else is blurrier than the discourse suggests.”
— Angela Watson, director of the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Research Lab, as quoted in The 74 opinion article
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Eligibility Details Remain Open
The supplied report does not spell out the full proposed rule text, the program’s application process, funding levels or when final rules may take effect. It is also unclear which states will participate and how each will interpret the definition of a school for homeschool expenses.
The article describes a proposal, so eligibility and covered expenses could change as federal officials and states work through implementation. The source does not identify how many homeschool families would qualify or whether the cited estimate of 3.5 million includes families whose states might opt in.
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Federal and State Decisions Ahead
Federal officials and states will determine how the proposed scholarship rules apply in practice. The author says the rules are likely to be contested by people with strong views about homeschooling, but the supplied article gives no specific challenge, timetable or next decision date.
Families will need clearer guidance on state participation, school definitions and which homeschooling expenses qualify before they can know whether the program offers them support. Until those details are settled, the proposal signals possible access rather than a confirmed benefit.
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Key Questions
What did Treasury propose?
Treasury released proposed rules for a federal school scholarship program. According to The 74 opinion article, eligible expenses could include homeschooling costs, tutoring and special education therapies.
Will every homeschool family be eligible?
No such guarantee is reported. Access may depend on whether a state joins the program and whether its definition of a school includes homeschools for the relevant expenses.
How many children are homeschooled in the United States?
The article cites an estimate of nearly 3.5 million children, or about 6% of U.S. K–12 students, during the 2024–25 academic year. It says this is nearly twice the pre-pandemic level.
What remains unknown about the scholarships?
The supplied report does not specify final eligibility rules, funding amounts, application dates or which states will participate. Those details remain subject to federal and state decisions.
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