The percentage of students homeschooled in the country has about doubled since 2019, and year-to-year growth in homeschooled students continues at three times the rate it did pre-pandemic. But as homeschooling grows in popularity, it also catches more attention from the government. While seasoned homeschoolers often see this government involvement negatively — authorities have a long history of harassing homeschooling families — education departments in some states are focusing on promoting homeschooling as a valid education option for families and students.
In Texas, parents can apply for vouchers of up to $2,000 per child each year, which can be put towards either private schooling or homeschooling. This method of education funding from the government circumvents bureaucracy and waste by putting money straight into the pockets of parents who are qualified and willing to homeschool their children. But is it enough?
One of the ways the government can help promote better educational outcomes is through pro-child tax policy. The Trump administration has caused quite a stir this tax season for introducing what the president calls “Trump accounts,” which are tax-deferred investment accounts for children born between 2025 and 2028 that begin with $1,000 of “seed money” from the Treasury Department itself. These accounts send a clear message to American parents that their children’s financial and physical well-being are the priority in our tax policy. It’s certainly a better use of $1,000 of the government’s money than state-funded drag shows in Ecuador.
Every year, homeschooling parents pay taxes toward schools they don’t use. Granted, many groups besides homeschooling parents pay into schools they don’t personally use. Childless couples or single people also pay school district taxes. A case could be made that the community benefits broadly from having educated children and that school district taxes represent that benefit. Yet for homeschooling parents who are also contributing to an educated populace through a different method, these taxes should at the very least partly benefit their preferred education environment. Voucher programs like the one in Texas are a great start. But another way to incentivize homeschooling as a reasonable alternative to public schooling would be to increase tax credits for homeschooling parents.
Like the Trump accounts, tax credits send parents an important message. Tax incentives tell parents that, rather than being villainized for homeschooling, they are encouraged to pursue this educational option if it is right for their family.
Through tax credits, the government can safely incentivize homeschooling without being worried they are promoting something that will harm America’s children — and homeschooling parents can rest assured that the government is not interfering in their lives, but is rather enabling them to use their own money to educate their children how they deem best. The numbers speak for themselves. Statistics show that home-educated students score 15 to 30 percentage points higher on standardized tests than public schooled students. They also score higher on college admissions tests like the SAT and ACT.
A tax credit for homeschoolers could be tacked onto the already existing child tax credit of $2,200 per child as a way to offset the costs parents incur by homeschooling, rather than taking advantage of public schools. Even adding $500 per child would be a great start for homeschooling families.
Statistically, there’s no reason to support the bias that homeschooling is inferior to traditional public schooling. Realizing this, it’s easy to see why tax credits would be a reasonable and fiscally responsible way to help homeschool families pursue their children’s education.