If you homeschool in Minnesota, there is money on the table that most families never claim. Minnesota does not run an ESA or a voucher program, so there is no marketplace to join and no vendor to get approved. Instead, the state gives the money back to you, through two tax benefits and one aid program you sign up for through your school district.

There is a catch, and it is the reason we are writing this now. Two of the deadlines land in the next few weeks.

The Deadlines That Matter Right Now

September 15: requests for Nonpublic Pupil Aid submitted after this date are not eligible for the 2026-27 school year.

October 1: the last day to sign up through your district superintendent.

Nonpublic Pupil Aid is $138.43 per student for 2026-27. It is not a fortune, but it is money you already qualify for, and the entire process is a conversation with your district office. Call them this week rather than next.

The Two Tax Benefits

Minnesota runs a K-12 Education Subtraction and a K-12 Education Credit. You claim them yourself, on your own return, with your own receipts. No application, no approval, no waiting on a state portal.

The Subtraction has no income limit at all. It caps at $1,625 per child for grades K through 6, and $2,500 per child for grades 7 through 12.

The Credit is income limited, and the threshold moves with family size, starting around $81,820 of adjusted gross income for one or two children and climbing from there. Because it is a credit rather than a deduction, it is worth more per dollar to the families who qualify. Check the current year’s numbers on the Minnesota Department of Revenue site before you count on it.

What Actually Counts

This is where families leave money behind, because the rules are more generous than most people assume.

• Required instructional materials used during the normal school day
• Textbooks, as long as they teach subjects normally taught in public schools
• Educational software with a clear educational purpose
• Computer hardware
• Instructor fees for enrichment outside the school day, as long as the instructor is not a parent, grandparent or sibling

Keep your receipts, and keep them dated. For Nonpublic Pupil Aid, purchases need to fall between July 1, 2026 and April 30, 2027.

What Does Not Count

Minnesota is specific about the exclusions, and one of them surprises people:

• Reference books such as encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauruses
• Books used outside the normal school day
• Books and materials used to teach religion, and fees paid for any program that teaches religious beliefs

That last exclusion matters more than it looks. A great deal of homeschool curriculum on the market is faith based, and in Minnesota those purchases do not qualify. Our curriculum is secular, which means it counts toward your subtraction or credit where a lot of the alternatives will not. If you have been choosing between programs, that is worth a real look at your receipts.

One More Minnesota Quirk Worth Knowing

Minnesota expects prices to be publicly posted and the same statewide. Any company that hides pricing behind a “contact us for a quote” form has a problem here. Our prices are published on every product page, the same for every family in every state, which is exactly what Minnesota asks for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be an approved vendor’s customer? No. There is no vendor list in Minnesota. You buy what you need and claim it yourself.

Can I claim both the subtraction and the credit? They cover overlapping expenses and the rules differ, so run your numbers or ask your tax preparer which one serves your family better.

What if I miss September 15? You lose Nonpublic Pupil Aid for this school year, but the subtraction and credit are claimed on your tax return and are not affected by that date.

Where do I start? Call your district superintendent’s office about Nonpublic Pupil Aid, then start a folder for receipts.

Start With a Plan, Not a Cart

The families who get the most out of this are the ones who know what they are teaching before they start buying. Our Education Guides lay out every subject for every grade, Kindergarten through twelfth, so you can see the whole year and buy once instead of piecing it together in March.

Minnesota families can order from us today. No approval, no waiting.

We are a curriculum company, not tax advisors. Confirm the current figures and rules with the Minnesota Department of Revenue or your tax preparer before you file.

If you are putting a year together, come check out our products in the shop.