Homeschool funding & ESAs in Nebraska

Can I get paid to homeschool in Nebraska?

No. Nebraska has no ESA or voucher that independent homeschooling families can use. Nationwide grants are listed below, each with its own eligibility rules. Romeschool tracks and organizes what you spend, so a receipt is ready the moment a program asks for one — it never files or submits anything on your behalf. Nebraska's homeschool rules require no test or evaluation of their own, so there is nothing on that side to arrange.

What does Nebraska require of homeschoolers — and what should I plan for?

Nebraska does not require a test or an evaluation, so there is no assessment to arrange. What Nebraska asks for — notice, instruction time, testing and records — is set out below, straight from the reviewed rules.

Notice

Yes. Nebraska requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: The Nebraska Department of Education. Your authorized parent representative files the Statement of Election and Assurances with the Commissioner of Education, and the election takes effect when the Commissioner receives it (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601(3); 92 NAC 13 §§ 003.01, 004.01A). You do not file it with your school district — on receipt, the Commissioner sends your acknowledgment and reports the election to the district where the child lives (92 NAC 13 § 005). The Department's FAQ says you may tell the district yourself if you wish. How: A Statement of Election and Assurances for each child, signed by a parent, legal guardian, or educational decisionmaker, plus the Authorized Parent Representative form — filed online at exemptschool.education.ne.gov or on paper by mail or drop-off (the filing itself cannot be faxed or emailed). The first time you file for a child, send a certified copy of the birth certificate as well, or other reliable proof of identity and age with an affidavit explaining why you cannot produce it (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-2007(3); 92 NAC 13 § 007) — NDE's instructions say it is not resubmitted each year once it is on file. A legal guardian or educational decisionmaker must also send the full court order appointing them. When: Annual priority deadline: July 15. Rule 13 (92 NAC 13) was rewritten effective June 28, 2026 and now covers the election paperwork itself. The school year runs July 1 to June 30 (§ 002.09), and the authorized parent representative files by July 15 of each year the school will operate (§ 004.01A); the Department's instructions add that submissions are still accepted after that date. A family who was not a Nebraska resident on July 15, or who takes a child out of an approved or accredited school after July 15, files promptly instead (§§ 004.01A1–A2). If you are withdrawing a child from a public school mid-year, the Department advises talking to the school first and waiting until it has your filing.

Testing or evaluation

No. Nebraska does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No state standardized testing required for Rule 13 exempt/homeschool students.

Days and hours

Nebraska's rule: 1,032 instructional hours/year (elementary/K–8); 1,080 hours/year (grades 9–12); prorated for mid-year starts.

Records

Nebraska requires these records: immunization records — only if the Statement of Election gives the non-religious reason, or leaves both reasons unmarked. How long, or where they go: Kept by your exempt school; the Department does not ask for immunization records. Section 79-1601(4)(d) ties the section 79-217 immunization duty to the non-religious election only, and the Statement of Election says so on its face: the box for requirements that 'interfere with my decisions in directing my child's education' carries the immunization acknowledgement, and the sincerely-held-religious-beliefs box does not. Two things follow that are easy to miss. The Department's instructions say that if neither box is marked it treats the filing as the non-religious one, so a blank election carries the duty; and the form itself notes the exceptions in sections 79-221 and 79-222, which cover a physician's statement and a signed religious-belief affidavit. The exempt school keeps the immunization record and the Department does not ask for it. The rewritten Rule 13, effective June 28, 2026, sets no record-keeping or retention requirement of any kind — the Department advises keeping attendance data and a transcript of classes taken with grades received, and that is advice, not a rule.

Full Nebraska homeschool requirements →

Nationwide grants

• ACT Today! Grant · Autism Care Today
  For U.S. families of a child with an autism diagnosis (priority to household income under $100k).
  Open to any family of a child with autism — not homeschool-specific, but useful for therapy costs.
• Dyslexia Services Foundation Grant · Dyslexia Services Foundation
  For low-income U.S. children with dyslexia who cannot otherwise afford treatment (need shown via free/reduced lunch, Medicaid, or SNAP).
  Typically identified through a teacher or provider; not homeschool-specific.
• HSLDA Compassion Curriculum Grant · Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
  For HSLDA members with significant financial need (legal custody of a child 6-19, homeschooling 3+ months).
  You must privately fund your homeschool (not receiving ESA or other public funds).
• HSLDA Disaster Relief Grant · Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
  For homeschooling families (child 6-19) with physical disaster damage in the past 18 months.
• MyGOAL Autism Grant · MyGOAL Inc.
  For the primary caregiver of a child under 18 with autism, with demonstrated financial need.
  Open to any family of a child with autism — not homeschool-specific.
• Our Military Kids Grant · Our Military Kids
  For children (1-18) of deployed National Guard/Reserve members (60+ days) or of post-9/11 combat-injured service members and veterans.
  Funds organized, provider-led activities (not parent-taught core instruction).
• UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Grant · UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation
  For U.S. children aged 16 or under with commercial (non-public) health insurance, subject to income guidelines.
  Medical (not education) funding — useful for special-needs homeschoolers' therapy costs.

Full details, amounts and deadlines for every program →