The cost of homeschooling your kids

Home-schooling isn’t for everyone, but it provides Langley, B.C.’s Lee Fisher and her family with the best of all worlds. Her four kids, who are aged 13 and under, learn at their own pace, go on plenty of outings, and have time with their dad, whose hours fluctuate.

“I’m not anti–school system,” says Fisher, who co-runs Homeschool Canada. “But homeschooling works for a lot of kids and it works for our family. One of my daughters is way better in the evenings, so in the daytime that’s when she does things like babysitting ... It’s a great lifestyle.”

Just how many families homeschool in Canada isn’t known, since not all kids who are homeschooled are registered with local school officials. However, it’s estimated that about 60,000 children go this route, according to the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents.

It’s impossible, too, to say exactly how much homeschooling costs. Fisher compares the associated expenses to post-secondary education.

“It’s almost like your child is in university for their whole school lives,” she says. “You’re paying for all their classes and all their books. The math program I use, for instance, we use Math-U-See, and I buy all the books that go along with that.

“Textbooks are not cheap,” she adds. “But homeschoolers know that. They go in knowing that, and that’s what they expect.”

Provincial funding varies, with some provinces helping homeschoolers out but most not.

Homeschoolers in B.C., the Northwest Territories, and Alberta receive some funding, according to the Canadian Homeschooler. However, the amount varies on whether you register with the government.

B.C., for example, has two streams for homeschoolers: those who are registered receive approximately $150 to $250 per student per year, and they’re completely independent in their child’s course of education. Those who are enrolled, meanwhile, are considered distance or online learners. Parents get about $600 per child per year (recently down from $1,000, Fisher notes) and are assigned a support teacher they must check in with regularly. Enrolled kids are also required to fulfill the B.C. Provincial Learning Outcomes.

How to keep costs low

Homeschooling can be a pricey prospect regardless of where you live, but it doesn’t have to be.

To keep costs in check, avoid pouring a ton of money into a curriculum or learning system until you know it’s the right fit for your kid.

“I think what often happens with homeschoolers, especially new homeschoolers, is that they’re so excited they run out and buy everything they see,” Fisher says. “Get to know your child and get to know their learning styles before you commit to any one program. I spent hundreds of dollars on one program thinking my kids were going to love it and they hated it.”

Buying a prepackaged curriculum for each grade can add up, which is why experienced homeschoolers urge those just starting out to source free or low-cost alternatives, such as the Internet, library, museums and community centres.

Then there are secondhand or discounted materials, which can be found via online classifieds, used book stores, garage sales, homeschooling conferences and fairs, and sites like Homeschool Canada.

“Expect to pay a few hundred dollars a year if you use mostly free or low-cost resources, and several thousand if you are buying prepackaged curriculum for a family of several children at different grade levels,” the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents’ website states.

Materials for crafts, art work, and experimenting are abundant at places like thrift stores, dollar stores, and garage sales.

Then there are Facebook groups geared specifically for homeschoolers seeking to trade books and other items.

“Networking is huge,” Fisher says. “People swap stuff all the time.”