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Understanding the home school foundation

Learn how the Home School Foundation supports families in need through financial aid for homeschooling.
Lisa Thorsen
Written byLisa Thorsen
2 min read
Key takeaways
  • HSLDA Compassion, formerly the Home School Foundation, offers financial assistance to homeschooling families facing hardship, providing curriculum grants, special needs support, and disaster relief
  • Since its inception in 1994, it has awarded nearly $1 million annually, helping over 15,000 families
  • To apply, watch for open application periods and provide honest financial details.

The Home School Foundation, now known as HSLDA Compassion, helps families in financial trouble with homeschooling costs. Founded in 1994, it offers grants for curriculum, special needs, disaster relief, and more.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), approximately 3.3 million students were homeschooled in the United States as of 2023, representing roughly 6% of the school-age population. As of 2024, 12 states have enacted universal or near-universal Education Savings Account (ESA) programs, with Arizona's program alone serving over 75,000 students — making state-funded homeschooling more accessible than ever (EdChoice, 2024).

What is the home school foundation?

The Home School Foundation, now called HSLDA Compassion, is part of the Home School Legal Defense Association. It started in 1994 and is a 501(c)(3) charity. This organization gives financial help to homeschooling families in tough situations. Since it began, it has given out over 15,000 grants, totaling nearly $1 million each year. While HSLDA focuses on legal support, HSLDA Compassion provides aid like curriculum grants, special needs assistance, disaster help, and scholarships for families who can’t pay HSLDA dues.

The bottom line

HSLDA Compassion offers real financial support to homeschool families in need. If you’re paying for homeschooling on your own and struggling financially, curriculum grants can help with important educational costs. Just apply during open periods, be honest about your situation, and allow time for processing. The foundation has already helped over 15,000 families—so you might be eligible for help too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lisa Thorsen
Written by
Lisa Thorsen

Co-founder, BetterSchool

Lisa is the co-founder of BetterSchool and a homeschool mom of three. BetterSchool administers the largest independent homeschool community in the country — over 350,000 families across all 50 states.

When COVID hit, Lisa and her husband pulled their children out of school and hit the road. Homeschooling wasn't the plan — it was a necessity. But somewhere along the way, the family fell in love with it: the time together, the ability to tailor lessons to each child's interests, learning at their own pace, the freedom to travel, eating healthy on their own schedule, and the countless other benefits that come with homeschooling.

As they traveled, Lisa kept discovering incredible hands-on learning experiences that most homeschool families had no way of finding. She built BetterSchool to make it easy for every family to find and book the experiences that make learning come alive.

Through her community, Lisa has helped hundreds of thousands of parents navigate homeschooling, while also helping local businesses find and serve the homeschool community. She is the former managing partner of a law firm focused on business law and mergers and acquisitions — BetterSchool is her second technology startup. She holds a J.D. from California Western School of Law and a B.A. from Penn State.

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Understanding homeschool legal advantageWhat is HSLDA and how it supports homeschooling families
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