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Homeschooling in Kentucky

A year-round Kentucky homeschool marketplace — curriculum, tutoring, therapy, STEM, arts and enrichment providers, plus a plain-English guide to Kentucky homeschool law, where Kentucky stands on school choice, the Dual Credit Scholarship, KEES and other college aid.

Kentucky homeschooling by topic

• Kentucky Homeschool Laws & Requirements
• How to Start Homeschooling in Kentucky
• Kentucky School Choice, ESAs & Scholarships
• Homeschool Sports & Activities in Kentucky
• Dual Enrollment & College for Kentucky Homeschoolers
• Special Needs & Special Education Homeschooling in Kentucky

Kentucky Homeschool Options at a glance

• Notice to the district: A homeschool is a private school (KRS 159.030). Send a letter of intent to the superintendent of your local board of education within the first two weeks of the school year, or within two weeks of withdrawing from public school, with each child's name and age and your home address (KRS 159.160; KDE packet, May 2026). Send it again every year. The district must accept it, and there is no approval, fee or business registration.
• Records and school term: Keep attendance and scholarship reports (KRS 159.040). KDE lets you keep attendance on paper or digitally, and says scholarship reports should list the courses completed and the grade given. Records are open to inspection by the district's Director of Pupil Personnel and KDE. KDE says there is no minimum school term for a non-certified homeschool but recommends 1,062 hours over at least 170 days. We found no state testing requirement.
• Compulsory school age: KRS 159.010 sets attendance from age 6 to 16 and lets districts raise it to 18; once 55% of districts did, all districts had to. KDE's enrollment page says children must attend between the ages of 6 and 18. KDE's homeschool packet says to send your notice if your child is 6 by August 1.
• School choice status: As of October 2026, Kentucky has no ESA, voucher, state tax-credit scholarship or state education tax credit for K–12 families. The 2021 Education Opportunity Account program (HB 563) was struck down by the Kentucky Supreme Court on December 15, 2022. Voters rejected Amendment 2 on November 5, 2024 (64.8% no). On February 19, 2026 the Court also struck down the 2022 charter school funding law (HB 9). Kentucky has opted into the federal scholarship tax credit: the General Assembly overrode Governor Beshear's veto of HB 1 on March 16–17, 2026.
• Federal scholarship tax credit (from 2027): Kentucky is on the IRS list of states taking part for 2027 (as of October 22, 2026). Starting January 1, 2027, an individual may claim a federal credit of up to
  ,700 ($3,400 if filing jointly) for cash gifts to a listed scholarship granting organization (SGO). The Secretary of State collects SGO declarations and must send Kentucky's list to the U.S. Treasury by January 1, 2027 (KRS 14.125). Sixteen organizations had filed declarations as of October 12, 2026.
• Dual credit and college aid: The Dual Credit Scholarship covers Kentucky homeschool students in grades 11 and 12: one general education dual credit class for 2026–27, at up to $99 per credit hour, with a separate homeschool application (KHEAA). KEES: homeschool graduates earn an award based only on their highest ACT or SAT score, not on high school GPA. CAP grants and the Kentucky Tuition Grant are need-based and use the FAFSA.
• Homeschool status: No state program pays for homeschool costs, and KDE gives homeschool families no financial help. Homeschool students can't play KHSAA high school sports for a public school unless enrolled there full time. What homeschool families can use: the Dual Credit Scholarship, KEES ACT/SAT awards, district special education evaluations (child find), and possibly federal tax credit scholarships from 2027, depending on federal rules and each SGO.

Read the full guide: Kentucky Homeschool Options — Homeschool Law, Where Kentucky Stands on School Choice, Dual Credit, KEES and College Aid

Coming up in Kentucky

• Thu, Nov 12, 2026 · 4-H Bee Club (Breathitt County)
  Jackson · Breathitt County Extension Office, 1155 Main Street
  New 4-H program (4–5 p.m.) introducing youth to bees and beekeeping, from hive care to extracting honey.
• Thu, Nov 12, 2026 · 4-H Homeschool Club (Iroquois Library, Louisville)
  Louisville · Iroquois Library, 601 W Woodlawn Ave
  Jefferson County 4-H homeschool club on leadership, community service and general 4-H; second Thursday of each month, 1:30–2:30 p.m., through April 2027.
• Thu, Nov 12, 2026 · Arts, Crafts & Photo Workshop (Letcher County 4-H)
  Whitesburg · Letcher County Extension Office, 478 Extension Dr
  Letcher County Extension arts, crafts and photography workshop, 3:45–5 p.m.; registration by phone with the Extension office.
• Thu, Nov 12, 2026 · Candlelight at the Old State Capitol
  Frankfort · Old State Capitol, 300 W Broadway St · Free
  The Kentucky Historical Society's Victorian-style holiday evening (5–9 p.m.) during downtown Frankfort's Candlelight festivities: historic crafts, choirs and the tree lighting.
• Thu, Nov 12, 2026 · November Nights: Evening Campus Visit (Nov. 12)
  Louisville · University of Louisville
  An evening campus visit from 4 to 6 p.m. ET with a brief admissions presentation and a campus tour of the park-like campus. Registration is required.
• Fri, Nov 13, 2026 – Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · Maker Days (Kentucky Science Center)
  Louisville · Kentucky Science Center, 727 W Main Street · Free with general admission
  Science Celebration (activities 10 a.m.–2 p.m.) where local professionals show how maker hobbies turn into STEAM careers, with hands-on maker challenges.
• Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · Owl Prowl with Owl Whisperer Lee Payne
  Louisville · Louisville Nature Center ·