My Learning Source North Carolina › Homeschooling in North Carolina

Homeschooling in North Carolina

A year-round North Carolina homeschool marketplace — curriculum, tutoring, therapy, STEM, arts and enrichment providers, plus a plain-English guide to the Opportunity Scholarship and the ESA+ account homeschoolers can actually use.

North Carolina homeschooling by topic

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

Opportunity Scholarship at a glance

• Overseen by: The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), under G.S. 115C-562.1 through 562.8 and its Opportunity Scholarship Program Rules
• Administered by: NCSEAA's K12 scholarship team, through the MyPortal online system. Scholarship money is sent to the private school twice a year, after a parent endorses it. Families never receive the money and can't keep anything left after tuition and fees.
• Amount per student, 2026–27: Set by household income in 2025. For a family of four: Tier 1 up to $7,942 (income up to $61,050), Tier 2 up to $7,148 (up to
  22,100), Tier 3 up to $4,766 (up to
  74,725), Tier 4 up to $3,574 (higher income or income not reported). The award can never be more than the school's required tuition and fees.
• Who is eligible: North Carolina residents who are eligible to attend a North Carolina public school, entering grades K–12, without a high school diploma and not enrolled full-time in college. There is no income limit and no prior public school requirement. The student must be enrolled and attending a registered private school (a "Direct Payment School") by October 1 to use fall funds.
• Application window / next dates: The 2026–27 priority window ran February 2 to March 2, 2026 (5:00 p.m.). The last 2026–27 award offers went out August 21, 2026. NCSEAA says the 2027–28 application opens on the first Monday in February (February 1, 2027). Its ESA+ page says the application runs through the first Monday in March (March 1, 2027); the closing time hasn't been posted. Families can create a MyPortal account starting in December.
• Homeschool status: Home schools can't receive Opportunity Scholarship money (NCSEAA Program Rules). A homeschooled student may be co-enrolled part-time in a registered private school, with the scholarship paying that school. ESA+ is different: its funds can pay for home school expenses for students with disabilities.

Read the full guide: North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship — A Guide for Homeschool Families

Coming up in North Carolina

• Thu, Nov 12, 2026 – Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · NCSTA Professional Development Institute 2026
  Winston-Salem · Benton Convention Center · See registration fees
  The NC Science Teachers Association's annual two-day institute, themed "Making Connections in the Science Classroom," with keynote Page Keeley, Share-a-Thon sessions and an exhibit hall.
• Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · CLT (Classic Learning Test) Remote Test Date (November 2026)
  Online · Remotely proctored (at home) · CLT registration fee (see cltexam.com)
  Remotely proctored CLT administration; registration deadline Nov. 5, 2026.
• Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · Hug-A-Tree Youth Search and Rescue Class
  Raleigh · William B. Umstead State Park, Crabtree Creek Visitor Center, 8801 Glenwood Ave · Free; registration required
  Ranger-led class for children about ages 7-11 and a parent on what to do if lost in the woods, followed by a guided practice hike (10 a.m.–noon).
• Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · Living History Museum Days at Hickory Ridge
  Boone · Hickory Ridge History Museum, 591 Horn in the West Dr · Free
  Interpreters demonstrate 18th-century mountain life (open-hearth cooking, blacksmithing, weaving, spinning, woodworking) in the museum's cabins, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Tue, Nov 17, 2026 · NC Science Olympiad Virtual Office Hours (Division A)
  Online · Online · Free
  Virtual office hours for elementary (Division A) Science Olympiad coaches, including homeschool team coaches.
• Wed, Nov 18, 2026 · Carolina Raptor Center Homeschool Day (sold out)
  Huntersville · Carolina Raptor Center, Latta Nature Preserve ·
  2 general admission (on-site only);

  4 with 10:30 a.m. private program (advance online); members $4
  Homeschool Day on the Raptor Trail with discounted admission and an optional 10:30 a.m. private birds-of-prey program (listed as sold out).
• Thu, Nov 19, 2026 · CSS Neuse Museum Homeschool Day: Blockades and Economy
  Kinston · CSS Neuse Museum, 100 N Queen St ·