Homeschool Funding in Ohio

Ohio Home School Expenses Tax Credit

Ohio offers a state income tax credit for homeschooling expenses. As of the 2025 tax year (filed in 2026), you can claim up to $250 per qualifying homeschooled dependent. This is an improvement over the previous limit of $250 per tax return. The credit covers the lesser of $250 per dependent or the actual amount you spent on items used directly in home instruction, such as textbooks, workbooks, curricula, and educational software.

To qualify, your dependent must be homeschooled in Ohio during the tax year, and you must have sent the required notification to your superintendent.

Ohio ACE Education Savings Account

Ohio's ACE (Afterschool Child Enrichment) program previously provided education savings accounts. However, all ACE funds have been dispersed and applications are now closed. Families who received funding could use those funds through September 1, 2025. ACE funds were not considered taxable income.

Federal Options

• Coverdell Education Savings Accounts: Save up to $2,000 per year per child with tax-free growth and withdrawals for educational expenses including curriculum and supplies.
• 529 Plans: As of 2026, federal law allows up to $20,000 in annual withdrawals from 529 accounts for qualified K-12 education expenses, including a broader range of homeschooling expenses.
• Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program: The Educational Choice for Children Act (part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 2025) allows taxpayers a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 per year for donations to certified scholarship-granting organizations. These organizations award scholarships to K-12 families that can cover curriculum, textbooks, online courses, tutoring, and technology. Ohio families can benefit if the state opts in to the program.