Table of Contents
The Future of Homeschooling:
Funding, Technology, and the Vendors Who Will Lead
A Strategic Roadmap
From Illegal to Funded: How Fast the Ground Has Shifted
It’s wild to step back and look at just how fast homeschooling has moved. Only forty years ago, in some states, homeschooling was flat-out illegal. Parents risked fines, jail time, or losing custody of their kids simply because they wanted to teach at home. They fought legal battles, showed up in courtrooms, and slowly pushed the laws to change.
By the 1990s, homeschooling had gained a fragile kind of acceptance. Families no longer feared prosecution, but they were still seen as outliers—eccentric, even reckless. Vendors serving this market weren’t chasing profit; they were pioneers, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with families who were carving their own path.
By the 2000s, homeschooling started finding cultural traction. Online groups, co-ops, and curriculum companies grew. What once required secrecy was now something you could talk about at the grocery store without someone calling child services.
And now, here we are. The 2020s. Homeschooling isn’t just legal. It’s about to be funded at both the state and federal level. That’s a shift so massive it’s hard to overstate. In the span of two generations, we’ve gone from hiding in the shadows to standing at the front of the line for billions of dollars in education choice funding.
That kind of trajectory is exactly what you, as a strategist, pay attention to. Because if the past forty years can take homeschooling from illegal to mainstream, what do you think the next five will do once money and technology collide?
The Funding Wave: From Pinching Pennies to Billions on the Table
ECCA: The Bill That Changes Everything
For decades, homeschooling families stretched every dollar. Vendors kept prices low because they knew parents simply couldn’t pay more. No matter how passionate or loyal the market was, there was always a ceiling: family budgets.
That ceiling may soon be lifted.
On July 4, 2025, Congress passed the Education Choice for Children Act (ECCA), creating a new kind of federal tax credit. For the first time, federal law has opened the door for private schools — and even certain homeschool expenses — to be supported through a national program.
Here’s how it works: taxpayers can contribute to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). In return, they receive a dollar-for-dollar credit against the federal taxes they owe. In other words, money that would have gone to Washington can instead be directed into scholarships that families can use for tuition, books, supplies, and eligible homeschool costs.
This isn’t a refund. It’s not a deduction. It’s a credit — specifically a tax liability credit — meaning dollars that would have gone to Washington can now be directed to education choice. Homeschooling has moved from being solely a state-level matter to being explicitly included in a federal program.
Exclusive Client Access
I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into where homeschooling is headed — and how funding, AI, and neurometrics are converging to shape the next era. In the full article, we outline the roadmap for vendors: how to stay independent as SGOs roll out, harness AI to scale growth, and use neurometric precision to turn every marketing dollar into real connection and long-term success.
Our Marketing Insights Division is home to a growing library of in-depth research, strategy frameworks, and case studies built from over two decades of homeschool industry expertise.
These resources are reserved for active Well Planned Advertiser clients, providing exclusive access to:
- Deep market intelligence on the values, history, and mindset shaping homeschool families
- Proven strategies for reaching parents across digital, print, and community channels
- Insights on shifting education trends, funding models, and emerging marketing technologies
- Forward-looking analysis to help brands anticipate change and position for long-term growth
If you’re not yet a client, you can still preview a portion of each article below — or book a strategy call to learn more about partnership access.
About the Author
Rebecca Scarlata Farris
With nearly 35 years in the homeschool world — first as a student, then as a mom of five, and now as a business owner — Rebecca has dedicated her career to helping families thrive. She launched Family magazine, created the first Well Planned Day Planners, and pioneered digital conventions and tools that reshaped how homeschoolers connect and learn.
Today, as the founder of Well Planned Advertiser, she blends her deep community insight with technology and strategy to build systems that help homeschool businesses reach families with precision.