NZ home education funding: what you're entitled to and how to apply

One of the first financial questions families ask when they consider homeschooling is whether the government provides any support. The answer is yes, there is a government assistance payment for home educating families in New Zealand, and most families who qualify for it do not claim it simply because they did not know it existed.

This post covers what the payment is, who qualifies, how to apply, and what other low-cost resources are available to NZ homeschool families.

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The home education assistance payment

The New Zealand government provides an annual assistance payment to families who hold a valid Certificate of Exemption (also called a Section 38 exemption) for their home-educated child.

The purpose of the payment is to help cover the costs of educational materials and resources. You do not have to account for exactly how you spend it. It is not a grant that requires receipts and reporting. It is an annual payment to eligible families.

For the current rate, check the Ministry of Education website directly at education.govt.nz. Payment rates are updated periodically and the most accurate figure will always be on the MoE site. At the time this was written, the government website was the authoritative source for current amounts.

The payment is made per child, so if you have two or three children home educating on exemptions, you receive a payment for each.

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Who qualifies

To receive the payment, your child must:

• Hold a valid Certificate of Exemption from the Ministry of Education
• Be of compulsory school age (6 to 16 years old)
• Be actively being home educated

You cannot claim it before the exemption is granted. Applications during the waiting period are not eligible.

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How to apply for the payment

Once your exemption is confirmed, contact the Ministry of Education to register for the assistance payment. The process is administered through the MoE and has changed over the years, so again, the current process is best confirmed at education.govt.nz or by contacting your regional MoE office directly.

A few things worth knowing:

• The payment is not automatic. You need to register for it. Many families miss out simply because they assumed it would be set up as part of the exemption process. It is separate.
• If you have had an exemption for a while and have not claimed, it is worth checking whether you are enrolled. Some families have had exemptions for years without ever registering for the assistance.
• The payment is annual. In most cases it is paid as a lump sum rather than monthly instalments, though the schedule can vary.

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What you can use it for

The payment is intended to cover educational resources. In practice, families use it for a wide range of things:

• Books, workbooks, and printed curricula
• Educational subscriptions (online maths programmes, reading apps, science courses)
• Art and craft supplies used for learning
• Science experiment kits
• Music lessons or instrument hire
• Membership fees for homeschool co-ops or groups
• Excursion costs (museums, cultural visits, science centres)
• Stationery and printing

There is no formal approval process for individual purchases and no receipts required for the standard assistance payment.

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Library resources: underused and genuinely excellent

New Zealand public libraries are a significant resource for homeschool families and most families do not use them to their full potential.

Beyond physical books, your local library card typically gives you access to:

• Libby and BorrowBox for digital and audio books (a huge catalogue, free to use)
• Online databases and encyclopaedias
• DVD collections (documentaries, educational series)
• Research resources for older students

Many libraries also run programmes and activities suited to children. Some have homeschool-specific sessions or will accommodate home educating families during school hours for quieter, less competitive access to maker spaces or computer labs.

It is worth having a conversation with your local library about what is available. Most librarians are genuinely helpful and happy to point you toward resources you might not have found on your own.

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Community spaces and free learning resources

Museums and science centres: Many NZ museums and science centres offer free or reduced admission to homeschool families, particularly during weekday hours. Some run dedicated homeschool programmes. It is worth contacting your regional museum directly to ask what is available and whether there is a homeschool register to get on.

Te Papa: Free entry and excellent resources, including downloadable education materials that can be used independently of a visit.

Local nature: The New Zealand environment is genuinely one of the best science and geography classrooms available. Parks, beaches, bush, local streams, and wildlife all provide hands-on learning that you cannot replicate with a textbook. This is not just a platitude. Regular time outdoors, properly guided, covers a significant chunk of the science and environmental education curriculum.

YouTube and online courses: Khan Academy, Crash Course, and the BBC's educational content cover a remarkable breadth of subjects at no cost. These are not replacements for human teaching, but they are excellent supplementary resources and useful for older learners who want to explore topics independently.

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Homeschool co-ops and community groups

NZ homeschool co-ops are informal arrangements where a group of families pool their strengths. One parent who is confident with maths teaches maths to the group. Another handles art. Another organises a weekly science session. Everyone contributes and everyone benefits.

Co-ops vary significantly in structure. Some are formal with set timetables and membership expectations. Others are loose community arrangements where people show up when it suits.

To find what exists in your area:

• Search Facebook for "homeschool [your region]" groups
• Contact the NZ Home Education Foundation (NZHE) at nzhef.org.nz
• Ask in local homeschool Facebook groups, the community knowledge is usually more current than any directory

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Paid resources worth knowing about

A few NZ-based resources that come up regularly in homeschool communities:

Mathseeds and Reading Eggs: Australian-produced but widely used in NZ, these are structured online programmes for early literacy and numeracy. They have subscription costs but are less expensive than most curriculum packages.

Various NZ curriculum providers: There are several NZ-based curriculum providers who produce materials aligned with the NZ curriculum. Their material can be purchased in subject packs rather than full packages, which keeps costs manageable.

Trademe: The second-hand curriculum and textbook market in NZ is active. Families regularly sell workbooks, readers, and curriculum packages when their children outgrow them. Worth checking before buying anything new.

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FAQ

Q: Can I get the home education assistance payment if I am still waiting for my exemption to be approved? A: No. The payment is only available to families who hold a confirmed Certificate of Exemption. Once your exemption is granted, register for the payment promptly.

Q: Is the assistance payment taxable? A: No. It is treated as an educational assistance payment, not income, and does not need to be declared as income.

Q: What if I can not afford to homeschool without more financial support? A: The assistance payment helps but is not designed to replace a school's full per-pupil resourcing. Families on lower incomes often rely heavily on library resources, free online material, second-hand curriculum, and co-op arrangements. The NZ homeschool community tends to be generous with sharing materials and resources among families who need them.

Q: Do I need to keep receipts for the assistance payment? A: For the standard annual assistance payment, no. There is no formal acquittal process. If you receive any other educational grants or funding, those may have different requirements, so check the terms of each.

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The exemption application is the formal side of homeschooling in NZ — Pulled helps you write it. Start here →