Last verified: October 2026
How much does a homeschooled Birmingham child get from the CHOOSE Act?
A student in a home education program can receive $2,000 a year, and a family's home-education credits stop at $4,000 no matter how many children qualify. A household homeschooling three children therefore gets $4,000, not $6,000.
ALDOR describes the category broadly: individual homeschooling, group programs and co-ops all count. In ClassWallet the family sees one wallet with up to two funded purses, and the money can be spent on any eligible child in the household.
How do Alabama families homeschool legally?
Alabama families homeschool either by enrolling the child in a church school, often called a cover school, or by using a state-certified private tutor. A church school operated as a ministry of a local church is exempt from the state's October 10 private-school registration, while a private tutor must teach at least three hours a day for 140 days and file a statement with the local superintendent.
ALDOR counts homeschooling, co-ops and group programs as home education. If your cover school is itself on the participating list, ask how it reports your child, because full-time enrollment there would mean the $7,000 tier instead.
What can the $2,000 pay for in Jefferson and Shelby counties?
The $2,000 can pay any approved CHOOSE Act category except tuition at a participating school: curriculum, workbooks, private tutoring, online courses, educational therapies, nationally recognized tests and approved devices. Purchases go through the ClassWallet Marketplace or a Pay Vendor request to an approved education service provider (ESP).
ALDOR's ESP list dated October 23, 2026 includes 86 tutoring or microschool providers and 22 educational therapy providers with a Jefferson or Shelby County city on file.
Can a home-educated student take classes at a private school?
Possibly. Fees for education-based after-school or summer programs run by a participating school are an approved category, but the 2026-27 parent guide does not say how that applies to a home-educated student, so confirm with the school and ClassWallet before you enroll.
Home-education ESA vs participating-school ESA
| Home-education ESA | Participating-school ESA |
|---|---|
| $2,000 per student | $7,000 per student |
| $4,000 cap per family | No family cap |
| No tuition payments to a full-time school | Tuition and listed fees at the school |
| Tutors, curriculum, online courses, therapies, tests | The same categories, plus tuition |