Children's Scholarship Fund - NYC: Your Homeschool Scholarship Guide

Watching your child light up when they finish a project they're proud of is one of the best parts of homeschooling. But paying for quality curriculum and supplies while you're already stretching every dollar? That part isn't so fun. If you live in New York City and your family meets the income guidelines, the Children's Scholarship Fund (CSF) might be the help your family has been looking for.

CSF awards scholarships of up to $1,000 per child to NYC homeschool families. That money can go toward art curriculum, math programs, books, and other approved education expenses. We're walking you through how the program works, who qualifies, and how to use your scholarship funding on a Guide Dots starter kit (because yes, we're an approved vendor).

What Is the Children's Scholarship Fund - NYC?

The Children's Scholarship Fund is a student scholarship organization that has been helping families afford educational opportunities for more than 25 years. CSF is well known for offering private school scholarships for low-income families through its Teddy Forstmann Scholarship Program, but the organization also runs a separate K-8 homeschool scholarship program for families living in the five boroughs.

Through the CSF homeschool scholarship, eligible NYC families can receive a scholarship of up to $1,000 per child each academic year. That money lives inside a digital wallet called ClassWallet, where you spend it on approved homeschool curriculum and other education expenses.

Children's Scholarship Fund Income Guidelines and Eligibility

CSF homeschool scholarships are need-based, so they're meant for families whose income falls at or below CSF's published limits. To qualify for the 2026-27 school year, your family must meet these requirements:

• You're a New York City resident.
• Your child is at least 5 years old by December 31, 2026 and entering K-8.
• Your household income falls at or below CSF's published income guidelines.*

If your child is entering 1st-8th grade, you'll need their 2025-26 report card or quarterly homeschool report ready to submit with your application.

*A note on income limits: CSF bases its homeschool scholarship income limits on the National School Lunch Program guidelines, which generally means household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. Because the thresholds shift each year and aren't published as a fixed table on the CSF NYC homeschool page, the best way to confirm your family's eligibility is to email nyc@scholarshipfund.org and request a pre-application link. 

How to Apply for a CSF Homeschool Scholarship in New York

For returning families: Requalification applications for the 2026-27 academic year are open now. If your child currently receives a CSF scholarship, you should have gotten a renewal email already. The deadline to complete your application is Friday, July 31, 2026. Scholarships are awarded first come, first served, so don't wait.

For families new to CSF: To get on the radar, email nyc@scholarshipfund.org and ask for a homeschool pre-application link. Once CSF confirms you're eligible, they'll invite you to submit a full scholarship application.

When you apply, you'll be asked to submit:

• Your 2026-27 Homeschool Letter of Intent (or the NYC DOE's online LOI form)
• Proof of receipt from the NYC Department of Education for your LOI
• Your 2026-27 Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)
• Proof of receipt from the NYC DOE for your IHIP
• Your child's most recent 2025-26 report card or quarterly homeschool report

Your application won't be reviewed until every document is in, so gather these together first.

Using ClassWallet to Spend Your Scholarship Account

Once you receive a scholarship, the funds get loaded into a ClassWallet account, an online wallet built specifically for your child's educational expenses.

You can log in at app.classwallet.com and either pay an approved vendor directly or shop the pre-approved ClassWallet Marketplace. Marketplace checkout works much like any other online store. If you have more than one CSF scholar in your home, you can switch between your kids' accounts from a single login.

Spend Your CSF Homeschool Scholarship on Guide Dots

Now for the fun part. Guide Dots is an approved vendor on ClassWallet, which means your CSF funds can go straight toward our complete in-home art program.

If you've ever felt nervous about teaching art (especially the "but I can't even draw a stick figure" kind of nervous), we've got you. Guide Dots is a full art curriculum created by Ms. Cindra, an art teacher with experience running a brick-and-mortar art school. Your child watches teacher-led video lessons and uses our light tablet with intentionally placed dot guides to master proportion and other REAL art skills.

It's truly plug and play. Every starter kit ships with the artist-grade supplies your child needs to complete each project, so there are no extra trips to the craft store and no figuring out what to buy. You open the box, your child opens the first lesson, and the learning starts.

Better still, the lessons are self-paced and require little to no adult support. That means your child gets a true art education and you get Mama or Papa peace while dinner cooks.

Put Your CSF Scholarship to Work

Your scholarship funding goes further when it's spent on a curriculum your child will actually love. Guide Dots gives your young artist the tools to create work they're proud of and gives you a complete art program with zero prep on your end.

Shop Guide Dots starter kits today and pay with your CSF scholarship through ClassWallet.