New York Homeschool Scholarship Guide: Using Children’s Scholarship Fund With Online Christian Education

New York does not currently offer a statewide education savings account, or ESA, like the programs available in states such as Arizona, Louisiana, and West Virginia.

However, some New York families can receive privately funded K–8 education scholarships through the Children’s Scholarship Fund New York, commonly called CSF New York or CSF-NY.

CSF New York operates scholarship programs for lower-income families, including a homeschool scholarship program that allows qualifying New York City families to use scholarship funding for approved educational expenses.

Those expenses can include nonpublic online learning programs, curriculum, tutoring, educational software, technology, textbooks, and standardized assessments.

That can make the program particularly useful for families who want their children to learn from home while receiving structured instruction from an online education provider.

Thrive Online Academy currently lists Children’s Scholarship Fund New York among the scholarship programs it accepts on its Financial Aid and ESA page.

Here is what New York families should know.

Does New York Have an ESA Program?

Not currently.

As of September 2026, New York does not operate a statewide K–12 private-school choice program or education savings account comparable to the Arizona ESA, Louisiana LA GATOR Scholarship, or West Virginia Hope Scholarship.

That makes New York different from many states where government education funding can follow a student directly to an approved private school or educational provider.

The Children’s Scholarship Fund is different.

CSF is a nonprofit organization providing privately funded scholarships rather than a New York government ESA.

For Thrive families, that distinction matters. A family would apply to CSF for scholarship assistance rather than opening a state-managed education savings account.

Families can learn more through the Children’s Scholarship Fund New York program.

What Is Children’s Scholarship Fund New York?

Children’s Scholarship Fund helps lower-income families access educational alternatives for their children.

CSF New York has been operating in the region for decades. During the 2025–26 school year, more than 6,400 students attended more than 200 schools with assistance from CSF scholarships.

CSF reports that it has invested more than $376 million in scholarships for more than 43,000 New York children since the program began.

Families can begin their research through the official CSF New York website.

Does CSF Offer Scholarships for Homeschool Families?

Yes.

Children’s Scholarship Fund launched its New York City Homeschool Scholarship Pilot Program in the 2023–24 school year.

Unlike a traditional private-school tuition scholarship, the homeschool scholarship allows qualifying families to use scholarship funds across several types of educational expenses through a digital scholarship account.

CSF’s provider guidance specifically recognizes virtual programs that deliver K–8 instruction entirely online as an eligible type of education service provider.

This creates an option for parents who want to educate their children from home while purchasing structured online instruction and other educational services.

Who Qualifies for the New York CSF Homeschool Scholarship?

CSF’s homeschool program has historically focused on lower-income New York City families with children in grades K–8.

Its published parent handbook states that families must:

• Live in New York City
• Have a child in an eligible K–8 grade
• Meet the applicable household-income guidelines
• Be legally homeschooling the student
• Provide required homeschool documentation

CSF requires families to requalify for the program annually.

Because income limits are adjusted and scholarship availability depends on funding, families should confirm the current 2026–27 income requirements directly with CSF rather than relying on a previous year’s income table.

Start with the Children’s Scholarship Fund application information.

Is the Program Available Everywhere in New York?

There are several Children’s Scholarship Fund partner programs serving different parts of New York, but their rules are not necessarily identical.

CSF currently identifies New York partner programs serving:

• New York City and parts of the Hudson Valley through CSF New York
• Western New York through BISON Children’s Scholarship Fund
• Nassau and Suffolk counties through Tomorrow’s Hope Foundation

The main CSF New York partner area includes New York City as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties.

However, the CSF homeschool scholarship program discussed in this guide has specifically been documented as a New York City program.

Families outside New York City should use the CSF scholarship finder to determine which partner program serves their location and whether homeschool or online-learning expenses are eligible there.

How Much Is the Children’s Scholarship Fund Scholarship?

Unlike a state ESA, there is not one guaranteed annual dollar amount that every CSF student receives.

Scholarship amounts can vary based on:

• Household income
• Family size
• Tuition or educational costs
• Local program rules
• Available scholarship funding

CSF explains that its scholarships nationally generally cover between 25% and 75% of tuition, depending on household income and the rules of the partner program.

For context, the average CSF New York scholarship in 2025–26 was $2,757. The average tuition among participating students that year was $7,985.

That $2,757 figure is an average from 2025–26, not a guaranteed 2026–27 award.

Families should wait for their actual scholarship offer before determining how much of an educational program CSF will cover.

What Can a New York Homeschool Scholarship Pay For?

One of the most useful features of CSF’s homeschool scholarship is that it can support more than traditional private-school tuition.

The current CSF provider handbook identifies approved categories that include:

• Tuition and fees for nonpublic online learning programs
• Learning centers
• Learning pods
• Co-ops
• Microschools
• Tutoring
• Textbooks
• Curriculum
• Instructional materials
• Supplemental online instruction
• Computer hardware
• Educational technology
• Educational software and apps
• Nationally standardized assessments

Families receive access to a digital scholarship wallet and use the scholarship for qualifying education expenses rather than simply receiving unrestricted cash.

That flexibility can allow families to create a more individualized education plan for their child.

Can CSF Pay for an Online School?

Yes.

CSF’s New York homeschool provider handbook explicitly lists “tuition and fees for non-public online learning programs” as an allowable use of homeschool scholarship funds.

Its provider requirements also recognize virtual programs providing K–8 instruction entirely online.

That means families do not necessarily have to choose between independent homeschooling and attending a traditional brick-and-mortar private school.

They may be able to use scholarship funds toward an approved online education provider while their child learns from home.

Can You Use the New York Scholarship With Thrive Online Academy?

Thrive currently lists New York – Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF-NY) on its Financial Aid page and identifies Thrive’s program status as Approved.

Parents can review that information on Thrive’s Financial Aid page.

CSF’s New York homeschool rules also permit nonpublic online learning programs as an eligible expense category.

Families should still confirm their individual scholarship eligibility and verify that the Thrive service they intend to purchase is available through their current CSF scholarship account before enrolling.

Program status, scholarship amounts, and provider offerings can change from year to year.

What Does Thrive Online Academy Offer New York Families?

Thrive provides a Christ-centered educational option for families who want their children to learn from home while receiving more structure and academic support than they might receive through independent homeschooling.

Students can receive instruction in core subjects including:

• Math
• Language Arts
• Science
• Social Studies
• Bible

Thrive integrates a biblical worldview throughout its educational program and offers flexible placement based on a student’s academic level rather than requiring every subject to be completed at the same grade level.

Parents can explore Thrive’s K–12 Christian curriculum to see how instruction works.

How Much Does Thrive Cost?

Thrive currently publishes four annual support levels:

Thrive also currently advertises a 25% discount for families who pay annual tuition in full. Additional enrollment and application fees apply.

Families can compare current packages on Thrive’s Fees and Tuition page.

Because CSF scholarship amounts vary, families should compare their actual approved scholarship award against their selected Thrive package rather than assuming a fixed percentage will be covered.

How Much of Thrive Could CSF Cover?

It depends on the student’s individual award.

For context only, the average New York CSF scholarship during 2025–26 was $2,757.

If a family received a scholarship around that amount and selected a $4,000 eligible educational program, the scholarship could cover a significant portion of the cost, with the family responsible for the remaining eligible balance.

However, some families may receive more or less than the previous year’s average.

The scholarship award should always be confirmed before building a tuition budget.

Families considering Thrive can review both the current tuition options and Thrive’s guide to using ESA or scholarship funds for online Christian education.

How Do You Apply for the CSF New York Homeschool Scholarship?

CSF’s published homeschool application process begins with determining whether the family meets the program’s eligibility requirements.

Historically, the process has included:

1. Requesting access to a CSF homeschool pre-application.
2. Completing the initial eligibility screening.
3. Receiving an invitation to submit a full application if eligible.
4. Providing household financial documentation.
5. Providing New York City homeschool documentation.
6. Waiting for CSF to review the application and available scholarship funding.

For homeschool applicants, CSF has required documentation including proof of household income, a homeschool Letter of Intent, and an Individualized Home Instruction Plan, or IHIP, with evidence that the required documents were submitted to the NYC Department of Education.

Requirements can change, so parents should use the current instructions provided by CSF rather than relying solely on previous-year application materials.

Families can begin through the Children’s Scholarship Fund application page.

Is a CSF Scholarship Guaranteed?

No.

CSF scholarships are privately funded, and receiving a scholarship depends on both meeting the applicable eligibility requirements and available program funding.

The organization notes that demand exceeds available scholarship funding in many areas.

A family can therefore meet income and residency requirements without necessarily receiving an award immediately.

That makes it worthwhile to apply as early as the applicable program permits and to carefully follow CSF’s application instructions.

Do Families Have to Reapply Every Year?

Yes.

CSF’s homeschool program requires annual requalification.

Families must provide updated financial and homeschooling information so CSF can confirm that the student continues to meet program requirements.

Parents should not assume that receiving an award one year automatically guarantees the same scholarship amount the following year.

Why Consider an Online Christian Program?

For some families, independent homeschooling provides exactly the flexibility they want.

Others prefer additional structure.

An online Christian program can allow students to learn from home while providing:

• Structured coursework
• Christian curriculum
• Teacher grading
• Progress monitoring
• Individual academic support
• Flexible scheduling
• One-on-one instruction
• Student clubs
• Chapel
• Academic records

Thrive’s current packages allow parents to choose how much teacher involvement their child needs, ranging from an independent program to six hours of live teacher support per week.

Families can explore Thrive Online Academy to learn more.

What Is Changing for New York Education Scholarships in 2027?

There is also an important separate federal program scheduled to begin January 1, 2027.

The new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, created under Internal Revenue Code Section 25F, allows taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for qualifying donations to approved scholarship-granting organizations. Those organizations can then issue scholarships to eligible K–12 students for qualifying educational expenses.

This is not the same program as CSF New York’s existing privately funded scholarship.

Participation requires states to opt into the federal program and identify qualifying scholarship-granting organizations.

As of the IRS’s September 14, 2026 update, New York was not yet listed among the states that had completed an advance election.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s office has publicly expressed support for participating, while saying the state was awaiting further federal regulations before completing the process. Some New York education unions and advocacy organizations oppose participation, while school-choice organizations support it.

Families should therefore treat the federal scholarship program as a potential 2027 opportunity, not as funding currently available to New York students.

The IRS Federal Scholarship Tax Credit page provides the most current federal participation information.

New York Homeschool Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions

Does New York have an education savings account?

New York does not currently operate a statewide K–12 ESA or funded private-school choice program comparable to programs in Arizona, Louisiana, or West Virginia.

What is CSF New York?

Children’s Scholarship Fund New York is a privately funded scholarship program helping qualifying families pay for educational alternatives. CSF also operates a homeschool scholarship program for eligible New York City K–8 families.

How much is the New York Children’s Scholarship Fund scholarship?

Awards vary. The average CSF New York scholarship was $2,757 during 2025–26, but this is not a guaranteed award amount for 2026–27.

Can homeschool families qualify?

Yes. CSF operates a homeschool scholarship program for qualifying New York City families. Eligibility includes residency, grade-level, income, and homeschool-documentation requirements.

Can the scholarship pay for online education?

Yes. CSF’s homeschool scholarship guidelines list tuition and fees for nonpublic online learning programs among the approved expense categories.

Can CSF funds pay for curriculum and tutoring?

Yes. Eligible homeschool scholarship expenses include curriculum, instructional materials, tutoring, educational software, technology, and standardized testing.

Does Thrive accept CSF New York?

Thrive currently lists Children’s Scholarship Fund New York with a status of Approved on its Financial Aid page.

Families should confirm their individual award and Thrive’s current availability within their CSF scholarship account before enrolling.

Explore Christian Online Education With Thrive

For New York families who want their children to learn from home while receiving Christian instruction and personalized academic support, the Children’s Scholarship Fund may help make that education more affordable.

Thrive Online Academy provides several levels of teacher support, Christ-centered coursework, flexible placement, grading, progress monitoring, chapel, and student clubs.

Explore the options available to your family: