Homeschooling in Michigan: what the law requires and who pays

What Michigan’s law requires

The law that allows it

MCL 380.1561(3)(f) excuses a child from public school when a parent or legal guardian educates the child at home in an organized educational program.

“The child is being educated at the child's home by his or her parent or legal guardian in an organized educational program” MCL 380.1561, compulsory school attendance (Michigan Legislature)

A child educated at home may be exempt under subsection (3)(a), subsection (3)(f), or both.

“For a child being educated at the child's home by his or her parent or legal guardian, exemption from the requirement to attend public school may exist under either subsection (3)(a) or (3)(f), or both.” MCL 380.1561, compulsory school attendance (Michigan Legislature)

Telling the state or district

A home school under exemption (f) does not report to the Michigan Department of Education.

“If a home school operates under exemption (f), it does not report to MDE.” Michigan Department of Education, Nonpublic and Home School Information 2025-2026

A home school under exemption (a) reports to the department as a nonpublic school.

“If a home school family chooses to operate under exemption (a), it reports to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).” Michigan Department of Education, Nonpublic and Home School Information 2025-2026

What and how long to teach

Under exemption (f), the program must cover reading, spelling, math, science, history, civics, literature, writing and English grammar.

“in the subject areas of reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar” MCL 380.1561, compulsory school attendance (Michigan Legislature)

Who may teach

Under exemption (f), there are no minimum teacher qualifications except that the teachers must be the child's parents or legal guardians.

“There are no minimum qualifications for teachers except that they must be the parents or legal guardians of the children.” Michigan Department of Education, Exemption (f) Home School

Ages the law covers

Compulsory attendance runs from age 6 to the child's 18th birthday.

“shall send the child to a public school during the entire school year from the age of 6 to the child's eighteenth birthday” MCL 380.1561, compulsory school attendance (Michigan Legislature)

The state’s own page for families: Michigan Department of Education, Exemption (f) Home School.

State money for homeschoolers in Michigan

We have not found an official source saying a Michigan program pays homeschooled students.

Programs that do not pay homeschoolers

No state aid for nonpublic schools (Michigan Constitution, Article VIII, section 2). The department's nonpublic and home school manual says the Michigan Constitution bars public money paid directly or indirectly to aid or maintain any private, denominational or nonpublic school. (Michigan Department of Education, Nonpublic and Home School Information 2025-2026)

School choice in Michigan Private schools in Michigan

Which states pay homeschoolers, and how: Michigan next to every other state.

Homeschool law in other states

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

All states and the programs that pay homeschoolers