Georgia School Choice Options
Georgia’s main state choice program is the Georgia Promise Scholarship. It began in 2024 under Senate Bill 233. It gives eligible students up to $6,500 for the 2026-27 school year. Funds are paid in four quarterly installments. Families may use the money for private school or home study costs. To qualify, a student must have attended a Georgia public school for two straight semesters. Rising kindergarten students may also apply. The student must live in the zone of a lower-performing public school. The current application window runs November 1 to November 30, 2026.
Day to day, Promise funds can pay for curriculum, textbooks, tutoring, and therapy services. They can also cover some transportation. Students who use the scholarship must take a national test or state test each year. That rule applies to home study students too. Families whose income is at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level get priority. Georgia also has a tax credit for gifts to private school scholarship groups. In addition, Georgia has opted in to the new federal scholarship tax credit for 2027. Home study students can also use dual enrollment and take exams at local schools. For full details on each topic, open the sections below.
The Georgia Promise Scholarship lets eligible families use state funds for nonpublic education, including private school and home study (Georgia Promise Scholarship).
Who can apply: Students who are enrolled in a Georgia public school and have been for two consecutive semesters, or rising kindergarten students. The student must live in the attendance zone of a school on the state list of the lowest-performing 25 percent of public schools, and the parent must have lived in Georgia for at least one year, with an exception for active-duty military (Georgia Promise Scholarship).
Amount: Up to $6,500 for 2026-27, paid quarterly. Up to 5 percent may be withheld for administration (Family Handbook).
Approved uses: Tuition and fees, required textbooks, curriculum and supplemental materials, tutoring by a certified educator, therapy services, transportation up to $500 a year, and other approved expenses (Georgia Promise Scholarship).
Applying: The student application window is open November 1-30, 2026. Families who qualify by leaving public school may choose to homeschool instead of enrolling in a private school (Georgia Promise Scholarship; Family Handbook).
Every participating student must complete a nationally norm-referenced test or a state assessment each year in math and language arts. Home study participants are responsible for meeting the testing and reporting rules. Families may ask the resident school system to make the state assessment available (Georgia Promise Scholarship Family Handbook). Families must still follow Georgia’s home study law. See our Georgia Homeschool Laws page.
Georgia gives a state tax credit for donations to student scholarship organizations, which fund private school scholarships. The total credit is capped at $120 million per tax year, and taxpayers must get preapproval (Georgia Department of Revenue: QEE Tax Credit). These scholarships are for private school students.
The federal scholarship tax credit (Internal Revenue Code section 25F) begins January 1, 2027, in states that opt in. Georgia was on the IRS list of participating states as of October 22, 2026 (IRS: FSTC Participating States).
Home study students may use the Dual Enrollment program (GAfutures), join extracurricular activities under the Dexter Mosely Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6), and take the PSAT, SAT, ACT, ASVAB, and AP exams offered by their local school system (SB 63). See our Georgia Homeschool Laws page for details.
- Georgia Promise Scholarship (Georgia Education Savings Authority)
- Georgia Promise Scholarship Family Handbook (updated August 12, 2026)
- Georgia Department of Revenue: Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit
- IRS: Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Participating States (as of October 22, 2026)
- GAfutures: Dual Enrollment for Home Study Programs; SB 63 (2025)
Last reviewed: November 2, 2026
*The information on this page is for general use only. It should not be taken as legal advice. It is believed to be accurate however state and federal laws change every year. Homeschool.net recommends joining an organization such as the Home School Legal Defense Association before your homeschooling adventure begins. HSLDA can provide complete, accurate, legal advice and services for homeschooling families.
Update History
No changes in law noted since this page was first published.