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Homeschooling in Mississippi

A year-round Mississippi homeschool marketplace — curriculum, tutoring, therapy, STEM, arts and enrichment providers, plus a plain-English guide to Mississippi's home instruction law, the new August 15 filing deadline and the state programs homeschool families can and can't use.

Mississippi homeschooling by topic

• Mississippi Homeschool Laws & Requirements
• How to Start Homeschooling in Mississippi
• Mississippi School Choice, ESAs & Scholarships
• Homeschool Sports & Activities in Mississippi
• Dual Enrollment & College for Mississippi Homeschoolers
• Special Needs & Special Education Homeschooling in Mississippi

Mississippi Homeschool Options at a glance

• Homeschool law: Home instruction is one of the exceptions to Mississippi's Compulsory School Attendance Law (Miss. Code 37-13-91(3)(c)). A child is of compulsory school age if they turn 6 on or before September 1 and have not turned 17 on or before September 1 of that year, plus any 5-year-old enrolled in full-day public kindergarten. The only test in the law is that the program must not be operated to avoid or get around the compulsory attendance law. MDE's Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement and its local School Attendance Officers administer it.
• Filing: One form a year: the certificate of enrollment, due to the school attendance officer where the child lives on or before August 15. SB 2103 (2026) moved the deadline from September 15, effective July 1, 2026. MDE also accepts the form by email at homeschool@mdek12.org. It asks only for the child's and parent's names, address and phone, the child's date of birth, the school district, a simple description of the education program and a signature.
• Testing: None. The law sets no testing, curriculum approval, required subjects or teacher qualification for home instruction. It requires no 180-day year for nonpublic schools either: their term is whatever number of days the school requires for promotion (37-13-91(2)(e)). MDE recommends keeping a portfolio of work, a log of books and materials, and results of any national tests.
• State ESA for homeschoolers: No. The ESA (up to $8,421 for 2026–27, for students with an IEP within the past three years), the Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship and the Nate Rogers Scholarship all require enrollment in an eligible private or special-purpose school. ESA parents must agree in writing not to file a home instruction certificate of enrollment.
• College aid: Homeschool graduates can apply for the state's MTAG, MESG and HELP grants. They send the Office of Student Financial Aid a signed, notarized transcript with an unweighted seven-semester GPA, plus an official ACT or SAT score report. Minimum ACT: 15 for MTAG, 29 for MESG, 20 for HELP.
• Federal tax credit: Mississippi is on the IRS list of states taking part in the federal scholarship tax credit for 2027 (as of October 22, 2026). The Governor's office said it would designate the scholarship-granting organizations. We found no Mississippi list yet. Whether these scholarships can pay homeschool costs is unsettled: the proposed federal rules tie eligible expenses to a "school" as defined by state law, and Treasury says more guidance is coming.

Read the full guide: Mississippi Homeschool Options — Home Instruction Law, the ESA and College Aid

Coming up in Mississippi

• Fri, Nov 6, 2026 – Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · Soulé Live Steam Show (Meridian)
  Meridian · Soulé Steam Feed Works / Industrial Heritage Museum, 1808 4th Street · Adults
  0; students and children free
  The 23rd annual Soulé Live Steam Show runs 9 a.m.–4 p.m. both days at America's last intact steam engine factory, with the 1907 belt-driven machine shop, foundry and pattern shop operating and full-size and model engines running on live…
• Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · The MAX Free First Saturday: Earth's Bounty
  Meridian · The MAX (Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience), 2155 Front Street · Free admission
  Free admission to The MAX all day, with a 10 a.m. guided tour of the John Jennings - Build Your World exhibition and art activities from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., alongside the Earth's Bounty farmers market.
• Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · Hattiesburg History Harvest
  Hattiesburg · Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), 321 Eddie Holloway Drive · Free
  Community archive day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: bring a photograph, heirloom or document, record its story, and have it digitized for a public digital archive of local history.
• Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · Make Ink from the Forest Workshop (Museum of Natural Science)
  Jackson · Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, 2148 Riverside Dr
  Hands-on workshop with artist and naturalist Robin Whitfield: make a turkey feather quill and inks from oak galls and black walnut hulls while exploring their ecological and cultural history.
• Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · MSMS Super Night - Oxford
  Oxford · Lafayette County/Oxford Public Library, 401 Bramlett Blvd., Oxford, MS
  MSMS admissions information meeting for prospective students and families, 5:30-6:30 pm. Families can meet the admissions team, current students, parents and alumni.
• Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · North Mississippi Dulcimers at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center
  Tupelo · Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center auditorium, 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway · Free
  Live performance by the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association, 10 a.m. to noon, with information on the history and traditions of the Appalachian mountain dulcimer.
• Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · SAT Weekend Test Date (November 2026)
  Statewide · SAT test centers across Mississippi · SAT registration fee; late registration costs extra; fee waivers for eligible students
  National SAT weekend administration; registration deadline Oct. 23, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET).
• Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · Vicksburg NMP: The King of Battle Artillery Demonstrations
  Vicksburg · Vicksburg National Military Park Visitor Center Demonstration Area, 3201 Clay Street · Free program
  Park historic weapons crew discusses Civil War artillery training and fires a 12-pound Napoleon cannon; demonstrations at 9, 10, 11 a.m. and noon.
• Tue, Nov 10, 2026 · Daniel in the Lions' Den and Esther: The Bravest Queen (Bologna PAC)
  Cleveland · Bologna Performing Arts Center, Delta State University, 1003 W. Sunflower Road
  An evening family stage show (6:30–8:00 p.m.) at Delta State University's Bologna Performing Arts Center, listed as a Family Friendly Season Add-On.
• Tue, Nov 10, 2026 · Lynn Meadows Homeschool Class: Hydrothermal Vents and Cold Seeps
  Gulfport · Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, 246 Dolan Avenue ·