How to Withdraw from School in Alberta Without Losing the $901 Home Education Funding

Alberta is the only province in Canada that pays families to homeschool — up to $901 per student per year for grades 1-12 (and $450.50 for kindergarten). But the funding comes with specific conditions, and the most common mistake parents make during withdrawal is choosing the wrong pathway or missing the September 30 deadline, which forfeits the grant entirely for the current year. Here's how to withdraw from school in Alberta and keep the funding — and what to do if you've already missed the window.

The Two Pathways: Only One Gets You Funding

Alberta's Home Education Regulation (AR 145/2006) gives parents two options for home education. They are legally distinct, and the government notification form asks you to choose one. Checking the wrong box has consequences that last the full school year.

Pathway 1: Supervised (Funded)

You register with a school board — your local board or any non-resident board in the province — as a supervised home education family.

What you get:

• Up to $901 per student per year ($450.50 for kindergarten)
• A facilitator (Alberta-certified teacher) assigned by the board
• Access to curriculum resources, field trip funding, and extracurricular activities through the board
• The board handles your PASI registration (code 600)

What it costs you:

• You must submit an Education Program Plan covering core subject areas (language arts, mathematics, social studies, science)
• Two facilitator evaluations per year (the facilitator visits or meets remotely to review progress)
• The board retains a portion of the $901 for administration (the amount varies by board — WISDOM retains approximately 50%, other boards vary)
• You must spend 75% of the disbursed amount on approved educational resources before receiving any cash reimbursements
• You must register by September 30 to receive funding for the current school year

Pathway 2: Notification Only (Non-Funded)

You file a notification form with the Minister of Education stating you will provide a home education program.

What you get:

• Complete autonomy — no curriculum requirements, no evaluations, no board oversight
• Immediate legal withdrawal with no approval needed

What it costs you:

• Zero funding
• No access to board-provided resources or field trip subsidies
• No facilitator support (which can be a loss or a freedom, depending on your perspective)

Step-by-Step: Withdrawing with Funding Intact

Step 1: Choose Your Supervising Board First

This is counterintuitive — most parents think step one is withdrawing from the public school. It's not. If you want funding, register with your supervising board before or simultaneously with withdrawing. The board initiates the PASI change to home education status and the funding application.

You do not have to use your local school board. Province-wide non-resident boards like WISDOM Home Schooling, THEE (The Home Education Exchange), and Centre for Learning@HOME accept families from anywhere in Alberta. Each has different:

• Administrative fees (what percentage of the $901 they retain)
• Facilitation style (hands-off versus structured check-ins)
• Reimbursement speed (how quickly receipts are processed)
• Philosophical orientation (faith-based versus secular versus neutral)

The Alberta Legal Withdrawal Blueprint includes a side-by-side board comparison covering all of these factors.

Step 2: Submit Your Withdrawal Letter to the School

Once you've confirmed your supervising board, send a written withdrawal letter to both:

• The school principal
• The school board's home education department (not the front office — the specific department that handles home education registrations)

The letter should state:

• Your child's full name, grade, and student ID
• Effective date of withdrawal
• That you are transitioning to home education under AR 145/2006
• A request for transfer of cumulative academic records

The letter does not need to include your education plan, curriculum choices, or reasons for withdrawing. If the principal asks for any of these, they are overstepping their authority.

Step 3: Confirm the PASI Code Change

After your board registration and school withdrawal are both processed, your child's PASI record should reflect home education status (code 600). Your supervising board handles this on their end, but it's worth confirming — because until PASI reflects the change, the public school continues to receive per-student funding for your child.

Step 4: Submit Your Education Program Plan

Your supervising board will ask for an Education Program Plan (EPP) — a document outlining which subjects you'll cover and how. This is not a lesson-by-lesson curriculum map. It's a broad overview showing you'll address the core areas: language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.

The EPP does not need to follow the Alberta Program of Studies word-for-word. You have flexibility in how you deliver education — the board is verifying that education is happening, not prescribing how it happens.

Step 5: Use the Funding Correctly

The 75% rule is the most common funding trap. Here's how it works:

• Your board disburses its portion of the $901 (after retaining their administrative fee) into a funding account
• You submit receipts for approved educational expenses — curriculum, books, supplies, online programs, field trip fees
• You must spend at least 75% of the disbursed amount on approved resources before the board releases any portion as unrestricted cash
• If you don't submit receipts totalling 75%, the remaining funds stay with the board

Approved expenses vary slightly by board but generally include: purchased curriculum, educational software, art and science supplies, musical instruments for music education, sports registration for physical education, and field trip costs.

What If You've Missed the September 30 Deadline?

If you're reading this in October or later, here are your realistic options:

Option A: Notification only for this year, funded next year. File the unfunded notification form immediately. Your child is legally withdrawn. You receive no funding this school year. In July or August, register with a supervising board for the following September. This is the fastest and most certain path.

Option B: Contact boards about late registration. Some supervising boards accept late registrations and offer pro-rated funding for the remaining months. This is not guaranteed — it depends on the board's capacity and policy. If accepted, you'll receive a fraction of the $901 based on months remaining. WISDOM and some larger non-resident boards have historically been more flexible here.

Option C: Shared Responsibility program. Some school boards offer "blended" or shared responsibility programs where the school provides 20-80% of instruction and the parent provides the rest. These sometimes have different registration timelines. This is not traditional home education — your child would attend school part-time — but it may be an option if you want to maintain some school connection while gaining flexibility.

The Funding Numbers in Context

The $901 per student sounds generous — and it is, relative to other provinces (most offer nothing). But the net amount you receive depends on your board:

• If the board retains 50% for administration: you receive approximately $450 in your funding account
• After the 75% spending requirement: approximately $337 must go to approved educational purchases
• The remaining approximately $113 can be taken as unrestricted cash

For a family with three school-age children, that's approximately $1,350 in curriculum/resource funding and $339 in unrestricted cash per year — meaningful money that covers a significant portion of homeschool expenses.

Who This Is For

• Parents who want to homeschool in Alberta and access the $901 per student grant
• Parents who withdrew (or are about to withdraw) and don't want to accidentally forfeit funding by choosing the wrong pathway
• Families who are confused by the difference between "supervised" and "not supervised" on the government notification form
• Parents who've heard about Alberta homeschool funding but don't understand the September 30 deadline, the 75% rule, or the board retention fee

Who This Is NOT For

• Parents who want zero oversight and don't care about the funding — the notification-only pathway is simpler and faster
• Parents already registered with a supervising board who understand the system — this is for the withdrawal and initial setup phase
• Families outside Alberta — no other province offers comparable home education funding

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the $901 go directly into my bank account?

No. The grant goes to your supervising board, which retains a portion for administration. The remainder is placed in a funding account. You submit receipts for approved educational expenses, and the board reimburses you from that account. After spending 75% on approved items, the remaining balance can be released as unrestricted cash.

Can I choose any curriculum I want and still get funding?

On the funded pathway, your Education Program Plan must show you're covering core subject areas. But "covering" is interpreted broadly — you don't need to use Alberta-published textbooks. Families use everything from Montessori and Charlotte Mason approaches to online platforms like Khan Academy and IXL. The key is that your EPP shows the subjects are being addressed and your facilitator confirms this during evaluations.

What happens to the funding if I withdraw from the supervising board mid-year?

If you leave a supervised pathway mid-year, you forfeit the remaining grant for that year. Any unspent funds in your account revert to the board. You can re-register the following September with the same or a different board.

Is the $901 per child or per family?

Per child. A family with three children in grades 1-12 receives three separate grants totalling $2,703 (before board retention). A kindergarten student receives $450.50.

Can I use the funding for internet service, a computer, or a desk?

It depends on the board. Most boards allow educational technology purchases (tablets, educational software subscriptions) but not general household items. A computer used exclusively for education is typically approved. General internet service usually isn't, because it serves the whole household. Check your specific board's approved expense list before purchasing.

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