Iowa Home School Assistance Program (HSAP): Free Curriculum and Teacher Support

Iowa's Home School Assistance Program gives CPI homeschool families access to a district-employed certified teacher, a lending library of curriculum materials, and enrichment classes — all at zero cost. It is the most underused resource in Iowa homeschooling.

What HSAP Actually Provides

HSAP is run by local public school districts across Iowa. When you enroll, the district assigns a certified teacher consultant who serves as your supervising teacher under CPI Option 1. That teacher provides:

• Regular consultations on curriculum planning, instructional methods, and student progress
• Access to curriculum lending libraries maintained by the district — textbooks, workbooks, lab kits, and instructional materials you borrow for the school year and return when done
• Enrichment classes and group activities organized by the HSAP program — field trips, science labs, art sessions, music instruction, and other group learning experiences
• Standardized testing coordination — your supervising teacher can administer required assessments

The district receives approximately 30% of per-pupil state funding for each HSAP-enrolled student, which funds the teacher position and resource library. This is not charity — districts have a financial incentive to run quality programs.

Who Qualifies

HSAP is available to families educating under Competent Private Instruction (CPI) Option 1. Under this pathway, the parent provides instruction at home with supervision from a licensed teacher — and HSAP supplies that teacher through the public district.

You must file Form A with your local public school district. The Form A filing deadline is September 1 for most districts (September 15 for some HSAPs — check with your specific district). You cannot enroll in HSAP without Form A on file.

IPI (Independent Private Instruction) families are not eligible for HSAP. IPI is a separate legal category with no state reporting requirements and no supervising teacher.

HSAP vs. the ESA — Different Programs for Different Families

Iowa's Students First ESA provides $8,148 per student for tuition at an accredited nonpublic school. HSAP provides in-kind support — teacher time, curriculum materials, enrichment programs — for families educating at home under CPI.

The two programs are mutually exclusive. A child enrolled full-time in an accredited nonpublic school (ESA-eligible) is not educating under CPI and cannot simultaneously use HSAP. A child in HSAP is educating under CPI at home and is not eligible for ESA funds.

The choice is real: $8,148 toward a private school with someone else's curriculum and mandatory testing, or free curriculum loans and teacher support while you maintain full control over what and how your child learns.

What Districts Offer HSAP

Not every Iowa public school district runs an HSAP, though most larger districts do. Programs vary significantly in quality and resources depending on the district:

West Des Moines Community Schools, Iowa City Community School District, and Davenport Community School District all operate established HSAPs with lending libraries and enrichment programming. Smaller rural districts may offer basic supervising teacher services without the enrichment component.

Contact your resident public school district directly to ask whether they operate an HSAP and what resources are available. If your district does not offer one, you can still homeschool under CPI Option 1 — you would need to find a licensed Iowa teacher to serve as your supervising teacher independently, or switch to CPI Option 2 (parent-directed, no supervising teacher required).

Combining HSAP with Other Benefits

HSAP-enrolled families can stack several additional benefits:

• Dual enrollment — your child can take individual classes at the local public school, join athletic teams, and participate in extracurricular activities under Iowa Code section 257.6(3)
• Senior Year Plus — high school-age HSAP students can access tuition-free community college courses through concurrent enrollment
• Iowa Tuition and Textbook Tax Credit — claim 25% of the first $2,000 per dependent on qualified educational expenses (textbooks, driver's ed fees, music lessons, instrument rentals), for a maximum credit of $500 per child on your Iowa state tax return

None of these require giving up your homeschool status or enrolling in a private school.

The Iowa Students First ESA Parent Guide includes a complete side-by-side comparison of HSAP, ESA, and every other Iowa educational pathway — what each one funds, what each one requires, and what trade-offs come with each choice.

See more Iowa guides →