The Short Answer
Homeschooling is legal in Saskatchewan as a registered home-based education program. You register with a school division by sending a notification form and a written education plan at least 30 days before you start, and you re-register each year by August 15. There is no province-wide funding, but many divisions pay home-based families their own grants, sometimes several hundred dollars per child, so where you register matters. Through the year you keep a portfolio of your child's work and submit one annual progress report. You design your own program and are not required to deliver the provincial curriculum.
Verified June 2026. Reflects The Education Act, 1995 (Part VII) and the Home-Based Education Program Regulations, 2015.
Homeschooling in Saskatchewan at a Glance
| Notice required? | Yes. A notification form plus a written education plan to your school division, at least 30 days before starting. Re-register each year by August 15. |
|---|---|
| Testing or assessment required? | No standardized testing required. You submit one annual progress report, which can use a portfolio, an outside evaluation, or test results. |
| Recordkeeping required? | Yes. You keep a portfolio of each child's work through the year. |
| Funding available? | No province-wide grant, but many divisions fund families. Amounts vary, from a few hundred dollars to around $800 per child. |
| Must you follow the curriculum? | No. You design your own program, though your education plan shows how your child learns across core areas. |
| Compulsory age range | 7 to 15 years old. |
The Legal Basics
Saskatchewan recognizes home-based education under The Education Act and the Home-Based Education Program Regulations, 2015. You do not ask permission to homeschool, you register. Your child is legally excused from school attendance once they are enrolled in a registered home-based education program, and your school division is the registering authority that holds your file.
The registered route is parent-directed. You choose your resources, your methods, and your pace, and you are not required to deliver the provincial curriculum the way a classroom does. Your written education plan does have to show how your child will learn across the core areas, but that is a plan you write, not a script you follow.
Where the Funding Really Comes From
This is the part that pays off if you get it right. Saskatchewan does not run a single province-wide funding program, so the money depends entirely on your school division. Some divisions offer real grants for home-based families. Regina Public Schools, for example, has offered around $800 per elementary student and $550 per high school student toward educational materials, with a mid-September application deadline. Other divisions offer a few hundred dollars toward technology and curriculum, and some offer little or nothing.
Because the amount swings so widely, the division you register with is a financial decision, not just a geographic one. Ask each division you are considering what home-based grant it offers, what it covers, and what the deadline is. A short round of calls before you register can be worth hundreds of dollars in curriculum by fall. Our guide on Saskatchewan homeschool funding shows which divisions have paid and how to compare them. If you are choosing materials to spend it on, our guide on how to choose homeschool curriculum helps you spend it well.
Choosing the right curriculum gets easier when you know what to teach, what to skip, and where to start.
Get the GuideA simple step-by-step plan for getting started.
How to Start Homeschooling in Saskatchewan, Step by Step
Step 1: Choose Your School Division
Pick the division you will register with. Start with your local one, then ask what home-based funding and support it offers, since that varies a lot. If a nearby division funds families better, it is worth asking whether you can register there.
Step 2: File Your Notification and Education Plan
Send the Notification of a Home-based Education Program form and your written education plan to your registering authority at least 30 days before you plan to start. The education plan describes how your child will learn across the core subjects. Plan requirements vary by division, so ask yours for its template or checklist. For a full walk-through of the form, the plan, and the deadlines, see our guide on Saskatchewan homeschool registration.
Step 3: Register by the Deadline
Register your child each year by August 15. Watch for separate, earlier funding deadlines, because some divisions set a mid-September cutoff to qualify for their grant. Missing the funding deadline does not stop you homeschooling, but it can cost you the money for that year.
Step 4: Keep a Portfolio Through the Year
Maintain a portfolio of each child's work as you go. Drop in writing samples, math pages, projects, and reading lists across the year rather than scrambling at the end. The portfolio is your evidence of progress and the backbone of your yearly report.
Step 5: Submit Your Annual Progress Report
Near the end of the school year, send an annual progress report for each child to your registering authority. The report can draw on the portfolio, an evaluation by someone other than you, or standardized test results. You choose the form that fits your family. To get a clear read on where your child sits before you report, our free reading assessment gives you a concrete starting point.
What You Have to Report
The yearly requirements are lighter than new parents fear. You keep a portfolio, and you submit one annual progress report for each child. There is no required standardized test, no monthly check-in, and no classroom curriculum to march through. The Regulations let your progress report take several forms, so a family that dislikes testing can report through a portfolio instead, and a family that wants an outside opinion can use an independent evaluation. For a full walk-through of the portfolio and the report, see our guide on the Saskatchewan homeschool progress report.
High School and Graduation
Home-based education on its own does not issue a Saskatchewan high school diploma, since your child is not an enrolled credit student. Teens who want official credits or a diploma usually take courses through a distance learning school or enrol for the senior years, which lets them earn recognized credits while you keep teaching the rest. If university is the goal, plan the high school years early and check the admission requirements of the programs your teen is eyeing, since homeschoolers can also apply as mature or non-standard applicants.
Val's Note: What This Really Means for You
Saskatchewan is friendlier than its reputation, and the funding story is the proof. People hear "no province-wide grant" and assume there is nothing, when the truth is that the money is just hiding inside the divisions. The work is on you to find it, but it is real, and a couple of phone calls can turn it up.
So here is what I would do. Before you register, call two or three divisions and ask the same three questions: what grant do you offer home-based families, what does it cover, and when is the deadline. Register with the one that treats you best, file your notification and plan early, and keep a simple folder of your kid's work all year so the spring report writes itself. The rules here are light. Spend your energy on the funding and the teaching, not on worry.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Homeschooling Legal in Saskatchewan?
Yes. You run a registered home-based education program under The Education Act and the Home-Based Education Program Regulations, 2015, by registering with a school division.
Does Saskatchewan Pay You to Homeschool?
There is no province-wide grant, but many individual divisions fund home-based families. Amounts vary, with some divisions offering several hundred dollars per child, so where you register matters.
How Do I Register?
Send the Notification of a Home-based Education Program form and a written education plan to your school division at least 30 days before starting, and re-register each year by August 15.
What Do I Have to Submit Each Year?
You keep a portfolio of each child's work and submit one annual progress report to your registering authority near the end of the year. The report can use a portfolio, an outside evaluation, or test results.
Do I Have to Follow the Provincial Curriculum?
No. Registered home-based educators design their own program, though your education plan must show how your child learns across the core areas.
Sources
This guide was verified in June 2026 against the following primary sources. Funding and deadlines vary by school division, so confirm details with your registering authority.