The Short Answer
Once your District Education Authority approves your home schooling program, you can claim reimbursement for programming costs. The reported maximum is approximately $1,000 per student per year, administered by your DEA. Keep receipts for every purchase you make for your program. Confirm the exact current amount and the claim process with your DEA before purchasing materials, since the reimbursement is not automatic and procedures vary by community.
Verified June 2026 against the Government of Nunavut Education and Schools pages and the District Education Authority information at gov.nu.ca. The reimbursement amount shown is the figure reported in government materials; confirm the current amount and claim procedure with your DEA before purchasing.
Nunavut Homeschool Funding at a Glance
| What it covers | Programming costs for DEA-approved home school programs |
|---|---|
| Reported maximum | ~$1,000 per student per year (verify with your DEA) |
| Who administers it | Your District Education Authority (DEA) |
| How to claim | Keep receipts; submit to your DEA (confirm process with them) |
| When you can claim | After DEA approval of your program |
| Is it automatic | No; you must submit through your DEA |
| Per-student or per-family | Per student (confirm with your DEA) |
What the Reimbursement Is For
The reimbursement covers programming costs for your DEA-approved home schooling program. Programming costs are the expenses you incur to deliver the educational program the DEA has approved: curriculum materials, books, workbooks, educational software, and similar resources that are directly part of your teaching. The framing matters: the reimbursement is for costs tied to your approved program, not for general household purchases.
A set of phonics workbooks tied to your reading program qualifies. A desk or a shelf probably does not. Art supplies consumed as part of the program are stronger candidates than durable equipment that stays in the house after the school year ends. Keep your receipts organized by whether they are clearly program-related, because that is how they will be evaluated when you submit.
The $1,000 figure is the amount reported in government sources as of June 2026. Because the reimbursement is administered locally by your DEA rather than centrally by the Department of Education, the exact amount and the claim process can vary. Confirm the current figure with your DEA before you budget around it, and ask at the same time about submission timing: does your DEA want receipts monthly, at end of year, or at another point in the school year?
How to Claim
Claiming the reimbursement starts with keeping records from the day your DEA approves your program. Every purchase you make for your teaching program needs a receipt: paper or digital, as long as it shows what you bought, from whom, and when. Start this habit on approval day, not weeks later when you realize you have been spending without tracking.
When it is time to submit, you bring those receipts to your DEA. The exact submission process is set by your DEA: some may want receipts on a monthly basis, others may accept an end-of-year submission, and some may have a specific form. Your local school or the DEA chair can tell you what the process looks like in your community. Find out before the year starts, not at the end of it.
The reimbursement is not automatic. You apply for it by submitting your receipts through whatever process your DEA requires. If you do not submit, you do not receive it. Make it a habit from the start of your approved program to collect receipts as you go, sorted by month, so the submission is not a scramble when the deadline arrives. A simple folder per month, paper or digital, works well and costs nothing to set up.
Contact your DEA when your program is approved and ask three things at that meeting: how do I claim, what do you want to see, and when do you want it? That conversation takes ten minutes and removes most of the confusion that families run into at year-end.
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What Is Not Covered
The reimbursement covers programming costs, not capital costs or personal expenses. Items that are unlikely to qualify include furniture, devices purchased for general household use, internet service, and equipment that has uses beyond your child's education. The test is whether the expense is tied to the specific program the DEA approved: if the answer is yes and it is something you would not have bought otherwise, it is likely a reasonable claim. If it has a clear use outside of your child's schooling, it probably is not.
You also cannot claim costs from before your DEA approved your program. If you purchased materials before approval came through, those expenses are outside the covered period. This is one reason to get your DEA approval in place before you start spending on curriculum: buying before approval creates costs that cannot be reimbursed no matter how program-related they are.
When in doubt about whether a specific purchase qualifies, ask your DEA before you buy. Getting confirmation ahead of time is far better than making a purchase and finding out it does not qualify at submission. Your DEA knows what has been approved before and can tell you quickly whether an item falls inside or outside the scope of the reimbursement.
Getting the Most From the Support
Up to $1,000 per student covers a lot of curriculum for a primary-age child. A structured reading program with decodable books and phonics materials can run $100 to $300. A full-year math curriculum might cost $80 to $150. Add a writing program, some science resources, and geography materials, and you can fill the budget comfortably with a well-planned year. The reading assessment helps you start with the right program for your child's level, which means you are buying materials that match where your child is rather than guessing.
Plan your purchases around your approved Education Program Plan, not the other way around. Your program gets approved first, and then you buy the materials to deliver it. Buying curriculum before approval creates the risk that your program as approved differs from what you purchased, which leaves you with materials you may not be able to use and costs outside the reimbursable period. Let the plan drive the purchasing.
If you have more than one school-age child, each approved program qualifies separately. The $1,000 figure is per student, so a family with two approved home schooling programs has access to up to $2,000 in reimbursement across the year. Confirm the per-student interpretation with your DEA, since local administration means local rules apply. See the Nunavut DEA approval guide for how to get your program approved and the complete Nunavut homeschooling guide for the full picture of what the territory requires.
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Val's Note: What This Really Means for You
When I look at a reimbursement-based model compared to something like Alberta's per-student funding, the difference is real: Alberta families receive money upfront and can build their year around it. Nunavut's model requires you to spend first and recoup later, which means you need to have the cash available before the reimbursement arrives. For families in remote communities where shipping costs are high, that lag matters. Budget for the full cost of your program, submit your receipts promptly, and treat the reimbursement as a repayment rather than a grant you receive before spending.
The thing families most often miss is the claim process conversation. They spend the year collecting receipts and then discover the DEA wanted them submitted quarterly, or in a specific format, or by a date that has already passed. Contact your DEA at the point of approval, not at the end of the year. Find out exactly what they want and when they want it. That is the whole game with this particular funding model.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Is the Nunavut Homeschool Reimbursement?
Government sources report up to approximately $1,000 per student per year. Confirm the current amount with your DEA before purchasing materials, since the reimbursement is administered locally and amounts can vary by community.
What Do I Need to Claim?
Receipts for program costs tied to your approved home schooling plan. Keep receipts from the day your DEA approves your program. Ask your DEA about the submission process and deadline before the year begins.
Can I Claim Before My Program Is Approved?
No. The reimbursement covers costs in an approved program. Expenses before DEA approval are not eligible.
Does My Child Need to Be Enrolled at the Local School?
Yes. Your child must be registered at the local school and your program must be approved by the DEA. Both conditions must be met before any reimbursement applies.
What If I Have Two Children Being Homeschooled?
The reimbursement is per student. Two approved programs means up to approximately $1,000 per student. Confirm the per-student interpretation with your DEA before budgeting around it.
What Costs Are Not Covered?
Costs not tied to your approved program, such as furniture, general household equipment, and internet service, are unlikely to qualify. Ask your DEA about any specific item before purchasing if you are unsure.
Sources
This guide was verified in June 2026 against the following primary sources. Confirm the current reimbursement amount and claim process with your DEA before purchasing materials.