How to Get a Discount Card
If you are homeschooling your children (seven years old & up) under the NC Homeschool laws, you will have completed your Notice of Intent to Homeschool and received your confirmation back by email. It is easy to print out your homeschool verification information at the NCDNPE website. You will need to sign in at the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education Website to print out your homeschool verification online.
If you are not sure how to do this, you can read step-by-step instructions at the Homeschool Discounts Page here.
Once you have that printed out, you can use it as evidence that you are home educating your children in order to get an educator’s discount.
What if I am Homeschooling, but My Child is too Young for Me to File an NOI?
If you are currently homeschooling, but have not been able to file your Notice of Intent because your student is a preschooler, or is not yet seven, you have probably wondered if you are eligible for any educator’s discounts. Many places allow you to provide them with an alternative identification method if you do not yet have your “school ID number” from the state. Tips for you :
- The Frugal Homeschooling Mom has a really nice template that allows you to make ID cards for your homeschool. The TFHSM download page is here at the Teachers-Pay Teachers website and while you are there you may want to check out her other educational resources as well! This is an inexpensive way to make a nice ID card for your homeschoolers. These are also needed for your high schoolers if they take the PSAT, ACT or SAT tests and do not have their Driver’s License yet.
- If you join a state or national group/homeschool association like NCHE, the National Center for Life and Liberty, or HSLDA then your ID or membership card in that association may qualify you to receive an educator’s discount card from some stores and obtain an educational discount at museums and for field trips.
- Your local homeschool support group may provide ID cards at the beginning of the school year.
- Academic Excellence has photo ID cards you can order. This is a high quality picture ID (not a download) & you can customize your background including an NC design all for only $5, plus shipping of $.50.
- You can get a free ID card when you join the Homeschool Buyers Co-op which is also free. You can click here to visit their website and read all the details.
What Types of Benefits Am I Eligible For?
If you don’t have some type of Educator’s ID card yet, I recommend that you get one so that you can take advantage of savings that you are eligible for as an educator. Always check to see if a store offers an educator’s discount or rewards program. It can save you a lot of money over the years. If you are looking for a list of specific discounts homeschoolers are eligible to receive, you may also want to visit my homeschool discounts list.
The Barnes & Noble stores Educator Appreciation Days, Scholastic Warehouse Sales, a discount at some museum stores, field trips and even regular retail stores offer a discount as a way of thanking teachers for their investment in our future.
Your community appreciates you as an educator, so let them show their love!
