Homeschooling Grant Program

Homeschooling Grant Program is sponsored by Mother Cabrini Maine Catholic Education Initiative. Provides grants to Catholic homeschooling families and cooperatives in Maine for educational resources.

After a successful launch in 2025, The Mother Cabrini Maine Catholic Education Initiative's Annual Grant Program is now in its second year. This grant provides tangible support to Catholic homeschoolers and Catholic homeschool cooperatives across Maine in their mission to provide faithful, high-quality education to Catholic children.

This initiative reflects the Diocese’s ongoing commitment to nurturing Catholic identity and academic excellence in all educational settings. Recipients may use their grant for a variety of educational resources in qualifying categories such as books, art and science supplies, religion instruction and pilgrimages, technology supports, academic testing etc. A full list of qualifying categories is available on the checklists below.

Grants are available to individual Catholic homeschooling families who are active members of their parishes, as well as to organized Catholic homeschool cooperatives operating within the Diocese of Portland.

For the purpose of qualifying for this grant, a “Catholic Homeschool Cooperative” is defined as such: _A Catholic homeschool co-op is a group of Catholic homeschooling families who meet regularly, usually weekly or bi-weekly, at a parish hall or similar location to provide structured classes for their children. Administration is formal though simple and often shared by the members.

Instruction is led by parents, volunteers, or hired teachers. Co-ops focus on education, faith formation, enrichment, or any combination of the three. In comparison, they are not primarily social playgroups or adult support gatherings, although socializing and support are natural and desirable components.

_ **Note:**Families affiliated with homeschool cooperatives, along with their co-op leaders, will need to determine whether to apply as a cooperative or have families apply individually. A family may receive funding through an individual family grant or through a homeschool cooperative grant - but not both. However, individual family grant funds may be used to cover cooperative fees or other expenses related to participating in a co-op.

Applications open: January 19, 2026 Final application deadline: August 30, 2026 Disbursement by October 31, 2026 Applications are currently open and will be processed on a rolling basis. We recommend applying as soon as possible. Applications will be accepted and award notifications will be sent on a first come, first serve basis until all funds are allocated.

Interested applicants are encouraged to review the criteria and prepare materials in advance. Application guideline checklists can be found here: Co-op ChecklistIndividual Family Checklist When all materials are prepared, you can access the applications here: Co-op ApplicationIndividual Family Application