When making a decision to provide education at home for your family you will need to recognise you will have to meet the full cost, including books and all other resources, exam and course fees. Neither local authorities nor central government provide any financial assistance to home educators, so inevitably parents and carers will incur some expense. Although computers are by no means essential, they and internet access are a very useful resource for both parents and young people.
There are many sources of help and information available these days, especially via the internet. Internet access, and many other resources are available at libraries, schools and community facilities throughout the county. If you can afford them, an extensive range of educational publications and work programmes can be bought from bookshops. Some suppliers and venues will offer discounts to home educators.
On the other hand home educators do not have to buy school uniforms, pay bus fares to and from school, or the other incidental expenses connected with school, currently estimated at around an average of £1,000 per year, and they can also link-up with other families to share resources. There is a wide range of informative public broadcasting and much can be learned from everyday experiences and projects that cost very little.