Last verified 2026-05-17
Homeschool Discount Laptops from Notebooks for Students (NFS)
Notebooks for Students (NFS) is a nonprofit that sells refurbished, professional-grade laptops to homeschool families at the same prices public schools pay. Most laptops cost $150 to $395, and every machine comes with a free 4-year warranty that includes remote tech support, hardware repair, and replacement batteries and charging cords. [Source: notebooksforstudents.org/homeschoollaptopdiscount/ (accessed 2026-05-17)]
NFS was founded in 1998 at California State University, Northridge. In 2013-2014 they worked with Microsoft to get homeschool students recognized as "Qualified Educational Users," which is what lets them sell to homeschoolers at school pricing. Since 2014 they have served over 10,000 homeschool families. [Source: notebooksforstudents.org/about-nfs/ (accessed 2026-05-17)]
Who qualifies
Any homeschool family in the U.S. There is no income test, no proof-of-homeschool paperwork, and no minimum number of students. You self-identify as a homeschool family at checkout.
What you get
- A refurbished, off-lease "professional class" laptop (Dell Latitude, HP EliteBook, HP Chromebook, and similar — these come from corporate fleets, not consumer retail).
- A 4-year warranty covering hardware repair, software installation, virus removal, file recovery, printer setup, internet setup, and online/DVD curriculum support.
- Remote tech support sessions whenever something breaks (NFS says they have completed over 2,900 of these and shipped 1,760+ replacement batteries and charging cords — that's $502,000 in service costs they have absorbed for customers). [Source: notebooksforstudents.org/homeschoollaptopdiscount/ (accessed 2026-05-17)]
How much it costs
Current pricing as of May 2026 [Source: notebooksforstudents.org/homeschoollaptopdiscount/ (accessed 2026-05-17)]:
- HP Chromebook 11 (G6 / G7): $150
- Dell Latitude (various models): $245-$295
- HP EliteBook 840 G3: $265 (marked down from $295)
- Dell Latitude E6530 with Intel i7: $395
Click "HOME" on their site for current best-value picks by grade level (K-12).
How to apply / buy
- Go to notebooksforstudents.org and pick a laptop.
- Add it to the cart.
- At checkout, in the Student Name field, enter the parent's last name.
- In the Educational Institution field, type Homeschool.
- Complete checkout. That's it — the discount is baked into the listed price.
If you want to buy 5 or more laptops together (a co-op, pod, or extended family group), email cs@notebooksforstudents.org with the grade levels of each student. NFS will reply with suggested models and a group price list.
Common pitfalls
- Don't expect a brand-new laptop. These are refurbished off-lease business machines. They are sturdy and well-supported but cosmetically used.
- No discount code is needed. Older guides online mention codes like "HOMESCHOOL2021" — ignore those. The price you see in the cart is already the homeschool price once you fill in the two fields above.
- Pick by grade level. A $150 Chromebook is fine for elementary; high schoolers running heavier software should look at the Dell Latitude or HP EliteBook tier.
- Save the warranty contact info. The 4-year warranty is the biggest reason to buy from NFS instead of a random eBay refurb. If something breaks, email cs@notebooksforstudents.org before paying anyone else to fix it.
Where to get help
- NFS customer service: cs@notebooksforstudents.org
- Warranty details: notebooksforstudents.org/warranty/
- Purchase walkthrough with screenshots: notebooksforstudents.org/purchase/
Sources
- Homeschool program page: https://notebooksforstudents.org/homeschoollaptopdiscount/ (accessed 2026-05-17)
- About NFS: https://notebooksforstudents.org/about-nfs/ (accessed 2026-05-17)
- Warranty: https://notebooksforstudents.org/warranty/ (accessed 2026-05-17)
