Home Education

Home Education is an alternative to attendance at a public or private school and is an individualized form of instruction in accordance with Chapter 279:2, laws of 1990.

How to Enroll your Child in Home Education

A parent is eligible under the Administrative Rules, Ed 315 to establish a home education program for a child between 6 and 18 years of age including an "educationally disabled child" as defined under RSA 186-C:2,I, provided that the definition of "educationally disabled child" as defined under RSA 186-C:2,I, for the purposes of Ed 315, shall be applicable only to children between 6 and 18 years of age.

Step 1

Notify a participating agency within five business days of commencement that you intend to enroll your child in a home education program.  The participating agency may be the Commissioner of Education, the Superintendent of your local school district, or the Head of a nonpublic school that has agreed to be a participating agency. This notification is only required once upon initiating a home education program, and not annually. 

For your convenience, the following notification form may (not required) be used:

Notification of Home Education Program 

Please note: Do not submit a notification form to a participating agency if you are utilizing EFA funding. Further clarification on the process for families enrolled in the EFA is detailed below.

If you are sending this form to the Commissioner of the NH Department of Education, please use the following email address: homeeducation@doe.nh.gov

Step 2

If the student is currently enrolled in a public school, the parent must inform the school that their child is withdrawing from the public school.

Notification of Termination of a Home Education Program

Written notice of termination of a home education program shall be filed by the parent with the Commissioner of Education, the resident district superintendent, or the head of a participating nonpublic school within 15 days of termination. 

For your convenience, the following notification form may (not required) be used: 

Notification of Termination of a Home Education Program

If you are sending this form to the Commissioner of the NH Department of Education, please use the following email address: homeeducation@doe.nh.gov. 

Notification of Completion of a Home Education Program

When the parent of a child under the age of 18 submits a document to the department certifying that the child has completed the home education program at the high school level the student shall be determined to have met the requirements for successful completion of a home education program.

For your convenience, the following notification form may (not required) be used:

Notification of Completion of a Home Education Program

Higher Education Admissions and Financial Aid

For Higher Education Administrators

New Hampshire Home Education law neither requires nor provides a secondary school completion credential for resident home educated students.

New Hampshire home educated students satisfy academic and eligibility requirements set forth in the Higher Education Act and the Federal Student Aid Handbook, Volume 1, Chapter 1, by providing self-certification of secondary school completion through home education as defined by New Hampshire law, RSA-193-A.

Under federal law, NH home educated students can self-certify that they have completed high school through home education in order to be eligible for Federal Student Aid (FSA) funds.

See Self Certification of Secondary School Completion

Funding Sources for Home Education Families

Education Tax Credit (ETC) Scholarship Information

The Education Tax Credit (ETC) scholarships are managed by the New Hampshire Children’s Scholarship Fund to allow New Hampshire students to attend a private school, online school, or homeschool that is a better fit for them and their learning needs.  

To be eligible for a New Hampshire ETC as a Home Education student (as defined by RSA 193-A)

  1. You must be a New Hampshire resident.
  2. You must have a child/children between the ages of 6 and 18 who has not graduated from high school.
  3. Your household income must not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level. 

To find more information about the New Hampshire ETC, visit the New Hampshire Children’s Scholarship Fund.

Child Find Resources

Child Find is a Federally supported process of identifying all persons from birth to age 21 who may have an educational disability. To obtain further information, contact Child Find at (603)628-6257.

Child Find is part of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Act. This is a law with the intent to serve the education needs of kids with disabilities. Each state and its public schools must have policies and procedures for finding these children who may have special education needs. This applies to home educated children, as well.

All public K-12 schools have evaluation systems. If you feel your home educated child may benefit from the learning resources your local district has in place for its students, you may consider reaching out to the district of which your student is a resident.

NHED Child Find Rules

Parent Information Center of NH

Useful Links

Education Freedom Account (EFA) Program Information

Homeschooling using the Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) is not considered Home Education under RSA 193-A. However, NHED feels it is important to make families aware of this opportunity for their children.

The EFA program was created by the State of New Hampshire to help expand educational opportunities for New Hampshire children. Eligible New Hampshire families earning up to 350% of the poverty line can direct part of their child’s state education funding to pay for tuition at the school of their choice, tutoring, online learning programs, educational supplies, and other educational expenses. A full listing of eligible EFA expenses can be found in RSA 194-F:2(a – o).

Students who have previously notified as Home Educating under RSA 193-A must terminate their Home Education program in accordance with NHED rule Ed 315.06 and RSA 193-A:5(III) prior to enrolling in the EFA program pursuant to the requirements of RSA 194-F:2, IX.  Additionally, unlike students notified as Home Educating under RSA 193-A, EFA students do not have the same right to access their resident public school curricular and cocurricular programs as guaranteed by RSA 193:1-c. 

To be eligible for a New Hampshire EFA

  1. You and your student must be New Hampshire residents.
  2. Your child must be at least 5 years old and no older than 20 years old and entering Kindergarten – 12th grade.
  3. Your family’s income must be at or below 350% of the federal poverty level guidelines. 
  4. You must complete the application process and sign the EFA agreement, which includes agreeing to share academic accountability documents.

To find more information about qualifying and applying for the New Hampshire EFA, visit the New Hampshire Children’s Scholarship Fund.

 

Contact:

Alyson Landrigan
Bureau of Educational Opportunities
Alyson.R.Landrigan@doe.nh.gov
(603)805-9581