How to Homeschool in New Hampshire

A parent planning on beginning a home education program must notify the commissioner of the department of education, resident district superintendent, or principal of a nonpublic school of such within five business days of beginning the program. Notification must include a list of the names, addresses, and birth dates of all children participating in the program. The commissioner of the department of education, resident district superintendent, or principal of a nonpublic school must inform the parent of his receipt of the notification within 14 days of the receipt. N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193-A:5.

If a parent intends to terminate the home education program, he or she must submit a written notice of termination with the commissioner of education, and the resident district superintendent or nonpublic school principal within 15 days. N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193-A:5.

Home education satisfies New Hampshire's compulsory attendance law. N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193:1.

The state board of education must adopt rules, pursuant to N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §541-A, to administer home education programs. N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193-A3.

"Instruction shall be deemed home education if it consists of instruction in science, mathematics, language, government, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, the history of the constitutions of New Hampshire and the United States, and an exposure to and appreciation of art and music. The department of education, resident district superintendent, or a nonpublic school shall work with parents upon request in meeting these requirements." N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193-A:4.

The parent must maintain a portfolio of records consisting of "a log which designates by title the reading materials used, and also samples of writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or developed by the child." The parent must keep the portfolio on file for a minimum of two years from the date of the ending of the instruction. N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193-A:6.

A student in a home education program must receive an annual educational evaluation to demonstrate his/her educational progress is at a level commensurate with the student's age and ability. This requirement can be met in one of the following options:
1) a certified teacher or a teacher currently teaching in a nonpublic school selected by the parent may evaluate the student and submit a written evaluation to the commissioner of education, resident district superintendent, or nonpublic school principal;
2) the student may take any national student achievement test, administered by a person who meets the qualifications established by the provider or publisher of the test, and submit the results to the commissioner of education, resident district superintendent, or nonpublic school principal;
3) the student may take a state student assessment test used by the resident district and submit the results to the commissioner of education, the resident district superintendent, or nonpublic school principal; or
4) the student may be evaluated using "any other valid measurement tool mutually agreed upon by the parent and the commissioner of education, resident district superintendent, or nonpublic school principal." N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193-A:6.

"Nonpublic or home educated pupils shall have access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs offered by the school district in which the pupil resides. The local school board may adopt a policy regulating participation in curricular courses and cocurricular programs, provided that such policy shall not be more restrictive for non-public or home educated pupils than the policy governing the school district's resident pupils. N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193:1-c.

In this section, 'cocurricular' shall include those activities which are designed to supplement and enrich regular academic programs of study, provide opportunities for social development, and encourage participation in clubs, athletics, performing groups, and service to school and community. For purposes of allowing access as described in this section, a 'home educated pupil' shall not include any pupil who has graduated from a high school level program of home education, or its equivalent, or has attained the age of 21." N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §193:1-c.

A home education advisory council will carry out duties assigned by the commissioner of education. The council will work with home educators and representatives of private and public education to encourage understanding of home education. N.H. Code Admin. Rule Ed. 315.08(a).

Contact Information

New Hampshire Department of Education
Hugh J. Gallen State Office Park
101 Pleasant St.
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 271-3759
Toll-Free: (800) 339-9900
Fax: (603) 271-1953
Website: http://www.ed.state.nh.us

Source: United States Department of Education - New Hampshire State Regulations

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.

Intent to Home School Notification

Notify a participating agency 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.
For your convenience, the following notification New Hampshire Notification of Home Education Program (PDF) may be used.

The parent of a student currently enrolled in a public school shall advise the resident district superintendent of the child’s withdrawal from attendance in public school on or before the date the home education program shall begin.

A parent shall notify the selected participating agency in writing within 5 business days of commencing a home education program. Only the information enumerated in RSA 193-A:5, II shall be required in the notice. The parent shall provide contact information and update the notification information as necessary.

Within 14 days of receipt of the notification, a participating agency shall acknowledge receipt of the notification in accordance with the contact information provided by the parent, along with a request for any information required by RSA 193-A:5, II that was not included in the original notice.

Termination of a Home Education Program

A home education program shall remain in effect unless terminated in writing by the parent. A parent wishing to terminate a home education program shall notify the commissioner and the participating agency in writing within 15 days of termination while also satisfying any one of the alternatives for compulsory attendance listed in RSA 193:1.

If you are sending this form to the Commissioner of the NH Department of Education, please use the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Attendance Requirements

Pursuant to RSA 193:1,I(b), home education shall be an alternative to compulsory attendance at a public school. Dates and hours of instruction shall not be required to coincide with the resident district calendar. The academic term of a home education program shall not be required to coincide with the resident district academic year.

Record Keeping

In accordance with RSA 193-A:6, the parent shall keep a portfolio each year the child is being home educated. The portfolio shall be the property of the parent. Access to the portfolio shall be at the parent’s discretion, except as provided in RSA 193-A:6.

Assessment/Evaluation

The parent shall provide for an annual evaluation for a child that meets the requirements of the options enumerated in RSA 193-A:6, II.

The resident district superintendent, when acting as the participating agency, shall provide evaluation services, upon request of the parent. If the resident district superintendent is not acting as the participating agency, the resident district superintendent may provide evaluation services.

A parent intending to use the state or local assessment provided by the resident district shall notify the resident district superintendent in writing as soon as practicable to provide the district adequate time to prepare and obtain the testing materials.

If a parent chooses to have a portfolio review as the method of evaluation pursuant to RSA 193-A:6, II(a), the parent may choose a teacher who agrees to perform evaluation services, or the parent may request the evaluation to be performed through the resident district superintendent when the resident district superintendent is acting as the participating agency.

The contents of the portfolio shall comply with the requirements of RSA 193-A:6, I and include the following:
(1) The name and address of the teacher, including state recognized documentation of certification or the name and address of the nonpublic school in which the teacher is currently teaching;
(2) The date(s) on which the evaluation(s) took place;
(3) A description of the work reviewed;
(4) A summary of the child’s educational progress in the home education program concluding with a statement that the child has or has not made educational progress; and
(5) The signatures of the teacher and the parent.

The parent may choose any other valid measurement tool mutually agreed upon by the parent and the participating agency as provided for in RSA 193-A:6, II(d), including but not limited to:
a. Interview;
b. Educational progress in a particular curriculum as measured by the parent;
c. Educational progress in a particular curriculum as measured by the provider;
d. Review of the child’s portfolio by a participating agency;
e. Evaluation by a teacher in a program recognized by any state department of education; or
f. Specially prepared tests or evaluations measuring educational progress in a particular subject or curriculum.

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 New Hampshire Notification of Completion of a Home Education Program may be used.

Diplomas

New Hampshire homeschooled 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.

New Hampshire homeschooling law neither requires nor provides a secondary school completion credential for resident homeschooled students.

Under federal law, NH homeschooled students can self-certify that he/she has completed high school through homeschooling in order to be eligible for Federal Student Aid (FSA) funds.

New Hampshire Homeschool Contact:

Shireen Meskoob
Program Specialist
(603) 271-2831
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New Hampshire Home Schooling Links

• New Hampshire Home Education Evaluation Waiver (June 1, 2020)
• New Hampshire Homeschool Statutes and Regulations
• New Hampshire Homeschool Resources
• New Hampshire Sample Self Certification Form Relative to Higher Education (PDF)
• New Hampshire Home Education Advisory Council​

Source: New Hampshire Department of Education