Homeschooling in New Hampshire: the law and how to start

Yes. New Hampshire's compulsory attendance law, RSA 193:1, exempts a child who is receiving home education under RSA 193-A. You can also enroll your child in an approved private school instead.

Big change in 2026: House Bill 1268, signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte in July 2026, completely rewrote RSA 193-A. Under the new law, notifying your district or the state is optional, annual evaluations are gone, and keeping records is up to you. The law also removed the State Board of Education's rulemaking authority over home education and dissolved the Home Education Advisory Council.

Older guides (and some district policies) still describe the previous rules: a notice within five business days of starting, a portfolio of work and an annual evaluation. Those no longer reflect the law after HB 1268.

• Decide whether to notify. Under HB 1268 you can choose to let your resident school district or the state know you're homeschooling, but you don't have to. Notifying can still be helpful if your child is enrolled, so the school doesn't record them as truant.
• Withdraw an enrolled child in writing. If your child currently attends school, send the school a short written note saying you're withdrawing them to begin home education, and keep a copy.
• Choose your curriculum and approach. There's no required plan to file and no set number of days or hours.

If you want your child to take part in public school classes or activities, contact your district, which may ask you to identify your child as a home-educated student under its policy.

Before 2026, RSA 193-A required home educators to teach a list of subjects, including science, mathematics, language, government, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, the US and New Hampshire constitutions, and art and music appreciation. HB 1268 removed that requirement.

You now decide what and how to teach. Many families still cover these core areas because they are a sensible foundation and help if a child later enrolls in school or applies to college.

New Hampshire no longer requires an annual evaluation for home-educated children. Under the old law, families chose a standardized test, a certified teacher's review of a portfolio, or another agreed method each year; that requirement ended with HB 1268.

Keeping records is now optional. It's still wise to keep a simple log of what you've taught, samples of work and any test results, for at least a couple of years. They help if your child returns to school, applies for college, or you need to show that home education is taking place.

You prepare your teen's transcript and can issue a parent diploma when they've finished high school.

If your home-educated child completes the equivalent of high school before turning 18, RSA 193:1 has a provision for notifying the Department of Education so they are no longer subject to compulsory attendance. Students who are 18 or older don't need this.

Dual enrollment and college classes are open to many homeschool teens; check with community colleges and universities about their admission rules for homeschool students.

New Hampshire law gives home-educated students access to public school curricular and co-curricular programs in their resident district, including interscholastic sports, under district policies. The state reimburses districts for homeschoolers who take part, and HB 1268 did not change this.

Each district sets its own procedures, such as deadlines to sign up for classes and how eligibility for teams is handled. Ask your district for its home education access policy.

If your child may have a disability, contact your district's special education office about evaluation and services. HB 1268 also added provisions related to children with disabilities under RSA 186-C, so ask the district how they apply to you.

New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account (EFA) program gives families state funds for approved education expenses, including homeschool curriculum and materials, private school tuition and other services. A 2025 law (SB 295) removed the income limit, making the program open to all eligible students regardless of income, with an enrollment cap and priority groups.

EFA students are treated as a separate category from home-educated students under RSA 193-A, with their own rules, such as keeping receipts and meeting the program's assessment requirement. Students enrolled full-time in a public or charter school aren't eligible.

Program amounts, caps and deadlines change each year. For the 2026–27 school year, check current details with the program administrator, the Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire, and the Department of Education before applying.

New Hampshire has statewide home education organizations and many local support groups and co-ops. They can explain the 2026 changes, share curriculum ideas and organize classes and activities. Public libraries are also a useful resource.