Homeschoolers may end their home ed program at any time for any reason. This page explains how to officially close out your home education program and gives specific information for enrolling in other educational opportunities.
Terminating Your Home Ed Program
If you end your home ed program for any reason prior to your child’s completion of high school, it is necessary to notify your Participating Agency (the education entity to whom you originally filed your notification when you started) who may be your local SAU office, a private school, or the NH Department of Education within 15 days of the conclusion of your home ed program per RSA 193-A:5 and Ed 315 rules. You do not need to give an explanation or say where your child will be enrolled.
Families are required to notify their Participating Agency if...
a) the student is ending their home ed program to enroll in one of the other educational options -- a public school, private school, or the Education Freedom Account program,
b) moving out of district if the original notification was filed with the local SAU district office, or
c) changing Participating Agency relationships for any reason.
The content of your termination letter should mirror the same information as your original notification. You may send in a letter or email with the following information, use the template prepared by the NH Department of Education, or use the letter GSHE prepared:
- the children's names
- addresses
- birth dates
- parent(s)' name(s)
- date the home ed program will begin
- signature of the parent(s)
Graduation
In New Hampshire, homeschoolers may self-certify their children's completion of high school per Ed 315.16, the rules that govern home education.
Homeschoolers that follow RSA 193-A do not need to fulfill credits, take particular courses or tests, or pass a final matriculation exam in order to graduate. The requirement is to cover a list of broad subjects found in statute at some point in the child's grade 1 to 12 learning -- 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.
If a student completes the equivalent of high school prior to turning 18 years old, parents must file notice with the state Department of Education to satisfy compulsory attendance requirements per RSA 193:1, I(f)(2). If the student is 18 years of age or older, there is no need to file a notice with the NH Department of Education because the student is above the education attendance requirement age per RSA 193:1.
Complete details and more information are on the GSHE Graduation page.
Enrolling in Another Educational Option
If you are ending your home ed program to enroll your child in a different educational setting - there are four broad options - you are required to meet the new school’s enrollment requirements and follow their procedures in addition to formally notifying your Participating Agency that you concluded your home ed program.
New Hampshire's education law, RSA 193:1, applies to children who are six years old as of September 30th of the current school year to age 18. Kindergarten is optional. Once a child is of "school age," there are four educational options for families to satisfy the education attendance requirements:
- public education (local district or charter),
- private education,
- home education, or
- the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program, new as of summer 2021.
These are separate and distinct enrollment options; each child's status determines which requirements and choices apply. Each educational pathway has unique requirements, standards, statutes, and rules. Refer to this infographic as a visual explanation. Our team leader, Amanda, also created this brief video to simply explain these four educational pathways.
If your new school needs some kind of documentation about your child's education while homeschooling, we encourage families to pursue placement tests or provide transcripts that summarize what your child learned and the resources used. There are suggested resources for transcripts on our High School & Beyond page toward the bottom.
Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs)
EFAs are a new option for NH families as of summer 2021; it is a distinct and separate educational choice and not home education. The EFA is governed by the law in RSA 194-F and rules in Ed 324 which are different from the requirements and procedures for home education. Per RSA 194-F:2, IX, a home education program is ended once a child participates in an EFA program. Eligibility is based on the family's income level. Funds may be used for tuition at private schools or other approved educational uses by approved educational providers. The annual assessment must be submitted to the managing organization. The program is administered by the Children's Scholarship Fund NH; contact them if you have questions or wish to enroll.
Nonpublic/Private Schools
If your child enrolls in a nonpublic (private) school, then you must satisfy whatever their requirements are for enrollment and placement decisions. It will vary greatly so check with the intended school ahead of time to find out if they need documentation about your child’s homeschool experience or want placement tests. They may require participation in an admissions event or registration months ahead of the school year, so check with the individual school about their process and expectations. The approved nonpublic/private schools list is available on the NH Department of Education's website.
Chartered Public Schools
All of NH’s chartered public schools are part of the public school system. They do not charge tuition, may not discriminate against students, and are not limited by zip codes; however, they may have limited availability of seats per grade. Also, they may require participation in an Open House event or admission information session. Again, be informed about their enrollment requirements and procedures ahead of time. The list of approved charter schools is available on the NH DOE's website.
The Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS) is NH's only online chartered public school and is available as full-time and part-time enrollment. See this page on the GSHE website for more VLACS Information.
Local District Schools
If the plan is to enroll in the local public school, it may be useful to follow the state standards for your home ed program. These standards, which are College and Career Readiness Standards (aka Common Core), are available on the NH Department of Education’s website. They are listed by subject and grade level. The Health and PE curriculum guidelines are available here, and information about the Arts guidelines is available here. Homeschoolers are not required to adhere to public school pedagogy, curricula, scope/sequence, schedules, or other requirements of public education, but families may want to be informed of these instructional frameworks if the goal is to enter the public school system.
The process to enroll at the elementary-grade level is simple and usually involves a phone call to the appropriate local school. Students are typically assigned to their grade level based on age and rarely require a transcript or any other documentation from the student’s home education program.
It is more complicated at the high school level, especially for students entering at or above the 10th grade level. In NH, local public high school principals have the discretion to approve or deny credits towards graduation from any educational provider outside the district, including VLACS or other NH charter schools, accredited private institutions, and home education. To avoid unpleasant surprises, we encourage families to have an open discussion with the high school about their plans so you know the school’s expectations and requirements. The SAU may have their graduation policy and requirements posted on their website.
The list of all SAUs is available on the NH DOE website.
GSHE produced this video with suggestions to maximize credits that may be awarded towards graduation at their local public high schools.
By Michelle Levell