Best NH Homeschool Portfolio Tool for EFA Families Using ClassWallet

If you're a New Hampshire EFA family and need a documentation system that handles your Education Freedom Account requirements — and, if your family also maintains a traditional RSA 193-A program, keeps that documentation separate — the best tool is one that explicitly separates these tracks. EFA-only families prepare the EFA Annual Record of Educational Attainment and financial records; families maintaining both programs have additional RSA 193-A portfolio and evaluation obligations. Conflating these systems is the most common — and most expensive — mistake EFA families make.

The EFA grant through RSA 194-F is genuinely transformative for families. But the accountability requirements are strict, and they're entirely different from what traditional homeschoolers under RSA 193-A need to track. Failure to provide the July 15 Annual Record of Educational Attainment to the Children's Scholarship Fund portal results in an immediate freeze of EFA funds, and the record is required to maintain eligibility for the following year.

The Dual-Track Problem

Most New Hampshire homeschool resources — including NHHA, GSHE, and every Etsy planner on the market — were built before the EFA programme expanded to its current size of over 4,200 students. They treat homeschool documentation as a single system. For traditional homeschoolers, that's accurate. For EFA families, it's dangerously incomplete.

Here's what each track requires:

Track 1: RSA 193-A (Traditional Homeschool Portfolio, if maintained alongside EFA)

Families who also maintain a traditional RSA 193-A program keep this track:

• Notice of Intent filed with participating agency
• Reading log designating materials used
• Work samples in eleven subjects
• Annual evaluation via one of four methods
• Portfolio retained for two years

Track 2: RSA 194-F (EFA Accountability)

EFA families maintain this track whether or not they also maintain RSA 193-A:

• ClassWallet expenditure documentation — receipts for every purchase made with EFA funds
• Per-pupil invoices — for service providers, tutors, and curriculum vendors
• Annual Record of Educational Attainment — uploaded to the Children's Scholarship Fund portal by July 15
• Approved expense categories — curriculum materials, tutoring, educational services, testing fees, and other approved uses

The Annual Record must be one of the following:

• Standardized test scores showing Total, Math, and ELA results
• A dated report card
• A signed portfolio evaluation letter from a certified teacher affirming educational progress

Failure to provide the record results in an immediate freeze of EFA funds, and the record is required to maintain eligibility for the following year. If your expenditures don't align with approved categories, you risk audit findings.

Comparing Documentation Tools for EFA Families

Why ClassWallet Alone Isn't Enough

ClassWallet handles the financial side of your EFA: you request funds, make purchases through the platform, and upload receipts. It's a spending tool, not a documentation tool.

What ClassWallet doesn't do:

• Prepare your Annual Record of Educational Attainment for the CSF portal upload
• Track a separate RSA 193-A portfolio or evaluation if your family maintains that program
• Remind you that your July 15 upload has a different format and purpose from any RSA 193-A portfolio evaluation
• Organise the records needed for the CSF portal upload
• Help you understand which of your expenditures might be flagged in an audit

Many EFA families assume that because ClassWallet tracks their spending, their documentation is handled. It isn't. The academic accountability side — the Annual Record of Educational Attainment — is your responsibility to prepare and upload separately.

The July 15 Deadline: What It Means in Practice

The timeline works backwards from July 15:

• April–May: If you plan to use a teacher letter or standardized test, schedule the evaluation
• May–June: Complete that evaluation and obtain either test scores or a signed evaluation letter
• June: Ensure your ClassWallet expenditure records are complete and categorised correctly
• Before July 15: Upload your Annual Record of Educational Attainment to the CSF portal

If you're using a certified teacher evaluation, you need the evaluator's signed letter in hand before July 15 — not just scheduled. If you're using standardized testing, you need the actual scores, not just the test date. Plan backwards from the deadline, not forwards from the school year.

Who This Matters Most To

• EFA families in their first year who don't yet understand the EFA requirements or the optional dual-track structure
• Families who've been mixing EFA and RSA 193-A documentation in one system and are confused about what goes where
• Parents approaching their first July 15 deadline who aren't sure what the Annual Record of Educational Attainment requires
• Families considering the EFA programme who want to understand the documentation burden before applying
• Parents in Manchester, Nashua, or Concord whose districts treat EFA families differently from traditional homeschoolers

Who This Is NOT For

• Traditional homeschool families who aren't on the EFA programme — your documentation requirements are simpler (RSA 193-A only)
• Families who've been through multiple EFA cycles and have a working system
• Parents who only need ClassWallet help — the ClassWallet platform itself has its own support resources

The Hidden Risk: Mixing Tracks

The most common documentation mistake for families maintaining both tracks is treating their RSA 193-A portfolio and their EFA records as one system. This creates three problems:

1. Different audiences. If you maintain both tracks, your RSA 193-A portfolio is reviewed by your annual evaluator (a certified teacher, typically). Your EFA records are reviewed by the Children's Scholarship Fund. These are different organisations with different expectations.

2. Different formats. When both tracks apply, the RSA 193-A portfolio is a binder of reading logs and work samples. The EFA Annual Record is a specific upload — test scores, a dated report card, or an evaluation letter — to a specific portal. They're not interchangeable.

3. Different timelines. When both tracks apply, your RSA 193-A evaluation can happen any time during the year (most families schedule in May–June). Your EFA upload has a hard July 15 deadline. If you're treating them as one task, you risk completing the evaluation but missing the upload, or completing the upload but not retaining the portfolio.

The New Hampshire Portfolio & Assessment Templates solve this by providing completely separate documentation tracks for RSA 193-A and EFA families. The EFA Compliance Checklist includes a month-by-month timeline counting down to the July 15 deadline, a receipt organisation system for ClassWallet expenditures, and the exact upload format the CSF portal expects. The RSA 193-A materials — Subject Tracker, portfolio frameworks, evaluation guides — are kept entirely separate so nothing gets confused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do EFA families still need to file a Notice of Intent?

Not automatically. EFA participation does not by itself place a family on the RSA 193-A portfolio and evaluation track. If you also maintain a traditional RSA 193-A program, file the Notice of Intent with your participating agency, maintain the portfolio, and conduct the annual evaluation for that program.

Can I use my EFA evaluation for both the RSA 193-A requirement and the July 15 upload?

Only when your family maintains both programs. In that case, the same certified-teacher letter can satisfy the RSA 193-A annual evaluation and the EFA Annual Record if it includes the information the CSF portal requires; the teacher signs the EFA record and the parent also signs it for RSA 193-A. Similarly, standardized test scores can serve both purposes only if the test reports Total, Math, and ELA scores as the EFA requires. EFA-only families should prepare the EFA record under one of its accepted formats.

What happens if I miss the July 15 deadline?

Failure to provide the Annual Record results in an immediate freeze of EFA funds, and the record is required to maintain eligibility for the following year. This is why a month-by-month countdown system starting in April is critical.

What ClassWallet expenditures are most likely to be flagged?

Expenditures outside approved categories — general household items, non-educational entertainment, or vaguely categorised purchases. Keep receipts detailed and clearly connected to educational purposes. If a purchase could be interpreted as non-educational, add a note explaining the educational context.

Is the EFA documentation burden worth the EFA grant?

For most families, yes — but it depends on your comfort with financial accountability. The grant covers curriculum, tutoring, testing fees, educational services, and other approved expenses. The documentation requirements are real but manageable with a structured system. Families who maintain both tracks and find the tracking burdensome typically struggle because they're mixing EFA records with their RSA 193-A portfolio, not because the EFA requirements themselves are excessive.

Can I apply for the EFA mid-year?

EFA enrollment typically opens during specific application windows. Check the Children's Scholarship Fund NH website for current enrollment periods. If you're considering the EFA, understanding the documentation requirements before you apply prevents surprises.

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