NH EFA Approved Expenses and How ClassWallet Works

One of the first questions families ask after hearing about New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account program is: what can you actually buy with the money? The answer is more specific than most people expect, and the payment platform — ClassWallet — adds its own layer of complexity.

Understanding both before you enroll will save you from discovering after the fact that your preferred vendor is not in the system or that a purchase you planned on does not qualify.

What Are Approved Expenses Under the NH EFA?

The Education Freedom Account statute (RSA 194-F) defines the categories of approved expenses. The list is reasonably broad but it is not unlimited:

Private school tuition and fees Tuition at any private school that accepts EFA students. The school does not need to be accredited in the traditional sense, but it must agree to accept EFA funds and comply with the program's reporting requirements.

Online academies and virtual programs Accredited online learning programs, virtual academies, and distance learning platforms qualify. This is one of the most commonly used categories. Programs like Khan Academy partnerships, virtual charter schools operating outside the public school framework, and established online academies are all potential options.

Tutoring Individual tutoring from a qualified tutor. The tutor must be registered as an approved vendor in ClassWallet. Tutoring organizations are also eligible. This category covers subject-specific tutoring, test prep, and academic coaching.

Educational therapies This is a significant category for families with children who have learning disabilities, speech delays, or other needs. Eligible therapies include:

• Speech-language therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Applied behavior analysis (ABA)
• Reading intervention programs (such as Orton-Gillingham based programs)

The therapy provider must be a licensed professional or licensed clinic and must be registered in ClassWallet.

Curriculum and textbooks Textbooks, workbooks, and curricula for core academic subjects. This is where homeschool-adjacent families pay closest attention — and where the ClassWallet vendor registration issue becomes most relevant.

Computer hardware Hardware required for educational use — laptops, tablets, and similar devices. Software subscriptions are treated differently depending on whether they are classified as curriculum or general software.

Standardized testing SAT, ACT, AP exam fees, and other standardized testing costs qualify.

529 college savings contributions EFA funds can be deposited into a 529 college savings account for future higher education costs.

What Is NOT Covered

The following do not qualify as approved EFA expenses:

• Religious instruction as a standalone item (though religious schools that provide full academic curricula can accept EFA tuition payments)
• Transportation costs
• Clothing or uniforms
• General extracurricular activity fees not tied to academic coursework
• Purchases from vendors not registered in ClassWallet

How ClassWallet Works

ClassWallet is the financial technology platform that manages fund disbursement for the NH EFA program. Think of it as a restricted-spending account with a marketplace built around it.

When your child is approved for EFA funds, those funds are allocated to a ClassWallet account under your name. You do not receive a check or bank transfer — the money exists in ClassWallet's system and can only be spent on approved expenses through the platform.

Direct purchase from registered vendors: Many vendors have registered directly with ClassWallet, meaning you can pay them through the platform like a debit card purchase. You select the vendor, specify the item, and ClassWallet processes the payment after reviewing the documentation.

Reimbursement for out-of-pocket purchases: For purchases made directly, you submit a reimbursement request with receipts and documentation. ClassWallet reviews whether the expense qualifies and either approves or denies the reimbursement.

Documentation requirements: ClassWallet requires receipts and, in some cases, invoices or proof of service delivery. The approval process is not instant — review times can range from a few days to a few weeks depending on volume.

The ClassWallet Vendor Gap Problem

The most common frustration families encounter is discovering that a vendor they want to use is not registered in the ClassWallet system.

Popular homeschool curriculum publishers, local tutors, and specialty therapy providers often have not gone through the ClassWallet vendor registration process — either because they are not aware of it, because the registration process creates administrative burden for small providers, or because they do not yet have enough EFA families as customers to make registration worthwhile.

When a vendor is not registered, your options are:

1. Ask the vendor to register with ClassWallet (some will, especially if they see demand)
2. Find a comparable vendor who is already registered
3. Use reimbursement if ClassWallet approves the category even for unregistered vendors (not always available)

Before committing to the EFA program with a specific curriculum or therapy provider in mind, check whether that provider is in the ClassWallet marketplace. The Children's Scholarship Fund NH website has guidance on how to search the vendor directory.

ClassWallet Scrutiny and What It Means for Families

ClassWallet has faced criticism in New Hampshire and other states where it administers school choice programs. Parent advocacy groups have raised concerns about the company's data collection practices and foreign venture capital backing.

From a practical standpoint, most families report that ClassWallet works adequately once they understand the process. The complaints tend to center on the reimbursement approval timeline and occasional denials for expenses that families believed qualified.

If data privacy is a concern, be aware that using ClassWallet requires providing personal and financial information to the platform. Families who have significant concerns about this may want to weigh it in their overall EFA decision.

EFA Spending Versus Traditional Homeschool Curriculum Freedom

If your primary goal is curriculum flexibility and you want to purchase educational materials freely without a reimbursement approval process, the traditional RSA 193-A homeschool pathway may serve you better than the EFA program.

Under RSA 193-A, you choose your own curriculum with no state approval required and no spending account to navigate. You also retain access to public school extracurricular activities and athletics under RSA 193:1-c, which EFA students lose.

The EFA provides real funding — approximately $4,266 to $5,204 per student per year — but it comes with the ClassWallet approval layer and the sports access trade-off. Whether that trade-off is worth it depends on how you plan to use the funds and what your child needs.

If you are considering switching from public school to either the EFA program or traditional homeschooling, the withdrawal paperwork is the first step you need to get right. The New Hampshire Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the formal withdrawal letter requirements, timing, and documentation so you can transition cleanly.

Practical Tips for Using ClassWallet Effectively

Check the vendor directory before you enroll. If the vendors you plan to use are not in ClassWallet, know that going in rather than after you have committed.

Keep meticulous records. Save every receipt, invoice, and correspondence related to purchases. ClassWallet reimbursement requests that lack documentation are denied.

Plan around approval timelines. Do not make a large out-of-pocket purchase expecting same-week reimbursement. Budget for the possibility that review takes two to four weeks.

Understand the annual cycle. EFA funds are allocated per school year. Unused funds may carry over under certain conditions, but the rules around carryover are worth reviewing with CSFNH before assuming.

Contact CSFNH directly for edge cases. Children's Scholarship Fund NH administers the program and can clarify whether a specific expense or vendor qualifies before you make the purchase.

For families who have done this homework ahead of time, the EFA can be a genuinely useful funding source. The families who run into problems are almost always the ones who assumed the spending would be flexible and discovered the constraints only after enrolling.

See more United States homeschool guides →