NH EFA vs Homeschool: Which Path Is Right for Your Family?

The question that catches many New Hampshire families off guard: can you homeschool and be in the EFA program at the same time?

The short answer is no — not simultaneously, and not in the way most people imagine when they first hear about both options.

New Hampshire has two distinct legal pathways for families who leave the public school system. They are not interchangeable, they do not overlap, and choosing one has real consequences that choosing the other avoids. Getting clear on the difference before you file any paperwork is the most important thing you can do.

The Two Pathways: RSA 193-A vs RSA 194-F

RSA 193-A: Traditional Home Education

New Hampshire's home education statute is RSA 193-A. Under this law, a parent notifies the school district of their intent to homeschool, takes on the role of primary educator, and assumes responsibility for their child's education. The state's requirements are minimal: notification to the district or a qualified organization, annual assessment of the child's progress, and maintenance of a portfolio of materials.

There is no state funding under RSA 193-A. You pay for your own curriculum, materials, and any outside resources. In exchange, you get full curriculum freedom — you choose what and how your child learns without any state approval of your choices.

Critically, RSA 193-A homeschoolers retain access to public school extracurricular activities and sports under RSA 193:1-c, the New Hampshire equal access law. If your child wants to run track, join the drama club, or take a public school elective while being homeschooled, RSA 193-A preserves that option.

RSA 194-F: Education Freedom Account

RSA 194-F is the EFA program statute. Under this law, a family redirects the state education funding that would otherwise go to their local public school district and uses it for approved private education expenses through the ClassWallet platform.

EFA students are not classified as public school students and are not classified as RSA 193-A home education students. They are in a separate legal category entirely.

EFA students receive approximately $4,266 to $5,204 per year in state funds (base adequacy aid plus any differentiated aid for special needs, low income, or ELL status). Those funds can be spent on private school tuition, tutoring, online academies, educational therapies, curriculum, and computer hardware — all subject to ClassWallet approval.

What EFA students lose: access to public school extracurricular activities and sports. RSA 193:1-c, the equal access provision, does not apply to EFA participants. The statute explicitly carves them out.

Can You Homeschool and Have an EFA at the Same Time?

No. A child cannot simultaneously be a registered RSA 193-A home education student and an EFA participant.

This is one of the most common misconceptions. Many parents hear "EFA covers curriculum and materials" and assume they can sign up for EFA funding while continuing to homeschool under RSA 193-A. That is not how it works.

If you are currently registered under RSA 193-A and want to switch to the EFA program, you must formally terminate your home education program per the requirements of Ed 315.06 before your EFA enrollment takes effect. The reverse is also true — if you leave the EFA program and want to homeschool under RSA 193-A, you follow the notification and registration requirements for that pathway.

These are two separate legal statuses, and you occupy one at a time.

EFA Homeschool Funding: What You're Actually Getting

The appeal of EFA for homeschooling-adjacent families is the funding. Let's be direct about what that money can and cannot do.

EFA funds can cover curriculum purchases — workbooks, textbooks, structured learning programs. If you are spending $500 to $1,000 per year on curriculum materials, EFA funding more than covers that. But the purchases have to go through ClassWallet, and the vendor has to be registered in the ClassWallet marketplace.

If your preferred curriculum publisher is not a registered ClassWallet vendor, you have a problem. You can try to get them registered, find an equivalent that is registered, or potentially request reimbursement — but the ClassWallet layer adds friction that does not exist under RSA 193-A, where you simply buy what you want and there is no approval process.

EFA funds can also cover tutoring and educational therapies, which RSA 193-A does not provide funding for at all. If your child needs speech therapy, occupational therapy, or specialized reading intervention, the EFA's ability to fund those services is a genuinely significant benefit that has no equivalent under the traditional homeschool pathway.

For families whose primary need is funding therapies and specialized support, the EFA's value proposition is clearest. For families whose primary need is curriculum flexibility without oversight, the traditional homeschool pathway serves them better.

The Sports Access Trade-Off

This is the issue that surprises families most and, for some, is decisive.

Under RSA 193-A, your child has the legal right to participate in public school extracurricular activities and athletics at their assigned school. This includes sports teams, theater, band, clubs, and other school-sponsored activities. Many NH homeschoolers use this access routinely — it is a significant reason some families choose the traditional homeschool pathway over private schooling.

Under RSA 194-F (EFA), your child loses that right. The EFA statute explicitly excludes EFA participants from the RSA 193:1-c equal access provision. This is not a gray area or an ambiguous interpretation — the law says EFA students do not have equal access to public school programs.

If you have a child who is currently on a school sports team, or who you expect to participate in school sports in the future, the EFA program removes that option for as long as the child is enrolled.

Whichever pathway you choose, the first step is properly withdrawing from public school. The New Hampshire Legal Withdrawal Blueprint walks you through the withdrawal letter requirements, timing, and documentation so you complete that step correctly regardless of which direction you go next.

Side-by-Side Comparison

How to Decide

The decision comes down to what your family actually needs from the education pathway.

Choose RSA 193-A homeschool if:

• Curriculum freedom is your top priority and you do not want state approval over what you teach
• Your child participates or plans to participate in public school sports or activities
• Your preferred vendors are not in the ClassWallet system and the friction is not worth it
• You want minimal administrative overhead and no annual application process

Choose the EFA if:

• You are enrolling your child in a private school and the tuition assistance is meaningful
• Your child has special needs and the differentiated aid plus therapy coverage is a significant financial benefit
• You plan to use an accredited online academy that is ClassWallet-registered
• Sports and extracurricular access at the public school is not a factor

One more consideration: The EFA program is newer than RSA 193-A and has been amended multiple times since its 2021 creation. The rules around approved expenses, vendor eligibility, and program structure have changed and may change again. Families who value predictability and stability sometimes find the established RSA 193-A framework more reliable for long-term planning.

Neither pathway is objectively better. They serve different families with different priorities. The key is knowing which one matches your situation before the paperwork is filed — because switching after the fact requires a formal process to terminate one status before the other begins.

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