NH Homeschooling Requirements: What New Hampshire Parents Need to Know

New Hampshire is one of the more parent-friendly states when it comes to homeschooling. The legal framework gives families real flexibility while still requiring basic notification and annual assessment. If you're starting out — or moving to New Hampshire and wondering what changes — here's what the law actually requires.

Notification: Who You Tell and When

New Hampshire law (RSA 193-A) requires that you notify the local superintendent of schools before you begin homeschooling and each year thereafter. The notification must be in writing and include:

• Your child's name and age
• Your name and address
• A statement that you intend to provide home education

You send this to the superintendent of the school district where you live, not to the state. Most districts accept notification by mail or email. There's no approval required — you're notifying, not asking permission. Once you send it, you can begin.

If your child is currently enrolled in a public school, submit the notification before withdrawing them. Some parents pull their child first, then notify; legally the notification should come first or simultaneously.

One important note: if you're moving to New Hampshire mid-year, notify the new district's superintendent as soon as you establish residency.

Required Subjects

New Hampshire law specifies a list of subjects that must be covered during home education. The list isn't particularly restrictive, but you need to address all of them:

• Science and health
• Language arts (reading, writing, grammar, composition)
• Mathematics
• Social studies (including geography, civics, and United States and New Hampshire history)
• Art and music
• Physical education and health

There's no required number of hours per subject, no prescribed curriculum, and no requirement that you follow any state standards. How you cover these subjects is entirely up to you — whether that's textbooks, online courses, living books, project-based learning, or a co-op.

Annual Assessment Options

Each year, you must provide evidence that your child is making progress. New Hampshire gives you four options:

1. Standardized test — administered by a qualified person (not a parent), with results kept on file
2. Evaluation by a certified teacher — the teacher reviews the student's work and provides a written assessment
3. Alternative assessment — portfolio review by a licensed teacher, or another method approved in writing by the superintendent
4. State assessment — taking the same tests that public school students take (very few families use this option)

The portfolio + certified teacher review route is the most popular among New Hampshire homeschoolers. You assemble samples of your child's work throughout the year, and a certified teacher (often someone from a local homeschool co-op or a retired teacher) reviews it and writes a brief letter.

Keep the assessment results on file. You don't submit them to anyone automatically, but if the district asks, you need to produce them.

Record-Keeping Requirements

New Hampshire requires that homeschooling parents maintain:

• An attendance log (showing the child is receiving regular instruction)
• A portfolio of the child's work (or equivalent documentation of progress)
• Assessment results

No minimum school day hours are specified in New Hampshire law, but keeping records showing consistent, year-round engagement is a practical safeguard if questions ever arise.

Most families keep a simple daily log and save representative samples of written work, math tests, science reports, and projects throughout the year. A three-ring binder per year works fine.

Compulsory Education Age

New Hampshire requires school attendance (or approved home education) from age 6 through 18, or until graduation. If your child turns 6 during the school year, notify the district before the start of the term in which they turn 6.

High school students are covered under the same notification and assessment structure. There's no separate "high school" approval process in New Hampshire.

Getting a Diploma

New Hampshire does not issue diplomas to homeschool graduates through any state process. As the parent-administrator of the homeschool, you issue your child's diploma. There is no state requirement for what the diploma says or looks like, but you should document the courses, credits, and graduation date on an official-looking transcript.

For college admissions, a parent-issued diploma is legally valid. What matters far more to admissions officers is your student's transcript, course descriptions, standardized test scores, and external validators like dual enrollment grades. The diploma itself is a formality.

If your student plans to apply to state universities in New Hampshire — particularly UNH — call their admissions office to confirm current documentation requirements. Most New Hampshire colleges are familiar with homeschool applicants and accept parent-issued transcripts.

Dual Enrollment and Community College

New Hampshire homeschool students can attend NHTI, Great Bay Community College, or any of the Community College System of New Hampshire campuses through dual enrollment. Dual enrollment gives your high schooler real college credits, an external GPA that validates your home transcript, and direct experience with a college classroom environment.

Contact each campus directly for their dual enrollment process. Most require a placement test or transcript review, and some charge reduced tuition rates for high school students.

Special Education Considerations

If your child has an IEP (Individualized Education Program) and you transition to homeschooling, the public school is no longer obligated to provide services. Some districts voluntarily offer "Child Find" services or speech/occupational therapy to homeschooled students, but this varies by district. Contact your district's special education coordinator directly to understand what, if anything, is available to you.

Preparing for College from New Hampshire

New Hampshire's flexible requirements mean your student can pursue a rigorous, transcript-ready curriculum from 9th grade onward without bureaucratic obstacles. Start documenting courses and credits from the beginning of high school — not just because colleges want to see it, but because it protects you if your student decides to apply to selective schools that require detailed course descriptions.

For homeschool families planning toward four-year college admissions, the documentation burden falls entirely on you as the parent-administrator. That means creating a professional transcript, writing course descriptions, navigating the Common App counselor section, and understanding how your student's self-directed work translates to Carnegie units.

The US University Admissions Framework at /us/university/ walks through the entire process — from transcript creation and GPA calculation to NCAA eligibility, FAFSA, and scholarship strategy — specifically designed for homeschool parents taking on the counselor role for the first time.

Quick Reference: NH Homeschool Compliance Checklist

• Written notification to superintendent before starting (and annually)
• Cover required subjects: science, health, language arts, math, social studies, art/music, PE
• Annual assessment (choose one of four methods)
• Maintain attendance log and portfolio
• Issue diploma yourself at graduation
• Contact district for special ed services if applicable