The gate: Approval as an Education Freedom Account provider, paid through ClassWallet
What the rules actually say
We have not found a single sentence on the official sources that states the requirement cleanly enough to quote, so we are not going to invent one. The sequence below comes from our own state-by-state research, and every source is linked at the bottom for you to read yourself.
The sequence, in order
1. Form your legal entity + EIN. Register an LLC or nonprofit with the NH Secretary of State and get a free EIN. NH does not license or accredit private schools as a precondition to operate, so this is your first concrete step.
2. Operate as a NH private school or education provider. NH regulates nonpublic schools lightly, with no state approval gate to open. Serve EFA families as a private school or a registered education provider — confirm local zoning/occupancy, which NH handles at the municipal level.
3. Adopt a documented safe-environment / screening policy. The EFA program does not mandate staff criminal background checks, but the CSF-NH Provider Handbook requires you to document the processes you use to ensure a safe learning environment and to comply with applicable background-check and anti-discrimination laws. Running NH/FBI checks is encouraged and lets you stand out — adopt a written policy and keep records.
4. Secure a compliant facility. Obtain the certificate of occupancy and any local permits for an education use; NH delegates building, fire, and zoning to municipalities. Carrying liability insurance is prudent best practice, though not an EFA requirement.
5. Register as an EFA Education Provider with CSF-NH. Submit the Education Provider signup to Children’s Scholarship Fund NH (the state-contracted administrator) and agree to the Provider Handbook terms. This lists your microschool so EFA families can pay tuition. Note: nhefa.com is an advocacy site, not the program — use nh.scholarshipfund.org.
6. Onboard to ClassWallet to receive payments. EFA funds are disbursed through ClassWallet; parents pay your tuition and fees directly from the student’s EFA account. Eligibility went universal for 2025-26 (SB 295 removed the income cap), subject to a participant cap.
7. Set tuition, invoice via ClassWallet & keep records. Publish a tuition/fee schedule and invoice through ClassWallet for families to approve. Keep itemized invoices, attendance, and each student’s Record of Educational Attainment for the annual CSF-NH review.
Where founders actually stall
New Hampshire is a standard-tier state with no pre-approval gate on funding, so the risk is not the state, it is skipping the local requirements — zoning, occupancy, insurance — that nobody chases you about until something goes wrong.
What we have not verified
Current EFA provider onboarding steps. The sources were reachable but did not yield a quotable statement of provider requirements.
We would rather say this than guess. Everything above that is stated as fact carries a link to the primary source, so you can check us.
Sources
Get set up in New Hampshire
Get set up in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has no pre-approval step before funding, which makes it one of the lighter states to set up in. Both options are one-time. We never take a cut of your tuition.
Launch Kit · $950. Your New Hampshire playbook: every step in the right order, the document each one needs, and the operator tools (roster, attendance, tuition billing, evidence vault). You do the filing.
Get the Launch Kit · $950
Concierge · $1,995. Everything in the Launch Kit, plus we do the ESA-vendor registration with you in a working session, inside New Hampshire’s own platform.
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Free: the New Hampshire starter checklist
Free: the New Hampshire microschool starter checklist
Where to begin, what your state requires, and how funding works. No fluff.