New Hampshire: Education Freedom Account Program

Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) are a state grant of approximately $3,400 base state adequacy aid plus any qualifying differentiated aid that a child is eligible to receive. Qualifying for “differentiated aid” provides additional EFA funding, ranging from an estimated additional $600 to $1,800 for each certain individual factor.

• Income Limit: None
• Prior Year Public School Requirement: None
• Testing Mandates: A qualifying student must choose between the following educational assessment options:

• a standardized norm-referenced achievement test
• statewide student assessment test, or
• maintaining a portfolio of student progress managed by a certified teacher or teacher currently teaching in a nonpublic school.

• Special Needs Pathway: None

A child who is a resident of New Hampshire and can enroll in a public elementary or secondary school is eligible for this program. No prior school enrollment is required.

There are two portals that families can visit in order to start their applications for Education Freedom Accounts:

1. New Families
2. Returning EFA families

Please submit only one (1) application per family. Important documents may include:

• Proof of Residency (e.g., NH State ID/Driver’s License, Utility bill, SNAP or TANF determination letter, Federal 1040, Domestic Violence Confidentiality ID)
• Proof of child’s identity and age
• Parent/Guardian Identification
• Proof of Income/Family Status
• Proof of Prior ESA Use or Sibling Status

ESA funds can be used for approved expenses in the following categories:

• Tuition and/or fees at a qualified school and required textbooks at a qualified school
• Tutoring and teaching services
• Curricula and supplementary material
• Fees to manage the account
• Tuition or fees for a nonpublic online learning program
• Fees for nationally norm-referenced testing and grade level testing
• Tuition and/or fees at an eligible postsecondary institution and the purchase of required textbooks
• Services provided by a public school
• Uniforms
• Transportation services
• Computer hardware and technological devices

Once an EFA account is established, the account remains open and any unused funds roll over from quarter-to-quarter and from year-to-year until the parent or guardian withdraws the eligible student from the EFA program or until the EFA student graduates from high school, unless the EFA is closed because of an intentional and substantial misuse of funds. Parents will need to maintain New Hampshire residency, reapply, and sign the EFA agreement annually.

Additional Program Guidelines

• Enrollment Cap: 10,000, with escalator
• Budget Cap: None
• Account Cap: Amount Equal to Adequate Education Grants, Plus Any Differentiated Aid that Would Have Been Provided to a Public School

Participant and Family Guidelines

• Click Here for the Program Administrator’s Parent Handbook
• Education Requirements: To provide an education for the eligible student in the core knowledge domains that include science, mathematics, language, government, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, the history of the constitutions of New Hampshire and the United States, and an exposure to and appreciation of art and music
• Parent Supplemented Funds/Scholarships: Permitted
• Disbursement/Payment Frequency: Quarterly
• Reimbursement: Allowed
• Miscellaneous:

• To provide an annual record of educational attainment by having the student complete one of the following:

• a nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test
• statewide student assessment test

• the maintenance of a portfolio recording student progress managed by a certified teacher or teacher currently teaching in a nonpublic school
• To use the funds in the EFA only for qualifying expenses to educate the eligible student as established by the EFA program
• To comply with the rules and requirements of the EFA program

Education Provider Guidelines

• Accreditation/Approval: State
• Employment Standards: N/A
• Nondiscrimination: State and federal
• Calendar/Curriculum/Attendance: N/A
• Financial: Surety bond when >$100,000 in EFA funds
• Miscellaneous: N/A

Scholarship Organization Guidelines

• Scholarship to Contribution Ratio: N/A
• State Reporting: Quarterly
• Financial: Conduct annual audit of EFAs
• Award Priority: N/A
• Miscellaneous: Submit approved student roster to Department of Education

(Last updated June 23, 2025)

N.H. Rev. Stat. § 194–F: 1–12

(Last updated April 21, 2025)