New Hampshire Homeschool Funding & Education Freedom Account Guide (2026): Amount, Universal Eligibility & How to Apply

What the New Hampshire EFA Is

The Education Freedom Account is New Hampshire's education savings account. The state, through the Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire, funds an account that qualifying families spend on approved education expenses such as curriculum, tutoring, and materials. Home-educating families can participate. To be eligible, your child must be a New Hampshire resident enrolled in grades K-12 and not enrolled full-time in a district public or charter school while receiving EFA funds.

The program runs through the Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire, which acts as the administrator on the state's behalf. Families apply through the CSF portal, qualify, and then manage spending through the program's account system within the approved expense categories. The EFA is a distinct program from New Hampshire's home education law. Participating in the EFA means operating under the EFA's terms, which are separate from the one-time notification and annual evaluation that the New Hampshire home education law requires. Both paths can coexist, but it is worth understanding which set of rules you are committing to before you enroll in the program.

How Much You Receive

The EFA award starts at a base of about $4,265 per student. Students from lower-income households receive added amounts on top of the base, and students with disabilities receive additional aid as well, pushing some awards well into the higher thousands. The base figure reflects a portion of New Hampshire's state per-pupil spending and adjusts over time, so confirm your child's specific award at education.nh.gov or csfnh.org before you build a curriculum budget around any particular number.

Funds are deposited into your EFA account and spent on approved expenses through the program's account system. The money does not arrive in a single lump; check the current disbursement schedule at csfnh.org so you can plan your spending across the year. Before you decide how to allocate the award, knowing where your child stands academically gives you a clear direction. A free reading assessment shows your child's current level so the EFA funds go toward materials that fit from day one rather than ones you end up replacing partway through the year.

What Changed: Universal Eligibility

This is the headline for New Hampshire families. The EFA launched with an income limit that kept many families out; you had to earn below a set threshold to qualify. A 2025 law removed those income limits entirely and opened the program to all New Hampshire families regardless of household income. If you looked at the EFA a year or two ago and were turned away because you earned too much, that barrier is gone.

There is still a priority system, but it only applies if the number of applications exceeds the program's capacity. In that case, priority goes to students already enrolled in the EFA, their siblings, students with disabilities, and families with household income at or below 350 percent of the federal poverty level. For most families the practical message is straightforward: you are now eligible, so apply when the window opens, and apply early to stay ahead of any capacity limits. Confirm the current priority rules at education.nh.gov or csfnh.org before you apply, since program rules can be updated by the legislature.

What You Can Spend It On

EFA funds cover approved education expenses: curriculum and instructional materials, tutoring, certain classes and programs outside the home, and other approved costs. The program's account system keeps a record of purchases and enforces the approved categories, so stay within them and confirm that a specific item qualifies before you buy it. Keep your own documentation as well, since the program may ask you to verify purchases.

With a base of about $4,265 and potentially more depending on your child's profile, most families have enough to build a solid core curriculum and still reserve funds for tutoring or specialized materials. Mapping your year before you spend helps the award do the most good. Our curriculum planning guide walks through what to teach at each grade level, what to prioritize, and how to put together a full-year plan before you commit EFA funds to specific materials.

How It Fits With Homeschooling in New Hampshire

Understanding the EFA as a separate track from the home education law makes both programs easier to manage. New Hampshire's home education law, which the New Hampshire homeschooling guide covers in full, requires a one-time notification filed with the commissioner of education, your local school district, or a nonpublic school, plus instruction in a set list of subjects and an annual evaluation you keep in your own records. The EFA is a separate enrollment with its own application, its own approved expense system, and its own reporting requirements tied to how the funds are used.

Before you enroll in the EFA, take time to understand which rules you will be operating under while participating. For many home-educating families the funding is worth working within the EFA's structure. The two systems can coexist, but they are not the same thing. Keep separate records for your home education compliance and your EFA spending so you stay in good standing on both sides. Our curriculum planning guide can help you map your year so you have a clear direction whether or not the EFA is part of your budget.

How to Apply

Apply through the Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire at csfnh.org, which runs the EFA program on the state's behalf. Create an account on the portal, complete the application, and submit the required residency and student documentation. The application window opens in the spring for the following school year. A priority deadline applies, so applying as early as the window allows puts you in the best position if demand is high that year.

Because the program operates through a specific administrator rather than a state agency portal, start at csfnh.org for the application and for accurate dates. Use education.nh.gov for the official program rules and any updates the Department of Education issues. Keep copies of your application confirmation and your award notice. If your child is leaving a district public or charter school, follow the program's instructions for new participants, since the withdrawal process and the EFA enrollment process happen in parallel.

A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You

The big news in New Hampshire is that the income limit is gone, so the EFA is open to every family now. If you were turned away before because you earned too much, look again. The award starts around $4,265 and climbs with added aid, which is real help for curriculum and tutoring costs.

The one thing we want you to understand is that the EFA is its own track, separate from the home education notice-and-evaluation path, so know which set of rules you are signing up for before you enroll. Apply early through csfnh.org in case demand outruns capacity, confirm your child's specific award and the current rules at education.nh.gov, and plan a strong core curriculum first so the money goes toward your highest-priority need rather than a collection of smaller purchases.