Applications for New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account (EFA) program will open on March 16, and this year families will apply through a new application system called ScholaVia.
Children’s Scholarship Fund developed ScholaVia to make the application process faster, clearer, and easier to navigate for families across the state, with real-time feedback that helps parents move through the process without unnecessary delays.
Families can begin the application process at: Families can begin the process by visiting: https://nh.scholarshipfund.org/apply/nh-education-freedom-accounts/
A Simpler Application Experience
The Education Freedom Account program allows New Hampshire families to direct their student’s state adequacy grant toward approved educational expenses such as school tuition, tutoring, instructional materials, online coursework, and other learning supports.
As participation in the program has grown, Children’s Scholarship Fund has continued investing in technology that helps families navigate the application process more easily while allowing the organization to administer the program efficiently. A key goal of the system is to give families immediate clarity at every step of the process, reducing uncertainty and allowing parents to resolve issues as they complete their application.
ScholaVia was designed to improve the experience for both first-time and returning families while helping CSF process applications more efficiently and reduce administrative costs through automation and real-time document review.
Real-Time Document Review
One of the most important features of the new system is the integration of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, which reviews uploaded documents in real time.
When families upload required documents, the system automatically checks whether the document meets program requirements. Parents receive instant feedback indicating whether the document passes the system’s review, allowing them to correct issues immediately if needed.
If a document does not initially pass the automated check, it is reviewed by CSF staff for compliance. This allows families to quickly identify and correct potential issues, reducing delays and helping applications move through the process more efficiently.
Real-Time Support
The system includes live chat support, allowing parents to ask questions directly within the application platform and receive assistance from CSF staff during office hours.
This feature helps families get quick answers while completing the application process.
The Meaning Behind ScholaVia
The name ScholaVia reflects the mission behind the Education Freedom Account program.
In Latin, schola means “school” and via means “path” or “way.” Together, the name reflects the idea of helping families find the educational path that works best for their children.
ScholaVia was designed to help families navigate that path more easily.
Responsible Stewardship
Children’s Scholarship Fund administers the EFA program on behalf of participating families and is responsible for managing state education funds in accordance with program requirements.
Investments in technology like ScholaVia help streamline application processing, reduce manual administrative work, and maintain careful oversight of the program.
Technology improvements like ScholaVia help streamline application processing, allowing the program to increase efficiency and reduce costs as participation grows.
“As the program continues to grow, investing in modern technology allows us to make the application process easier for families while continuing to administer the program responsibly and efficiently,” said Kate Baker Demers, Executive Director of Children’s Scholarship Fund.
Applications Open March 16
Applications for the upcoming school year will open March 16.
Families can begin the process by visiting: https://nh.scholarshipfund.org/apply/nh-education-freedom-accounts/
The ScholaVia system will guide families through each step of the application process and provide support resources along the way.
