943 additional students remain on the waitlist as family need again surpasses the program’s statutory limit
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account (EFA) program has reached its current enrollment cap of 12,500 students for the 2026-2027 school year, marking another significant milestone for a program that has grown steadily since its launch in 2021.
Data as of this release show 13,443 eligible students, with 943 students now on the waitlist after 12,500 available enrollment spots were filled.
“Reaching 12,500 students is about much more than an enrollment number,” said Kate Baker Demers, Executive Director of Children’s Scholarship Fund. “It represents thousands of New Hampshire families who made an intentional decision about the education they believe is best for their child. The fact that hundreds more families are waiting for an opportunity to participate demonstrates that the need for education freedom remains strong across our state.”
Education Freedom Accounts allow eligible New Hampshire families to use the state-funded portion of their child’s education funding for approved educational expenses, including school tuition, tutoring, curriculum, online learning, educational therapies, textbooks and other qualifying services. Families may use multiple approved options to build an educational plan around their child’s individual needs.
Need continues beyond the cap
This is the second consecutive year in which the EFA program has reached the cap while additional families continued seeking to participate.
After enrollment reached the previous cap of 10,000 students, the program’s statutory growth mechanism increased capacity by 25 percent to 12,500 for the 2026-2027 school year. Those 2,500 additional spaces have now been filled, with another 943 eligible students currently waiting for an opening.
The continued need reflects the growing number of New Hampshire families seeking alternative educational options for their children. With more than 13,000 students now enrolled in or waiting for an EFA, families across the state are looking to private schools, out-of-district public schools, career and technical schools, homeschooling, tutoring, specialized services and other educational options to find the right fit for their children.
One of those students is Trinity, whose father, Robert Duryea, began looking for another option after watching his daughter struggle and become increasingly withdrawn. As a disabled parent living on a limited income, he was preparing to homeschool her because private school seemed financially out of reach. An EFA and scholarship assistance helped make it possible for Trinity to attend St. Catherine of Siena School in Manchester, where Robert says the change has gone far beyond academics.
“She is safe now,” Robert said. Today, Trinity carries a 98 cumulative average, was selected to speak at her sixth-grade graduation and has been accepted to Holy Family Academy for seventh grade. “The school boosted her self-esteem,” Robert said. “They helped her with schoolwork, encouraged her, and challenged her to bring out her educational capabilities.”
Applications remain open
Families interested in an Education Freedom Account are encouraged to continue applying even though the current enrollment cap has been reached. Under state law, students in statutory priority groups are exempt from the enrollment cap and may still enroll, while other eligible applicants may be placed on the waitlist. Priority groups include current EFA recipients, their siblings, students with disabilities, and students from families with incomes at or below 350 percent of the federal poverty level.
Applications for the 2026-2027 school year remain open through Children’s Scholarship Fund.
“Reaching the cap does not mean families should stop applying,” Baker Demers said. “Priority students may still enroll, and other eligible families can join the waitlist and be considered as openings become available.”
Five years of growing family participation
New Hampshire established the Education Freedom Account program in 2021. Since then, families across the Granite State have used EFAs to pursue educational options that fit the individual needs of their children.
Reaching 12,500 students represents another step in that growth, but behind that number are individual students like Trinity, while another 943 eligible students are still waiting for an opportunity to participate. Together, the numbers and the families behind them show a program that has repeatedly reached available capacity as New Hampshire families continue choosing education freedom.
