(October 1, 2021, Concord, NH) – Today, Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) submitted more than 1,500 completed applications from New Hampshire families for the new Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) program to the New Hampshire Department of Education (NHDOE) for verification and funding. EFA applications have been open since August 25th, when the state authorized CSF to administer the accounts for the 2021-22 school year.
EFAs are grants that re-think education and empower New Hampshire families to direct a portion of their child’s state education funding to create learning experiences that are as unique as their child. Under the program, which was passed by the legislature and signed by the governor in June, New Hampshire families with household incomes of up to 300 percent of the poverty index can use EFAs to direct part of their child’s state education funding to pay for tuition at the school of their choice, tutoring, online learning programs, educational supplies, internet connectivity, and other educational expenses.
Families completing applications must meet eligibility requirements including state residency, age and grade eligibility, and income verification, and they must complete the application process and sign the EFA agreement, which includes agreeing to share academic accountability documents. Eligibility for EFAs is conditional upon the NHDOE’s verification and funding.
After the NHDOE reviews applications and approves funding amounts, families will be notified and funds will be available for families to use to purchase educational goods and services. All expenses will be reviewed before transactions take place to confirm they constitute an allowable use of funds under the law.
“New Hampshire families in need are grateful and relieved that we have been able to get the Education Freedom Accounts program up and running in record time,” said CSF New Hampshire Executive Director Kate Baker Demers. “We are hearing from families who simply want to choose an option that is right for their child to realize their unique potential. Assistance for these New Hampshire children is urgent and we are honored to be part of the solution.”
EFA grant amounts include base state adequacy aid plus any qualifying differentiated aid that a child is eligible to receive. Grants are expected to total only 30 percent of what taxpayers would spend on students if they were enrolled in their resident district public school.
CSF will continue to process EFA applications on a rolling basis, although EFA grants for families applying mid-year will be partial and prorated. Interested families should visit CSF’s website to learn more and apply: https://1b2.ee8.myftpupload.com/apply/nh-education-freedom-accounts/.
About Children’s Scholarship Fund: CSF is a national organization with a network of partner programs, each providing scholarships that empower parents to choose schools they otherwise could not afford. Since its inception in 1998, CSF has awarded more than $885 million in scholarships to the families of 185,000 low-income children. Since January, 2016, CSF has managed scholarships in New Hampshire funded by donations made through the state’s Education Tax Credit program. CSF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity scholarship organization with an annual independent audit. Its 990s, financial statements, and annual reports are public, and it has earned a 4-star rating (the highest possible) from Charity Navigator rating, including the charity watchdog’s highest possible scores a nonprofit can attain for accountability and transparency.
To learn more about the Children’s Scholarship Fund in New Hampshire, contact Kate Baker Demers at (603) 785-0174 or kbaker@scholarshipfund.org.
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