Education Freedom Accounts

An Education Freedom Account (EFA) is a publicly funded option offering exceptional flexibility to families interested in customizing their child’s educational experience. Once approved, a family will receive the same amount of funds provided by the state to public schools (called “adequacy aid”). In 2025, this amount is expected to be $3,800. For students with a qualifying disability, this amount may be even more.

EFA funds can be used for nearly any educational-related expense including, but not limited to the following:

• Tuition and fees at a non-public / private school or online learning program, including career, technical, and trade schools
• Tutoring services
• Services provided by a public school provided it’s not full-time
• Textbooks, curricula, and other instructional materials
• Computer hardware and other technological services and devices used for educational purposes
• Educational software and applications
• Fees for nationally standardized assessments, advanced placement (AP) examinations, examinations related to college admissions, and tuition for preparatory courses for such exams
• Tuition and fees for summer programs and specialized education programs
• Educational services and therapies related to special needs
• Tuition and fees at an institution of higher learning if the student has not yet graduated high school
• Sports equipment and programs, musical instruction and instruments, and other extracurriculars

Although EFA funds may be used for private schools, it would likely make more sense for the family to use Croydon’s school choice program if the intention is to send the child to a private school while in grade levels serviced by the school choice program. That said, an EFA would be a viable option if a private school was desired while in grade levels serviced by Croydon Village School.

EFAs are defined under RSA 194-F, are managed by the Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF), with key requirements detailed below.

Requirement 1 – Eligibility

The student must be a New Hampshire resident and eligible to enroll in K-12. Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by September 30 of the school year. Students cannot participate in the EFA program if they are enrolled full-time (more than 50% of instructional time) in either a local public school or a chartered public school, including VLACS.

Requirement 2 – Application

The family must apply for each student, and admission is not guaranteed. The state legislature sets a maximum number of students for each year. Priority is given to applicants in the following order:

1. Students currently enrolled in the program
2. Siblings of students currently enrolled in the program
3. Students with disabilities as defined by RSA 186-C:2
4. Students whose family has lower income
5. All other students

Requirement 3 – Evaluation

Students must complete a Record of Educational Attainment at the end of each school year in order to remain eligible for the program. The following options qualify:

• A nationally recognized standardized test
• The NH state-wide assessment (NH SAS)
• A signed evaluation letter from a teacher of the student’s portfolio of work from the current school year
• A copy of the student’s report card from the school they are attending

Disbursement Schedule

Funds are disbursed into ClassWallet on the following schedule:

• 20% in September
• 20% in November
• 30% in January
• 30% in April

Any unused funds will roll over into the following year as long as the child remains in the program.

How to Use the Funds

The following methods can be used for spending from ClassWallet:

• Marketplace (fastest) – an online marketplace of preapproved items from retailers using EFA funds directly from ClassWallet
• Direct Pay – invoices submitted into an approval queue and paid directly from EFA funds upon approval
• Reimbursement (slowest) – receipts uploaded into an approval queue and reimbursed to the parent; requires upfront payment

A Note on Homeschooling

Although education may look the same under an EFA, the child will no longer be legally considered a homeschooler if becoming enrolled in the EFA program. Parents may still educate their children at home, and families still maintain control over curriculum, scheduling, and instruction, but CSF will officially report the child as an EFA participant to the Department of Education. The parent no longer has any recordkeeping obligations. Furthermore, the family would no longer be entitled to free access to public education resources (sports teams, extracurriculars, etc.). Because they are taking funds from the state, they would be expected to pay that back to the public school system if using their services.

If changing you child’s status from homeschooling to EFA, the participating agency must be notified when the student begins participating in the EFA program.

Click here for more information on homeschooling.

Useful Links

• Everything You Need to Know about Education Freedom Accounts (CSF)
• Upper Valley Homeschoolers (Facebook, heavily Croydon and Newport)
• Claremont NH Area Homeschoolers (Facebook)
• Sullivan County NH / Windsor County VT Homeschoolers (Facebook)
• NH Homeschooling Network (Facebook)