How NH's Education Freedom Accounts Are Making Christian Schools More Accessible

Since its inception in 2021, the EFA program has been subject to misconceptions, not only at the state level, but also in how it relates to Dublin Christian Academy.  Here are some of the more common ones with a bit of clarification provided for each:

MYTH #1: EFA’s DRAIN FUNDS FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

This topic is one of the chief concerns about the program, even among those considering utilizing it. The actual funds being drawn from the education trust fund are based on the base state adequacy aid that would normally flow from the state to the public school the child is enrolled in. The funds – about $4,000 per year- are a fraction of the total state and local funding a child would receive if enrolled in public school: only about 25%. EFAs are supported by state revenue, mostly corporate income taxes and the statewide property tax, not local property taxes. The program also includes a “hold harmless” provision under which the state continues sending funding to the public school district after a student transfers out to a non-public school or homeschool, gradually phasing out the funding over time.  This program can actually save taxpayers money in the long run.  

MYTH #2: EFA’s MOSTLY SUPPORT STUDENTS ALREADY ENROLLED IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS

This myth simply isn’t true at DCA. EFAs are universal, allowing any New Hampshire student who would be eligible for public schools to use the funds for alternate educational opportunities, i.e., private school, homeschooling, and tutoring, among other services. 

Over 70 percent of students at DCA who benefitted from EFA in the 2024-2025 school year were not enrolled at DCA before receiving an EFA. The other 29 percent first received an EFA after enrolling in Dublin Christian Academy, but that number includes students who first enrolled in our half-day preschool program (preschool is not eligible for EFAs) but enrolled, anticipating the availability of EFAs to offset tuition beginning in kindergarten.

MYTH #3: EFA’s WON’T HELP MUCH WITH A DCA TUITION BILL

This statement would likely apply to several other private schools in the state, with an average cost of about $21,613 for private school education in NH. However, the highest annual tuition rate (grades 9-12) at DCA is still under $9,000. With a base amount of $4,265.44 expected from the EFAs this year, about half of the high school tuition bill and 60 percent of the lower school tuition bill could be covered with this program. That is certainly significant!

MYTH #4: OUR FAMILY PROBABLY MAKES TOO MUCH TO QUALIFY

New Hampshire’s EFA program became universal in 2025, which included the removal of the income cap of up to 350% of the federal poverty level. This means all NH families qualify regardless of income. Even though all families qualify, about 300 students were waitlisted this year. In 2025, the legislature capped the total number of students who can participate in the program, but the cap will be adjusted each year to accommodate new students.