Patrick Graff, Senior Fellow for the American Federation for Children, said on March 18 that New Hampshire’s expanded Education Freedom Account (EFA) program could replicate Florida’s school choice gains while broadening options for families.
The topic is significant as policymakers and families consider how to improve educational outcomes and provide more choices within the public education system. Supporters say programs like EFA can create competitive pressure that benefits all students.
“The recent expansion of the Education Freedom Account program in New Hampshire brings similar competitive pressure to improve local schools as what boosted Florida students to among the highest achieving in the nation. This new research on Florida clearly demonstrates the potential for the EFA program expansion to have similar positive impacts on all students in the state. This approach to improving education is fiscally responsible and designed to benefit the whole education system. For New Hampshire families seeking other options, the application window for the EFA program opened this week for the 2026-2027 school year,” according to Graff.
Dr. Patrick Graff’s analysis for the American Federation for Children found Florida’s tax-credit scholarship program produced significantly larger academic gains for public-school students than equivalent spending increases. The organization said the program cost about $2.8 billion over its first 15 years, while students in more competitive public-school environments gained an estimated 120 additional days of learning. Graff’s comparison concluded that achieving similar results through increased public-school spending would have cost about $31.8 billion, reflecting an 11-to-1 cost-effectiveness advantage for school choice according to his analysis.
The New Hampshire Department of Education says Education Freedom Accounts allow eligible students to direct state-funded per-pupil adequacy grants toward approved educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, online learning and specialized services. The program is administered in partnership with Children’s Scholarship Fund New Hampshire and is positioned as a statewide option for families seeking alternatives to assigned public schools. Graff points to that structure as a way to expand access while increasing competitive pressure across the broader education system according to department information.
State data show continued growth in New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account program. A state release reported 5,321 students enrolled at the start of the 2024–25 school year, up from 4,663 the previous year, an increase of about 14%. Separately, a 2024–25 financial fact sheet estimated cumulative taxpayer savings of $30.6 million through 2025 from students switching out of public schools. Supporters cite those figures as evidence of the program’s expanding reach and its fiscal impact according to state data.
