NH EFA Enrollment Cap and Priority Tiers Explained

How the Enrollment Cap Works

Senate Bill 295 set the New Hampshire EFA enrollment cap at 10,000 students for the 2025-26 school year. That cap already triggered the automatic growth valve built into RSA 194-F:3, I-a — applications exceeded 90% of capacity, so the 2026-27 cap jumped 25% to 12,500 students.

If applications reach 90% of 12,500 (that's 11,250 students) during 2026-27, the cap climbs again to 15,625 for the following year. And if enrollment stays below the cap for two consecutive years, the cap dissolves entirely.

The practical question for parents: what happens when more families apply than there are seats?

The Four Priority Tiers

When verified applications exceed the cap, Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire (CSF NH) allocates seats through four statutory priority tiers under RSA 194-F:3, I-b. There is no discretion here — seats fill strictly in tier order.

Tier 1 — Renewing EFA students. If your child was actively enrolled last year and you completed the annual renewal (including the Record of Educational Attainment by July 15), your seat is guaranteed before any new applicant is considered.

Tier 2 — Siblings of current EFA students. A younger or older sibling of a child already in the program gets next priority. This applies even to first-time applicants, so long as the sibling's account is active.

Tier 3 — Students with disabilities. Children with a documented IEP or a qualifying medical diagnosis under 34 CFR 300.8. You'll need either a copy of the public-school IEP or a completed CSF NH Medical Certification Form signed by a licensed physician.

Tier 4 — Income-qualified families. Households at or below 350% of the Federal Poverty Level. Even though SB 295 removed the income cap for general eligibility, income still determines priority when seats are scarce.

Everyone else — families who don't fall into any of the four tiers — enters the general applicant pool. If seats remain after priority applicants are placed, general applicants may be considered.

Spring vs. Fall Application Windows

The priority tiers interact differently depending on when you apply.

During the spring window, renewing students are guaranteed their seats as long as they submit the Record of Educational Attainment by July 15. New applicants in tiers 2-4 also get processed in the spring cycle.

For fall applications (submitted after June 30), only applicants who qualify under tiers 2, 3, or 4 can receive a prorated mid-year EFA allocation. Non-priority fall applicants cannot receive funding if the cap has already been reached.

The takeaway: if you don't qualify for any priority tier, applying in the spring window is significantly safer than waiting until fall.

What Happens on the Waitlist

If you apply and the cap has been filled through higher-priority applicants, CSF NH places your family on an official waiting list. Waitlisted families are notified if spots open — which happens when enrolled students move out of state, graduate, or withdraw from the program.

There's no published data on typical waitlist movement, and the program hasn't hit a hard cap denial en masse yet. But with enrollment growing from 5,321 students in 2024-25 to over 10,000 in 2025-26, the 12,500-seat cap is not theoretical.

How to Strengthen Your Position

You can't manufacture a priority tier you don't qualify for, but you can avoid the mistakes that cost families their spot:

• Submit documentation early in the spring window. Missing a document can delay verification and leave less time to resolve issues before the July 15 funding cutoff.
• If you have a child with a disability, upload the IEP or medical certification with your initial application. Adding it later means reprocessing.
• If your household income qualifies under 350% FPL, include tax returns up front. The income verification isn't for eligibility anymore — it's for priority placement.
• Renewing families: submit the Record of Educational Attainment by July 15. This is the condition for reserved renewal space under Tier 1.

For the full application walkthrough, document checklists, and assessment options, see the New Hampshire EFA Parent Guide.

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