New Hampshire Education Tax Credit

New Hampshire Scholarship Granting Organizations

1 SGO listed · 1 accepting students · 1 accepting donors

Tax Credit85%

CreditBusiness tax credit only (BPT/BET)

GradesK-12 (ages 5-20)

Max Scholarship~$3,405 avg (no per-student cap)

Annual Cap$5.1 million (never fully utilized)

Income Limit300% FPL (~$99K for family of 4)

Federal CreditUp to $1,700 per taxpayer ($1,700 single, $3,400 married filing jointly)

EffectiveJanuary 1, 2027

New Hampshire's Education Tax Credit Program

New Hampshire's Education Tax Credit (ETC) program provides K-12 scholarships through approved scholarship organizations. Enacted in 2012 and expanded in 2017, the program serves approximately 827 students annually. Scholarships can cover private school tuition, out-of-district public school tuition, college costs, tutoring, and distance education.

Am I eligible?

Your child may qualify if:

Family income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (approximately $99,000 for a family of four)
Ages 5–20 and not yet graduated from high school
New Hampshire residency required
Income is verified each program year — students must reapply annually

Three student categories:

Switchers: Currently enrolled in a NH public or charter school, or entering kindergarten/first grade
Renewals: Received a scholarship in the prior year
All others: Students already in private school, homeschoolers, or other situations

Note: There is no income waiver for students with IEPs or 504 plans — all students must meet the 300% FPL threshold. However, students receiving special education services qualify for a higher minimum scholarship (175% of the maximum average).

How much can my child receive?

Average scholarship: ~$3,221 (2024-25) — there is no fixed per-student maximum, but the SGO's average across all scholarships is capped at $3,405 (2025-26, CPI-adjusted annually).

Individual awards may be higher or lower than the average based on financial need
Special education students: Minimum scholarship of $5,959 (175% of max average)
Awards are determined by the SGO based on income, family size, and available funds

Eligible uses of scholarship funds:

Tuition at a private or parochial school
Tuition at a public school outside your resident district
College or university costs
Accredited tutoring services
Distance education programs
Home education academic expenses (capped at 25% of average scholarship)

How to apply

Applications are managed by approved scholarship organizations — browse the listings on this page to find an approved organization. Currently there is one primary SGO serving NH families.

Application steps:

Apply online through the SGO's website — applications open each spring for the following school year
Provide income verification and proof of NH residency
SGO reviews eligibility and determines award based on need and available funding
Returning families are invited by email to reapply each year

Key Dates & Deadlines

Spring: Applications open for the following school year (rolling — apply early)
July 1 – June 30: Program year (fiscal year, not calendar year)
Annual: Students must reapply each program year

How the tax credit works

New Hampshire offers an 85% tax credit for business donations to approved scholarship organizations — this is a business tax credit only.

85% of donation credited against Business Profits Tax (BPT) or Business Enterprise Tax (BET)
Per-donor cap: $510,000 in credits (10% of aggregate cap), corresponding to a $600,000 maximum donation
Statewide cap: $5.1 million in aggregate credits — this cap has never been fully utilized
Carry forward: Unused credits roll forward up to 5 years (capped at $1 million per year)
New Hampshire has no broad individual income tax — there is no individual state tax credit for SGO donations

For individual donors: You can donate as a charitable contribution, but there is no state tax credit for individuals without BPT/BET liability. The upcoming federal tax credit (starting January 2027) will provide the first avenue for most individual donors to receive a tax benefit.

How to donate

New Hampshire requires credit approval before donating through the NH Department of Revenue Administration:

Submit Form ED-02 (Education Tax Credit Application) via the Granite Tax Connect portal or by mail
DRA approves or denies within 30 days (first-come, first-served against the aggregate cap)
Make your donation within 60 days of approval, and no later than June 30 of the program year
Receive Form ED-03 (scholarship receipt) from the SGO within 15 days
Claim the credit on your NH BPT or BET return

Note: Donors cannot designate a specific school or student.

Key Dates & Deadlines

July 1: Program year opens — apply for credit approval early
May 31: Deadline to submit Form ED-02 for the current program year
60 days: Donation deadline after DRA approval (no later than June 30)
June 30: End of program year — all donations must be completed
5-year carry-forward: Unused credits roll forward (up to $1M/year)

Federal Tax Credit Program

New Hampshire opted in to the federal scholarship tax credit program in late January 2026. Starting January 1, 2027, individual donors can claim a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 per taxpayer ($1,700 single, $3,400 married filing jointly) for donations to qualifying New Hampshire scholarship organizations.

The federal credit is reduced by any state tax credit claimed for the same contribution. New Hampshire has no broad individual income tax, so most individual donors have no state credit to subtract. A business that claims the 85% state credit for a contribution has its federal credit reduced by that state credit.

Resources for New Hampshire

For FamiliesFor Donors8 min read

The Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program: What You Need to Know

A clear explainer on the new federal tax credit for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations — up to $1,700 per taxpayer ($1,700 single, $3,400 married filing jointly), who qualifies, and what it means starting in 2027.

Oct 22, 2026

For FamiliesFor DonorsFor SGOs3 min read

What Is a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO)?

A comprehensive guide to SGOs — what they are, how they work, and how they connect donors, families, and K-12 schools through tax-credit scholarship programs.

Feb 27, 2026

Guide last updated October 1, 2026

Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program

Opted In

New Hampshire has opted in to the federal scholarship tax credit program created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 4, 2025). A taxpayer can claim a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 per taxpayer ($1,700 single, $3,400 married filing jointly) for a cash gift made on or after January 1, 2027 only if New Hampshire has filed its election and submitted its SGO list, and only for an SGO on that list.

For 2027, a state must file its election by January 1, 2027 (11:59 p.m.) and submit its SGO list by February 15, 2027. If the state does not submit that list, no SGO in that state qualifies.

The federal credit is reduced by any state tax credit claimed for the same contribution.

Federal Credit

Up to $1,700 per taxpayer ($1,700 single, $3,400 married filing jointly)

Effective Date

January 1, 2027

Income Limit

300% AMI

Learn more about the federal program →See every state's status on the tracker →