Town Tuitioning Program
New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s Town Tuitioning Program, re-enacted and launched in 2017 to include private schools, allows towns without district schools at a student’s grade level to use public dollars for students to attend any public or approved independent (private), non-religious school in or outside of New Hampshire. The “tuitioning” district pays the tuition directly to the “receiving” schools.
Participating Students
17
Student Eligibility
Students must live in New Hampshire and reside in an identified tuition town. A “tuition town” lacks a district school that offers the grade levels students need. _(Last updated July 9, 2024)_
Use of Funds
Qualifying expenses include private school tuition. _(Last updated July 9, 2024)_
Funding Amount & Source
When students are “tuitioned” at public schools, the sending town pays the receiving school district or private school an amount equal to the receiving school’s expenses of operation, as estimated by the state Board of Education the preceding year. That figure is calculated separately for elementary, junior high, and high schools. Operation costs do not include the transportation of “tuitioning” students. When a family chooses a private school approved as a “school tuition program,” the sending town contracts with that private school for an appropriate amount that covers the private school’s costs to educate that student. _(Last updated July 9, 2024)_
Legal History
On September 2, 2020, the Institute for Justice filed litigation seeking the New Hampshire courts to recognize the U.S. Supreme Court decision in _Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue_ (see Legal History in Montana Tax Credits for Contributions to Student Scholarship Organizations) and thus allow religious schools to participate in New Hampshire’s town tuitioning voucher program. The case was voluntarily dismissed by plaintiffs on July 28, 2021, after Governor Chris Sununu signed H.B. 282 allowing students to choose religious schools under town tuitioning. _Griffin v. New Hampshire Dept. of Education_ , Merrimack Superior Court at Concord, NH, Docket No. 217-2020-CV-00480. _(Last updated July 9, 2024)_
Program Timeline
Program Enacted
Legislation passed to create the program
Program Launched
Program began accepting applications
Last Updated
July 9, 2024