Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Program
IMPORTANT: Is my student eligible for the EFS Renewal application?
Only current EFS recipients receiving funds are eligible for the renewal application. All renewal-eligible students will receive information by email from EFS.Questions@tn.gov related to the 2026-27 EFS renewal application. Information for all other students will be posted on this webpage in the coming weeks.
What is EFS?
During the Tennessee General Assembly's extraordinary legislative session in January 2025, the Tennessee General Assembly passed Tenn. Code Ann. 49-6-3501 et al., and Governor Bill Lee signed the landmark legislation on February 12, 2025, to establish Tennessee’s universal school choice program into law. The Tennessee EFS Program is also guided by State Board of Education Rule 0520-01-24.
EFS Key Dates
Application Window Opens for 2026-27 EFS Renewal Applications
(This is only for students receiving EFS funds at the time of application.)
December 9, 2025, 12 p.m. CT
Application Window Opens for 2026-27 New EFS Applications
January 13, 2026, 12 p.m. CT
EFS Quarter 3 Disbursement
January 15, 2026 (Projected)
Application Window Closes for ALL 2026-27 EFS Applications
January 30, 2026, 4 p.m. CT
EFS Quarter 4 Disbursement
March 15, 2026 (Projected)
Contact Information
Email: EFS.Questions@tn.gov
Phone: For questions related to all available school choice programs, please call (615) 741-5158 and select the prompts for Office of Programs and School Choice.
What are Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarships?
Education Freedom Scholarships allow students who are residents of Tennessee and entitled to attend a public school in grades K-12 to use state funds toward education expenses, while enrolled in grades K-12 at registered Category I, II, or III non-public schools located in Tennessee, prioritizing tuition and fees.
The proposed scholarship amount for the 2025-26 school year is $7,295.
The department will award 20,000 scholarships as follows, in the order in which the department receives COMPLETED scholarship applications:
- 10,000 scholarships are available for eligible students who meet one (1) of the following criteria:
- A student’s annual household income does not exceed three hundred percent (300%) of the amount required for the student to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch as provided in the income eligibility guidelines published by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services (see chart below); or
- The student is an eligible student as defined in Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-2602 or Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-10-1402.
- A student’s annual household income does not exceed three hundred percent (300%) of the amount required for the student to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch as provided in the income eligibility guidelines published by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services (see chart below); or
- 10,000 scholarships are available for eligible students, regardless of the eligible student’s income.
| Household Size | 300% of Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch Guidelines |
| 2 | $113,442 |
| 3 | $143,301 |
| 4 | $173,160 |
| 5 | $203,019 |
| 6 | $232,878 |
| 7 | $262,737 |