TDOE Celebrates Education Freedom Scholarship Program Expansion

• More than 56,000 applications received from Tennessee families
• All 35,000 available seats reserved
• 81 percent of new applicants qualified through income, ESA, or IEA Program eligibility
• Scholarships awarded to students in 93 of Tennessee's 95 counties
• Participating students have the opportunity to enroll at nearly 300 EFS-registered schools across the state

Nashville, TN-Today, the Tennessee Department of Education celebrated the expansion of the Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) Program and announced remarkable results from the second year of implementation. Tennessee's first-ever universal school choice program once again drew tremendous interest from families across the state, with a 99 percent renewal rate after the program's inaugural year. In the 2026-27 school year, Governor Bill Lee and the General Assembly are empowering more Tennessee parents to choose the school that best fits their child's needs by expanding the program by 15,000 seats. The Governor signed the legislation into law today, May 7, 2026.

In the 2026-27 school year, all 35,000 available scholarships are reserved and awaiting acceptance from families, with 81 percent of new scholarships awarded to applicants demonstrating eligibility under income requirements or the Individualized Education Account (IEA) and Education Savings Account (ESA) Programs. Families have until June 30, 2026, to verify enrollment in an EFS-registered school for the upcoming school year. Scholarships may be used at nearly 300 participating Category I, II, and III non-public schools across the state.

"Thank you to all the families who applied and to the participating schools for your continued partnership," said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. "I am proud of the successful application cycle for the 2026-27 school year and the state's commitment to providing Tennessee families with more choices for a learning environment that best fits their student's needs."

The high demand for the program was evident, resulting in a total of 56,440 applications, a 31.8 percent increase from last year's submissions. Continuing last year's trend of strong interest across the state, applications were received from families in 93 of 95 counties. A total of 35,000 scholarships were reserved, broken down by Priority groups as follows:

• Priority 1: 18,553
• Priority 2: 3,970
• Priority 3: 9,360
• Priority 4: 3,117

In addition to the counts above, 17,735 applications remain on a waitlist for processing as seats may become available, demonstrating the overwhelming demand for the EFS Program.

In accordance with Tennessee law, the Department reviewed all applications by priority category and in the order in which they were received. Priority 1 were renewal applicants who received a scholarship in the 2025-26 school year. Priorities 2 and 3 demonstrated income-based eligibility or eligibility for the Individualized Education Account (IEA) Program or Education Savings Account (ESA) Program; Priority 4 demonstrated enrollment in a Tennessee public school at the time of application or are entering Kindergarten in the 2026-27 school year. Priority 5 chose not to demonstrate eligibility for other priorities.

To learn more about the EFS Program, visit the EFS webpage.

For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact [email protected].

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