1. What the EFS Program Covers

Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) helps families pay for private education by giving eligible K–12 students an award projected at about $7,295 for the school year. The money must go toward tuition and required school fees first, before any other expenses are approved. If anything is leftover, families can use it for certain eligible expenses such as tutoring, textbooks, technology devices, therapies, or transportation provided by a commercial service that meets state rules. The scholarship is available statewide but capped at 20,000 students in the first full year of the program.​

2. How to Check Whether a School Participates in EFS

Before applying, families need to confirm that the school they want to attend is officially participating in the EFS program. The easiest way to check is by visiting the Tennessee Department of Education’s Approved List of Non-Public Schools, which is posted on the state’s Non-Public Schools webpage. The directory lists every school that is approved to operate in Tennessee and shows its category, a Category I, II, or III. If a school does not appear on this list—or appears without an appropriate EFS designation from the school or state—it cannot receive scholarship funds. Families who are unsure can email Private.Schools@tn.gov to verify a school’s status.​

3. What are the Application Deadlines?

These deadlines arrive quickly and will not be extended:​

• December 9, 2025 at 12 p.m. CT: Renewal applications open (for current EFS students only)

• January 13, 2026 at 12 p.m. CT: New applications open (for first-time applicants)

• January 30, 2026 at 4 p.m. CT: Final deadline for all 2026-27 EFS applications

Because scholarships are awarded in the order completed applications are received, even one missing or unreadable document can cost a student their place in line. Families who apply early and upload clear, complete paperwork have the best chance of securing a spot.​

Projected scholarship disbursement dates for current EFS students:​

Quarter 3: January 15, 2026Quarter 4: March 15, 2026

4. What You’ll Need to Apply

The application is submitted through the state’s EFS portal, where parents create an account and upload required documents. To complete the application, families must provide:​ 

• Two documents proving Tennessee residency (such as a utility bill, lease, mortgage statement, insurance document, tax document, or benefits letter, following the state’s accepted list)

• Proof of the student’s citizenship or lawful presence

• U.S. citizens: one proof such as a birth certificate, passport, or other citizenship document listed on the checklist

• Lawfully present students: two approved immigration or lawful-presence documents, as described in state rules

• For income-based “qualified” scholarships: a 2024 federal tax return or proof of programs such as SNAP or TANF, using the most current state checklist

• Families without internet access may submit a paper application by mail or in person; the state will enter it into the online system once it is received.​

5. What Happens Next

Once an application is submitted, families can track its status in the state’s online portal. If the student meets eligibility requirements and a scholarship is still available, the state will issue a conditional approval. The family must then select an eligible non-public school in the portal, and the school must confirm the student’s enrollment. Final approval and access to funds occurs only after the school completes this confirmation step.​ Students who receive EFS must remain enrolled in a participating school and take an annual test in grades 3–11, either the state TCAP in math and English language arts or a nationally norm-referenced test approved by the Tennessee Department of Education. If a student withdraws, returns to public school, moves out of Tennessee, graduates, or otherwise becomes ineligible, any remaining scholarship funds return to the state.​