What are Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarships?
Education Freedom Scholarships will allow residents of Tennessee who have a child entitled to attend a public school in grades K-12 to use state funds toward education expenses, including tuition and/or fees at registered Category I, II, or III private schools located in Tennessee. 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:
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.
- 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 |
Eligibility Requirements
| efs_applicationchecklist__1_.pdf |
Step-by-Step Application Guide
| 2025_efs_application_step-by-step_guide.pdf |
