The Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) Program kicked-off, Thursday, May 15, for all Tennessee families to submit eligible student applications. Please read the information shared in this posting. For details, which includes our Catholic Schools, click on this link and the others below: https://www.tn.gov/education/efs.html.
EFS Background
During the Tennessee General Assembly’s special legislative session in January 2025, the Assembly passed the Tenn. Education Freedom Act. On Feb. 12, Gov. Bill Lee signed the legislation into law.
EFS Program
Through the Education Freedom Act, 20,000 tax-exempt Education Freedom Scholarships of approximately $7,296 will be available in the 2025-26 school year. Half of the scholarships will go to students living in households with an annual income less than 300% of the level to qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program, an estimate of $173,160 for a family of four. The remaining 10,000 scholarships will be available to students across the state, regardless of income or zip code.
EFS Requirements
On April 10, the Tenn. Dept. of Education released the Education Freedom Scholarship Program student application checklist: https://www.tn.gov/…/efs/EFS_ApplicationChecklist.pdf.
Families are encouraged to gather the documentation now to submit when the application launches. EFS Applicants must meet the following requirements:
• Tennessee Residency (two documentations of proof required)
• Student’s Proof of U.S. Citizenship (one proof required) or Lawful Presence in the U.S. (two proofs required)
• No more than 13 years in school and entering grades K-12
• Student must be five years old by September 30, 2025
• Income documentation or Individualized Education Account (IEA) eligibility or Education Savings Account (ESA) eligibility.
Again, for details, go to: https://www.tn.gov/education/efs.html.
