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The Tennessee Department of Education has published the Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) Program student application checklist and encourages interested families to begin gathering required documents to apply once the application goes live in May.

The department will announce the opening date of the program in the coming weeks. The checklist for Education Freedom Scholarships, Tennessee's groundbreaking universal school choice program, is available on line at https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/efs/EFS_ApplicationChecklist.pdf.

For the first time, Tennessee parents in nearly 95 counties will be able to enroll their child in the school of their choice, regardless of income level or ZIP code," Gov. Bill Lee said. "Near 200 schools have already indicated interest in participating in the Education Freedom Scholarship program, and I have complete confidence in the Tennessee Department of Education's ability to accept applications and offer excellent educational choices for parents next school year."

Interested Tennessee schools and families also are encouraged to sign up for periodic email reminders and prepare early for the 2025-26 school year by reviewing the most recent list of schools planning to participate, which accounts for 198 eligible schools. The department also still encourages interested and eligible schools to express their plans to participate.

"At the department, we are working hard to have the resources available to families so that they are prepared and informed when the application window opens later this spring," said Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds. "Having parents at the center of their child's education is essential, and I encourage all interested Tennessee families to remain engaged, sign up for our newsletter, and prepare when the application window opens."

Background

During the General Assembly's legislative session in January, lawmakers passed the Tennessee Education Freedom Act, and Lee signed the landmark legislation to establish the state's universal school choice program into law on Feb. 12.

The State Board of Education held a special called meeting on March 20 to discuss the Education Freedom Scholarship Act emergency rules, which further explain the law, define terms, and establish processes and procedures for the scholarships. During the meeting, the emergency rules received a unanimous positive recommendation, another major step in the process of implementation. The emergency rules will remain effective for 180 days while the department and State Board of Education move to issue permanent rules.

For additional information regarding the EFS Program and to receive other materials, visit the EFS webpage. Category I, II, or III schools interested in participating in the EFS Program can contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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