Last verified: October 2026
What is a Knoxville student's Education Freedom Scholarship worth for 2026-27?
A Knoxville student's Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) is worth $7,530 for 2026-27, whether the child is a kindergartner in Farragut or a junior in Powell. The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) sets it equal to the base amount in the TISA school funding formula, so it can move from year to year.
Parents never hold the cash. It sits in an EFS portal account that TDOE fills in projected steps (half in August, a fifth in October, another fifth in January and the last tenth in March), and the school charges against it on the schedule in its family contract.
Which private schools in Knox, Blount, Anderson and Sevier counties take EFS?
TDOE's registered list, updated August 24, 2026, names 34 schools in these four counties: 27 in Knox, 4 in Blount, 2 in Sevier and 1 in Anderson. River's Edge Christian Academy registers once for four campuses, so the directory flags 37 campus records.
To be on it, a school needs one of the first three approval categories, a campus inside Tennessee, and a fresh sign-up each year. Money cannot go to a Category IV or V school or to a family schooling at home.
Who gets an EFS seat first when Tennessee runs out of scholarships?
Seats go by priority tier and then by the time a complete application arrives. Tier 1 is renewing students; Tier 2 is households at or under 100% of the free-or-reduced-price lunch limit, SNAP or TANF families, and students eligible for the ESA or IEA; Tier 3 is households up to 300% of that limit; Tier 4 is current public school students and incoming kindergartners; Tier 5 is everyone else.
For 2026-27 TDOE took 56,440 applications for 35,000 scholarships and left 17,735 on a waitlist. Its comparison sheet says Tier 4 will also carry an income limit starting with the 2027-28 cycle.
When can Knoxville families apply for the 2027-28 Education Freedom Scholarship?
TDOE has not posted 2027-28 student application dates yet. In the 2026-27 cycle renewals opened December 9, 2025, new applications opened January 13, 2026, and both closed January 30, 2026 at 4 p.m. Central (5 p.m. Eastern).
Because order of receipt matters inside each tier, families should create the portal account ahead of time and have a citizenship document and two current Tennessee residency proofs ready. Priority 2 and 3 claims need the household's Form 1040 for the year TDOE names.
Is the Education Freedom Scholarship still on solid legal ground?
Yes, for now. The legislature grew the program from 20,000 to 35,000 seats in a law Governor Bill Lee signed May 7, 2026, and on October 20, 2026 the Tennessee Lookout reported that a three-judge panel had dismissed a lawsuit challenging it.
Families should still treat each year's award as subject to appropriation, which is how TDOE describes every scholarship.
| Education Freedom Scholarship is | Education Freedom Scholarship is not |
|---|---|
| $7,530 per student for 2026-27 at every grade | Not usable at Category IV or V schools or for independent home schooling |
| Payable at registered Category I, II and III schools with a Tennessee campus | Not taxable income (no 1099 is issued) |
| Spent on tuition and fees before anything else | Not available for internet service, stand-alone software, food or after-school care |
| Carried forward from year to year while the student stays eligible | Not combinable with an IEA or ESA in the same year |