Last verified: October 2026
Which East Tennessee private schools can register for EFS?
Two conditions open the door: approval in Category I, II or III, and a campus in Tennessee that the school owns or leases and where children are taught and tested. Schools approved only as Category IV or V are shut out.
Holding the right category is not the same as being on the list; registration is its own yearly step.
What are the EFS registration dates for 2027-28?
School registration for the 2027-28 year runs November 16, 2026 through April 30, 2027, and TDOE says it will make no exceptions to the April 30 deadline.
A verified school representative starts the process by emailing EFS.Questions@tn.gov; questions about earning Category I, II or III approval go to Private.Schools@tn.gov.
How does EFS money reach a Knoxville school?
Accounts are topped up four times a year (August 50%, October 20%, January 20%, March 10%). After each deposit the school has a short window to request tuition and fees, and it confirms who is still enrolled every quarter.
Schools set their own billing schedules in the family contract, and must refund prepaid EFS tuition if a student withdraws mid-year.
Should a Knoxville school also accept IEA students?
Yes, if it can serve students with IEPs. IEA school applications are accepted year-round, and the IEA reaches Category IV and V schools that EFS cannot.
The ESA list is irrelevant here: no student zoned to Knox, Blount, Anderson or Sevier County schools is ESA-eligible.
| State approval | EFS sign-up | |
|---|---|---|
| Who says yes | TDOE, or an accreditor the State Board recognizes | The EFS office at TDOE |
| Repeats | On the category's own cycle | Each school year |
| Required for EFS | Category I, II or III | Yes, every year |
| Next deadline | Category I/V window, Jan-May | April 30, 2027 |