Last verified: October 2026
What is the first step in paying for private school in Knoxville?
Start with the state: apply for the $7,530 Education Freedom Scholarship, or the IEA if your child has a qualifying IEP, and choose a school that can accept it. A Category IV school cannot take EFS no matter how strong the application is.
Some schools, Knoxville Catholic High School among them, ask every aid applicant to file for EFS too.
What comes after EFS at Knoxville private schools?
After the state award comes the school's own help: need-based grants, multi-child pricing, church or parish rates and payment plans. Sacred Heart Cathedral School, for example, publishes family tuition by number of children, and Catholic families there apply to the regional operating fund through FACTS.
File the school's aid application on its own calendar, which may close in December, before the EFS window even opens.
Can EFS money pay for anything besides tuition in Knoxville?
It can, but only after the school bill is settled. What is left may go to the school's books and uniforms, approved summer or after-school academics, a licensed teacher as tutor, a licensed therapist, a commercial bus service, test fees and devices from the Marketplace.
Unused money carries forward while the student remains eligible, and is returned to the state when the student leaves the program or graduates.
Where does help for younger Knoxville children come from?
Four-year-olds can qualify for free Voluntary Pre-K through Knox County Schools or their own district, and TDHS Smart Steps helps working parents pay licensed child care from six weeks through kindergarten. EFS begins at kindergarten.
From 2027, scholarships funded by the federal tax credit may become another layer once Tennessee approves SGOs.
| Layer | What it is | What it isn't |
|---|---|---|
| EFS or IEA | A state award paid toward approved schooling | Usable at every school |
| School aid | The school's own need-based help and pricing | Standardized or guaranteed |
| Federal tax credit (2027) | SGO scholarships for households up to 300% of area median income | Open to families yet |
| Pre-K and child care | VPK and Smart Steps for children under five | Tuition help for grades 1-12 |
Where does a Knoxville family go from here?
Send us five answers in the funding check. A counselor then tells you, for your child specifically, which Tennessee program to apply for, how much it should pay and the very next deadline.