Last verified: October 2026
Does Tennessee offer school vouchers to Knoxville families?
Yes, through two programs. The Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) pays $7,530 per student for 2026-27 toward a registered private school, and the Individualized Education Account (IEA) funds students with a qualifying IEP at a higher amount and with more freedom about where the money goes.
A third program, the Education Savings Account (ESA), exists but does not reach Knox, Blount, Anderson or Sevier County. A child can hold only one Tennessee program per school year.
How many Knoxville-area private schools accept the Tennessee voucher?
34 schools in the four counties are on TDOE's 2026-27 EFS list, out of 77 private schools and early-learning programs this directory tracks here. Knox County holds 27 of them.
Registration is voluntary and annual. Clayton-Bradley Academy, Knoxville Montessori School and St. Andrew's School in Sevierville all hold eligible categories but were not on the August 2026 list.
Is there an income limit on the Knoxville voucher?
EFS has no hard income ceiling, but income sets the order in which seats are handed out when demand exceeds supply, as it did for 2026-27. A family of four at or under $57,720 sits in Priority 2, and one at or under $173,160 in Priority 3, on TDOE's current charts.
The IEA has no income test at all; it depends on the IEP.
What will Tennessee's school-choice money not pay for in Knoxville?
EFS cannot pay a Category IV church school, a Category V school or independent home schooling, and the EFS handbook bars food, before- and after-school care, extracurricular and athletic fees, field trips and consumable supplies. Internet service and stand-alone software are out too.
Anything a school charges beyond $7,530 falls to the family, typically softened by school aid or spread over a payment plan.
| Education Freedom Scholarship | Individualized Education Account | |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Any eligible Tennessee K-12 student, by priority tier | Students with an eligible Tennessee IEP |
| Amount | $7,530 | TISA base + average special-ed funding |
| Income test | Sets priority only | None |
| Schools allowed | Registered Category I-III | Category I-V, umbrella programs, home schooling |
| 2027-28 window | Not yet posted | Projected to open Feb 16, 2027 |
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.