Tennessee Options
Education Options
Every student needs something different. Tennessee has something for everyone.
Public
Tennessee has 1,700+ public district schools that are open, free of charge, to all Tennessee students. Tennessee students may also transfer to schools outside of their district zone.
Private
Non-public schools come in all shapes and sizes! Religious, non-religious, specialty, rigorous, large, and small. Find registered EFS schools here!
Non-public schools come in all shapes and sizes! Religious, non-religious, specialty, rigorous, large, and small. Find registered EFS schools here!
Check out this School Finder from National School Choice week!
Charter
Charter schools are specialty public (and free of charge) schools that operate under independent, non-profit governing bodies. Currently, Tennessee has 114 charter schools. Like private schools, charters come in all shapes and sizes too, and are generally created with unique student needs in mind. One of our goals is to increase access to charter schools and other opportunities for families, particularly those in rural communities with limited options.
Homeschool
Homeschooling is thriving in Tennessee! You can homeschool independently or under a church-umbrella school. Get more information on how to register here.
Other
As parents demand more options, tons of unique and out-of-the-box educational settings are springing up, driven by the vision of innovative edu-preneurs. Tennessee is home to a growing number of these innovative options, like microschools!
Scholarship Options
Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS)
Universal K-12 Eligibility
20,000 Scholarships Available
$7,295/yr
The Education Freedom Scholarship empowers Tennessee parents to choose their child’s educational setting by allowing them to direct state funds toward education expenses, starting with and/or fees at qualifying Tennessee private schools. All K-12 students are eligible. 20,000 scholarships are funded for the 2025/2026 school year. More details here.
Individualized Education Account Program (IEA)
For Students with an IEP / Diagnosis
Unlimited Scholarships Available
$6,957/yr (avg)
The Individualized Education Account Program provides scholarships for private education options to K-12 students with an IEP and primary or secondary diagnosis of autism, deaf-blindness, hearing impairment (including deafness), intellectual disability, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injury, developmental delay, visual impairment (including blindness), or multiple disabilities. There are no enrollment caps and the average award is $6,957. More details here.
Education Savings Account Program (ESA)
Low-Income Students in Chattanooga, Memphis, or Metro Nashville
15,000 Scholarships Available
$9,329/yr (avg)
The ESA program was created to support low-income students (200% of the federal income eligibility guidelines for the Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRL) program) located in the public school systems in Hamilton County (Chattanooga), Shelby County (Memphis), or Metro Nashville. Parents can direct their ESA dollars to tuition or fees at a private school and other educational expenses, including textbooks required by the school, tutoring, transportation, and certain tech. More details here.
