My Learning Source Tennessee › Homeschooling in Tennessee › Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship — A Guide for Homeschool Families

Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship — A Guide for Homeschool Families

The Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) is Tennessee's statewide school choice program. It was created by the Education Freedom Act in January 2025 (T.C.A. 49-6-3501 and following) and is run by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). For 2026–27 it gives $7,530 to each of up to 35,000 K–12 students. The money must first pay tuition and fees at a registered Category I, II or III private school, and anything left can be spent in the EFS Marketplace. That means families who homeschool independently, or through a church-related umbrella school (Category IV), can't use an EFS, and the same is true of Tennessee's Education Savings Account pilot. The program homeschoolers can use is the Individualized Education Account (IEA), for students with certain disabilities, explained below. A student can be in only one of these programs in a school year.

Overseen byTennessee Department of Education, under the Education Freedom Act (T.C.A. 49-6-3501 and following) and State Board of Education Rule 0520-01-24
Administered byTDOE's Office of Programs and School Choice, through the online EFS portal and Marketplace. Funds go to schools and approved purchases, never to parents.
Amount per student, 2026–27$7,530, equal to the base funding amount in Tennessee's TISA school funding formula, paid in quarterly portions (50% in August, 20% in October, 20% in January, 10% in March). Unused money carries forward to the next year.
Who is eligibleTennessee residents who are U.S. citizens or lawfully present and entitled to attend public school in grades K–12, with no prior public school or IEP requirement. The student must enroll in an EFS-registered Category I, II or III private school in Tennessee. When there are more applicants than scholarships, awards go by priority: current recipients, then lower-income households (100% and 300% of the free/reduced-price lunch limit, or ESA/IEA eligibility), then current public school students and kindergartners, then everyone else.
Application window / next datesThe 2026–27 window closed February 6, 2026. TDOE received applications from more than 56,000 families for 35,000 scholarships, and 17,735 applications were waitlisted as of May 2026. The 2027–28 dates haven't been posted. The IEA's 2027–28 window is projected to open February 16, 2027.
Homeschool statusEFS and the ESA pilot do not fund independent home schools or Category IV/V church-related umbrella schools. The IEA does: an IEA student may be independently homeschooled, enrolled in an umbrella school, or attend a participating private school.

Which Tennessee program fits a homeschool family

Tennessee has three state-funded programs. The Education Freedom Scholarship ($7,530 for 2026–27) is statewide. The Education Savings Account (ESA) pilot pays about

0,100 to lower-income students zoned to Memphis-Shelby County, Metro Nashville or Hamilton County schools. Both require the student to enroll in a Category I, II or III private school. TDOE says plainly that enrolling in a Category IV or V school or an independent home school is not permitted under either one.

A homeschooling family can still apply for an EFS, but only if the child then enrolls in an EFS-registered Category I–III school. Accredited online schools are Category III private schools, not home schools, so a student enrolled full-time in one that is registered for EFS is attending a private school.

The Individualized Education Account is the exception. It serves students with certain disabilities, and its funds can pay for independent homeschooling, a church-related umbrella program, or a participating private school (Categories I–V). A student can be enrolled in only one of the three programs in a school year.

The Individualized Education Account: the option for homeschoolers

Who qualifies: K–12 students with an active Tennessee IEP that lists one of these as a primary or secondary disability when the application window closes: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, developmental delay, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury or visual impairment. Starting in 2027–28, children in the TEIS Extended Option with a qualifying Part B eligibility report also qualify. The student must also have spent the previous full school year in a Tennessee public school, be entering kindergarten, have moved to Tennessee within the past year, or have had an IEA the year before. There is no income limit. Once in the IEA, the student cannot be enrolled in public school. (T.C.A. 49-10-1401 and following; SBE Rule 0520-01-11)

How much: the amount equals the TISA base funding plus the average special education funding generated by students with disabilities in the student's district, so it varies by district. Up to 50% of a year's award can roll over. Money is loaded quarterly onto an IEA debit card (projected September 15, November 15, February 15 and May 15). The program pays directly only and never reimburses personal spending. Families must upload receipts within five days of each purchase, and must spend at least half of each year's award or the difference is taken from the next year's first payment.

What it pays for: tuition and fees at a participating private school or umbrella program, curriculum, tutoring and educational therapies (both pre-approved by TDOE before the service starts), online courses, test fees, required textbooks, and pre-approved computer hardware, among the 14 categories in the IEA law.

Homeschool rules still apply. A family that independently homeschools on an IEA must still file the district's Intent to Home School form and meet every homeschool requirement. In grades 3–8, IEA students must also take a TDOE-approved nationally norm-referenced test or the TCAP in math and English language arts each year.

Applying: the 2026–27 windows (February 17 – April 17, 2026) are closed. New and renewal applications for 2027–28 are projected to open February 16, 2027 in the IEA portal.

What EFS money can pay for

EFS money must first cover tuition and fees at the student's EFS-registered school. Whatever remains can be spent in the EFS Marketplace on these items (Education Freedom Act; TDOE EFS FAQ). For 2026–27, the Marketplace is projected to open October 19, 2026 for students with no pending tuition:

  • Textbooks, curricula, instructional materials and uniforms at the student's EFS-registered school
  • Tuition, textbooks and materials for approved summer education programs and specialized after-school academic programs (not child care)
  • Tutoring by an individual with an active Tennessee teaching license, or by an agency with approved accreditation
  • Educational therapies from a department-approved licensed therapist
  • Fees for early postsecondary courses and exams, college entrance exams and industry credential exams the department approves
  • Fee-for-service transportation to and from the student's school (not driving by family members)
  • Computer hardware or devices for educational use, bought through the Marketplace at or below fair market value, one per student per year (no internet service or stand-alone software)

Before you apply or buy

  • Decide on the school first. An EFS only works at an EFS-registered Category I, II or III private school in Tennessee. Admission is up to each school.
  • Apply when the window opens. Awards go by priority category, then in the order applications arrive. Priority information can't be added after you submit, and a resubmitted incomplete application loses its original timestamp.
  • Income documents matter. To claim Priority 2 or 3, upload the required pages of your federal tax return (Form 1040) with the application. Starting with the 2027–28 cycle, income limits also apply to Priority 4.
  • The Marketplace has deadlines. For 2026–27, technology and uniform orders close April 30, 2027 and all other orders close June 25, 2027. Confirm receipt of deliveries in the portal.
  • An EFS isn't taxable income, and no 1099 is issued.
  • Thinking about the IEA? Make sure your child's IEP is active and lists a qualifying disability before the window closes. Get TDOE pre-approval for any tutor or therapist before services begin.
  • Amounts, dates and rules change. Confirm anything important on TDOE's EFS, ESA and IEA pages.

For vendors and schools: taking part

Private schools: to accept EFS funds, a school must be an approved Category I, II or III non-public school with a physical location in Tennessee, and it must register separately with TDOE for EFS. Registration for the 2027–28 school year runs November 16, 2026 through April 30, 2027, and TDOE says there are no exceptions to the deadline. Schools are paid through the portal on a quarterly schedule and invoice tuition each quarter. ESA participation is also limited to Category I–III schools. Schools of any category (I–V) can apply year-round, and must reapply each year, to be on the IEA participating schools list.

Service providers: EFS tutors must hold an active Tennessee teaching license or work for an agency with approved accreditation, and therapists must be licensed and department-approved. Every EFS service provider must keep proof that each employee or contractor serving students has a fingerprint-based TBI/FBI background check, and must keep documentation of their credentials. For the IEA, TDOE doesn't approve vendors in advance. Instead, families pay with a debit card, and tutoring and therapy need family pre-approval forms. So providers who accept card payments and give itemized invoices are easiest for IEA families to use.

Listing on My Learning Source is separate from EFS, ESA or IEA participation — you don't need one to have the other, and families find you here either way.

Homeschooling in Tennessee: the basics

  • Tennessee law defines a home school as a school conducted or directed by a parent or legal guardian for their own children. There are two ways to do it: an independent home school, or enrollment in a church-related "umbrella" school (Category IV). A third option, an accredited online school, is a Category III private school, not a home school. (T.C.A. 49-6-3050; TDOE Home School page)
  • Independent home school notice: file an Intent to Home School form with the school district where you live (some districts use an electronic form), with proof of the parent's education, and identify the curriculum you've chosen. You can register any time, including mid-year. A new notice is due before the start of each school year.
  • Parent education: a parent-teacher in an independent home school must have a high school diploma or a state-approved high school equivalency credential. Umbrella schools may require the same for parent-teachers of grades 9–12.
  • Attendance: independent home school students need at least 4 hours of instruction a day for 180 days a year. Attendance records go to the director of schools (usually the district's home school coordinator) at the end of each school year.
  • Testing: independent home school students in grades 5, 7 and 9 must take either a nationally normed standardized test chosen by the parent, covering English language arts and math and proctored by someone not related to the student, or the same state tests public school students take (the TCAP, free at the zoned public school). Results go to the parent, the director of schools and the State Board of Education.
  • Church-related umbrella schools: no district notice is needed, though the district may ask for proof of enrollment when you withdraw. The umbrella school sets requirements, keeps records, handles testing and issues the diploma. TDOE's Non-Public Schools list marks which Category IV schools offer umbrella programs.
  • Diplomas: independent home school graduates get their diploma and transcript from the parent-teacher. Students entering a public or approved private school may be tested for placement, and high schoolers may be tested for credit.

Other Tennessee programs: HOPE, dual enrollment and sports

HOPE Scholarship for homeschool graduates: Tennessee's lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship pays up to

,250 per full-time semester as a freshman and sophomore at four-year colleges (and two-year colleges with on-campus housing), rising to up to
,850 as a junior and senior. At two-year colleges it pays up to
,600 per semester. Homeschool GPAs aren't considered, so a homeschool graduate needs a 21 ACT composite on a single test date, or the matching SAT score (superscores not accepted). Another route is to finish at least two dual enrollment courses (six or more semester hours) while homeschooled, with at least a 3.0 in each course and overall. Apply by filing the FAFSA, and enroll within 16 months of graduating. The General Assembly Merit Scholarship asks for more: 29 ACT or 1330 SAT, plus dual enrollment, Governor's School, AP or CLEP results. (THEC/TSAC, collegefortn.org)

Dual Enrollment Grant: a lottery-funded grant for high school juniors and seniors taking college courses at eligible two- and four-year colleges (freshmen and up at a TCAT). The first five courses are covered at community college tuition plus a 5% access fee, and courses six through ten at

00 per credit hour (up to $600 a course). Students apply online by June 30 and keep a 2.0 college GPA. Homeschoolers who plan to use dual enrollment for HOPE should confirm eligibility with THEC/TSAC and the college.

Sports and activities: if a district's schools belong to an athletic association such as TSSAA and the association has homeschool participation rules, the district must let independent home school students who meet those rules try out for interscholastic teams. If the zoned school offers interscholastic sports outside such an association, the district must also allow tryouts there. A tryout doesn't guarantee a spot. Other use of public school facilities and classes is up to the principal and local board policy. Districts may ask for the same health exams required of their own students. (T.C.A. 49-6-3050; TDOE Home School FAQ)

Driver's licenses for home-schooled teens

Permits and licenses: a teen can get a learner permit at 15 after passing the written exams and a vision screening. Permit holders may drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older, and not between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. After holding the permit for 180 days, a teen who is at least 16 and has 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving, including 10 at night, can move up to the intermediate restricted license. A parent, guardian or driving instructor signs the 50-Hour Certification form. For any applicant under 18, an adult must also sign a Minor/Teenage Affidavit taking on financial responsibility. (Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security)

Proof of school attendance: applicants under 18 must show they are enrolled in school or have graduated. A graduate brings the original high school diploma or GED certificate. Students enrolled in a Tennessee school bring a Certificate of Compulsory School Attendance (Form SF-1010) that a school official signed within the past 30 days. It certifies that the student meets the attendance law (T.C.A. 49-6-3017). The Department of Safety doesn't accept grade cards or transcripts as proof. (TDOSHS Driver License Manual; SF-1010, rev. April 2022)

Independent home school: the Department of Safety's driver license manual says home-schooled applicants bring two things. The first is a letter from the director of schools in the district where they live, confirming that the district received the annual notice of intent to home school. The second is a Verification of Home School Enrollment (Form SF-1193), which the parent or legal guardian completes and signs at the Driver License Center to affirm satisfactory attendance. Ask your district for the letter well before your appointment.

Church-related umbrella schools: the manual says a student in an approved private or church school in Tennessee that doesn't have access to SF-1010 forms brings a statement from the principal or headmaster on official school letterhead. The statement must specifically confirm that the student is not truant, and copies or faxes aren't accepted. The manual doesn't mention umbrella programs by name, so ask your umbrella school whether it signs an SF-1010 or writes a letterhead statement.

Dropping out: if a student 15 or older drops out, the school must notify the Department of Safety, which suspends the student's driving privileges. After a first dropout, the student can get them back by returning to school, with a

0 reinstatement fee plus the regular application and license fees (amounts on SF-1010, rev. April 2022). After a second dropout, the student must wait until 18 to apply again. (TDOSHS Driver License Manual)

Special education for home school students

Special education: the Tennessee Department of Education says home-schooled students are entitled to the same special education services as children their parents place in private schools. They aren't entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) through an IEP. Instead, the school district provides equitable services to home school students found eligible, through a services plan. TDOE says this is generally a related service such as speech therapy, as decided by the district where the student is registered to home school (TDOE Home School FAQ). TDOE requires districts to count parentally placed home school students with disabilities in grades K–12 in their proportionate share of federal IDEA funds and to make them eligible for equitable services (TDOE school choice FAQ, April 2025).

Special education: child find comes first. The district where a non-public school is located must find and evaluate parentally placed children with disabilities, after consulting with non-public school representatives, and its count includes students who live in the district and are home schooled there. The duty to evaluate is separate from the duty to provide services (TDOE IDEA Equitable Services Toolkit, November 2024). If you suspect a disability, contact your local school district. If your child is enrolled in a church-related umbrella school, ask whether the district where you live or the district where the umbrella school is located handles evaluations.

Special education: a family doesn't have to accept a services plan; each family chooses whether to receive equitable services. The district makes the final decision about which services it offers, after consultation, and a child isn't entitled to any particular service or the same amount a public school student would get. Services might be given at a public school, a private school, the student's home or another public place. Once a district has spent its full proportionate share, it no longer has to provide services to non-public school students. Parents have the right to take part in writing the plan. (TDOE school choice FAQ)

Special education: IEA students count as parentally placed non-public school students. They stay eligible for special education under IDEA until the IEP team finds they no longer qualify, they graduate with a traditional diploma, or the school year ends in which they turn 22. They aren't entitled to FAPE through an IEP, but they may receive equitable services through an individualized service plan (ISP). The district must reevaluate them at least every three years unless you and the district agree it isn't needed, and sooner if you ask and the district agrees it's warranted. If you refuse consent for a reevaluation, the district can't override that and decides continued eligibility from existing records. You can ask for an independent educational evaluation if you disagree with the district's evaluation. (TDOE school choice FAQ) Enrolling in the IEA has the same effect as refusing consent to IDEA services through an IEP, and a student can't receive IEA funds and public funding for an IEP at the same time. If a student leaves the IEA and re-enrolls in public school, the district provides services comparable to the most recent IEP until it writes a new one. (TDOE IEA Program Handbook 2026-27)

Official sources

My Learning Source is an independent marketplace. We are not affiliated with the Tennessee Department of Education or its Education Freedom Scholarship, Education Savings Account or Individualized Education Account programs, and a listing here does not mean a vendor is a registered EFS school or service provider.

As of October 2026.

Loading the full Tennessee site… If it does not appear, everything on this page is readable above.