Last verified: October 2026
Can an MSCS-zone student hold both the ESA and the Education Freedom Scholarship?
A student zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools may apply to and be approved for both, but may participate in only one per school year, according to TDOE's ESA handbook. The two programs have separate portals and accounts.
ESA eligibility also places the student in EFS priority Tier 2, which helps if the family ends up choosing EFS.
Which pays more for a Memphis student, the ESA or EFS?
The ESA does: $10,132.54 for a full 2026-27 year in the MSCS zone, compared with $7,530 for EFS. Over four years at 2026-27 amounts, the gap is about $10,400 per child.
The ESA also pays college tuition and textbooks at eligible Tennessee institutions, which EFS covers only as early-postsecondary course fees.
When is EFS the better choice for a family zoned to MSCS?
EFS makes more sense when last year's income was above the ESA line, when the child does not meet an ESA enrollment condition (for example, a student already in private school who never held an ESA), or when the chosen school is on the EFS list but not the ESA list. Several Shelby County schools, including Lausanne, Memphis University School and St. Mary's Episcopal, appear only on the EFS list for 2026-27.
For a child who receives special-education services, neither choice keeps the public school IEP: both handbooks treat participation as declining IDEA services while enrolled.
What testing do ESA and EFS students take?
ESA students in grades 3 through 11 must take the TCAP math and English tests each year. EFS students in grades 3-11 are also tested annually, and EFS allows a nationally normed achievement test chosen by the school.
The two also share one school rule: neither will pay a church school that holds label IV alone.
| ESA | EFS | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 award | $10,132.54 | $7,530 |
| Income rule | Prior-year income at or under 2x free-lunch guideline | Income sets priority tier only |
| Enrollment history | Prior-year TN public school, kindergarten, new to TN, or prior ESA | None required |
| Public-school IEP (IDEA) | Not in effect while enrolled | Not in effect while enrolled |
| Local campuses on the list | 48 (West TN list) | 59 (EFS list) |
What is the next step for a Memphis family?
Spend two minutes on the funding check, and a counselor will call back with the program that fits, its dollar value and the next deadline.