Ways to pay for private school in the Memphis area
11 programs and sources for Shelby, Tipton and Fayette families: who can use each one, what it pays for 2026-27 and the next date to watch.
Last verified: October 2026
Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS)
The scholarship most Memphis parents mean when they say 'the voucher': $7,530 for each 2026-27 student, spent on tuition and fees at a school signed up for EFS before anything else, with leftovers available for approved costs.
Who can use it →MSCS zone · $10,132.54Education Savings Account (ESA) — MSCS Zone
The older of Tennessee's two general programs, limited to income-eligible students zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools (or a former Achievement School District school), Metro Nashville or Hamilton County. In the MSCS zone it pays $10,132.54 for 2026-27.
Who can use it →Students with an IEPIndividualized Education Account (IEA)
A parent-run account for Tennessee students whose IEP names a qualifying disability. It usually carries more money than EFS, ignores income, and can be spent at label IV and V schools or on home education, which EFS and the ESA cannot.
Who can use it →Ages 3-4 · Year-round applicationMSCS Pre-K & Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K
Memphis-Shelby County Schools runs pre-K for three- and four-year-olds through district, Voluntary Pre-K, First 8 Memphis and Head Start collaboration classrooms. The application is open year-round, and over-income families may apply.
Who can use it →6 weeks to K · Income-basedSmart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance (TDHS)
The Tennessee Department of Human Services program that pays part of licensed child care for working or studying parents, from six weeks old through kindergarten, with a weekly copay based on income.
Who can use it →Shelby County · Private, need-basedMemphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust (MOST)
A Memphis nonprofit founded in 1998 that gives partial, need-based scholarships to Shelby County families at about 42 partner private schools. New students enter through an annual lottery application.
Who can use it →New · Tennessee opted inFederal Scholarship Tax Credit (2027)
A federal income-tax credit, starting January 1, 2027, for gifts to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs). Tennessee has opted in but had not approved any SGOs as of late October 2026.
Who can use it →Catholic schoolsCatholic School Tuition Aid (Catholic Schools of Memphis)
The Diocese of Memphis runs one diocesan high school and a group of parish schools as the Catholic Schools of Memphis system; Christian Brothers and St. Agnes-St. Dominic operate privately. Aid is need-based and handled school by school, usually through FACTS.
Who can use it →Grades 11-12 · College creditTennessee Dual Enrollment Grant (TSAC)
Money from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation that lets 11th and 12th graders take college classes for credit: as much as $620.55 apiece for the first five, less after that.
Who can use it →At the schoolSchool-Based Tuition Assistance
Need-based grants, sibling discounts, member rates and payment plans offered by each school; in Memphis, this layer often decides whether the math works after a state award.
Who can use it →Partner fundEdu Fund Partner Scholarship
Private money set aside for a group of church and community schools, used against part of what a family still owes once state dollars are counted. An advisor spells out the terms on the funding call.
Who can use it →Dates coming up
- Nov 1, 2026St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School opens its FACTS need-based aid window (returning families by Dec 1, new families by Feb 1, 2027)
- Nov 16, 2026Private schools can begin registering for the 2027-28 Education Freedom Scholarship; TDOE closes registration April 30, 2027 with no exceptions
- Jan 1, 2027The federal scholarship tax credit takes effect; Tennessee has opted in, and MOST says its family application portal opens in 2027
- Jan 15, 2027Projected EFS Quarter 3 disbursement (20% of the 2026-27 award)
- Feb 2, 2027The 2027-28 ESA application opens at noon Central for income-eligible students zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools; it closes April 15, 2027 at 4 p.m.
- Feb 16, 2027Projected opening of the 2027-28 IEA application for students with an IEP; TDOE projects it will close April 16, 2027
- Feb 2027MOST's new-student and lottery application window (MOST lists February 1-28); lottery families' paperwork is due April 21
- Apr 30, 2027EFS and ESA Marketplaces stop taking orders for technology and uniforms (4 p.m. Central)
- Jun 30, 2027Deadline to file the TSAC Dual Enrollment Grant for 2026-27 terms
TDOE had not posted 2027-28 EFS student application dates as of October 30, 2026. The 2026-27 cycle opened renewals December 9, 2025 and new applications January 13, 2026, and closed January 30, 2026, so Memphis families should have documents scanned by early December.
Find out which Tennessee program your child can use
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