Last verified: October 2026
What is the Education Freedom Scholarship worth for a Memphis student in 2026-27?
A Memphis-area student awarded an Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) receives $7,530 for 2026-27, whether the child is starting kindergarten in Frayser or finishing senior year in Collierville. The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) pays it from state funds into an online account that the family controls.
The school is paid from that account after the parent approves each charge. Tuition and required fees come first; only then can the balance go to books, tutoring or similar items.
How does TDOE decide which Shelby County families get an EFS seat?
When applications outnumber seats, TDOE fills them by priority tier and, inside each tier, by the time a complete application arrived. Renewing students are first; then households at or under the free-or-reduced-price lunch line, SNAP and TANF families and any student eligible for the ESA or IEA; then households up to three times that line; then current public school students and incoming kindergartners; then everyone else.
That second tier matters in Memphis. A student zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools who meets the ESA rules is placed in it automatically, even if the family later chooses EFS. For 2026-27, more than 56,000 families applied statewide for 35,000 seats, and 17,735 applications were waitlisted.
Which private schools in the Memphis area are on the EFS list?
59 schools in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette counties appear on TDOE's 2026-27 registered list (updated August 24, 2026), out of 290 statewide. They range from Catholic parish schools and Memphis University School to Fayette Academy in Somerville and Tipton Christian Academy in Covington.
A school must hold Category I, II or III approval, keep a physical Tennessee campus and register every year. Category IV and V schools and independent homeschooling are excluded. Each school page on this site shows the school's list status.
When will Memphis families apply for the 2027-28 Education Freedom Scholarship?
TDOE has not announced 2027-28 dates yet. Last cycle ran on a tight clock: returning families could start December 9, 2025, newcomers on January 13, 2026, and the portal locked at 4 p.m. Central on January 30, 2026.
Because order of arrival breaks ties within a tier, a family that uploads a citizenship record and two Tennessee residency proofs on the first day has an edge over one that waits.
Is the Education Freedom Scholarship still on solid legal ground?
Yes, for now. On October 19, 2026 a three-judge panel dismissed a lawsuit claiming the program violated the Tennessee Constitution, as EdChoice, which helped defend it, reported the next day.
The program itself grew in May 2026, when Governor Bill Lee signed a law raising the cap to 35,000 scholarships for 2026-27.
| Education Freedom Scholarship is | Education Freedom Scholarship is not |
|---|---|
| $7,530 per student for 2026-27, paid by the state | Off-limits at label IV or V schools and for home education |
| Payable only at EFS-registered Category I-III schools with a Tennessee campus | Not counted as taxable income; no 1099 arrives |
| Spent on tuition and fees before anything else | Never spent on internet, meals, field trips or extended care |
| Kept in the account from year to year while the student stays eligible | Never paired with an ESA or IEA in one school year |