Last verified: October 2026
How much is the ESA for a student zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
An Education Savings Account (ESA) for a student zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is worth $10,132.54 for the 2026-27 school year, or $5,066.27 for a student who joins for the second semester only. That is about $2,600 more than the Education Freedom Scholarship.
The ESA mixes state and local school dollars, which is why it runs higher than EFS. TDOE released full-year funds in four parts in 2026-27: half on August 4, 20% on October 1, 20% on January 5 and 10% on March 1.
Does the Tennessee ESA cover Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett or Tipton County?
No. The ESA follows the school zone, not the county, so it reaches students zoned to MSCS or to a school that belonged to the Achievement School District on May 24, 2019, but not students zoned to Shelby County's six municipal districts (Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington) or to Tipton or Fayette County schools.
A Cordova or Bartlett mailing address can sit on either side of that line. Check the zoned school for the exact address before counting on ESA money; EFS and the IEA are open to every eligible student in all three counties.
What income and enrollment history does the ESA require in Memphis?
Take last year's household income and compare it with double the federal free-meal figure; for four people that ceiling is $85,800 on the chart in force from July 1, 2026. Students who are directly certified as economically disadvantaged, or whose families receive SNAP or TANF, meet the income test automatically.
One more box must be checked: the child spent all of last year in a Tennessee public school, is starting school in Tennessee for the first time (kindergarten or a move), first became school-eligible here in 2019-20, 2020-21 or 2021-22, or already held an ESA. A child homeschooled or in private school last year usually has to return to public school for a year first.
Which Memphis private schools are approved for the ESA?
TDOE's West Tennessee ESA list, updated September 24, 2026, names 48 schools with campuses in Shelby and Fayette counties, plus 21 online-only schools. Only participating Category I, II and III schools can be paid tuition.
The list runs from Catholic parish schools such as St. Paul in Whitehaven and St. Louis on Shady Grove to Christian Brothers, Hutchison, Margolin Hebrew Academy and newer early-grade academies. School pages here carry an ESA tag where it applies.
What does an ESA family give up or take on?
ESA students in grades 3 through 11 take the state TCAP math and English tests every year, and joining the program waives the student's right to special-education services under IDEA while enrolled. Families must reapply and re-verify income each year.
TDOE's annual report shows 4,766 students used an ESA statewide in 2025-26 at 110 schools. Among MSCS-zone ESA students, 24.3% met or exceeded expectations in English and 18.1% in math that spring, against 25.7% and 22.3% across MSCS.
| Education Savings Account is | Education Savings Account is not |
|---|---|
| Worth $10,132.54 for a full 2026-27 year in the MSCS zone | Not open to students zoned to the six municipal districts or to Tipton or Fayette schools |
| Tied to the student's zoned school, including former ASD schools | Off-limits at label IV-V schools and for home education |
| Payable at participating Category I-III schools | Not held alongside EFS or IEA in the same year |
| Renewed each year with fresh income proof | Not exempt from TCAP testing in grades 3-11 |