School Choice in Tennessee
Tennessee runs 3 private school choice programs, together serving about 25,795 students. Its strongest program reaches EdChoice's universal eligibility tier.
Education Freedom Scholarship Act
Education Savings Account- Students
- 20,000
- Eligible
- 100%
- Average award
- $7,500
- Launched
- 2025
The average award is 63% of what the state spends per pupil in its public schools.
Education Savings Account
Education Savings Account- Students
- 4,814
- Eligible
- 76%
- Average award
- $9,788
- Launched
- 2021
The average award is 109% of what the state spends per pupil in its public schools.
Individualized Education Account Program
Education Savings Account- Students
- 981
- Eligible
- 3%
- Average award
- $12,788
- Launched
- 2017
The average award is 107% of what the state spends per pupil in its public schools.
Homeschooling in Tennessee
Homeschooling is legal in every state. Tennessee recognises three legal routes to it, compulsory attendance runs from age 6–17, and notice to the state is required. The Tennessee homeschool requirements are set out in full on their own page.
How Tennessee compares
Nationally, 36 jurisdictions run 82 private-choice programs serving roughly 2,279,109 students, and 18 have at least one program any student may apply to. The state-by-state guide sets out how the programs differ.
Where this comes from
Program data from EdChoice's School Choice in America dashboard, retrieved 2026-09-16; homeschool requirements from HSLDA. Participation and award figures are the most recent EdChoice publishes and lag the current school year. Educational information, not legal or financial advice — confirm eligibility with the program before you rely on it.
More on Tennessee: its freedom score and rank