Last verified: October 2026
Can a Nashville student apply for both the ESA and the Education Freedom Scholarship?
A Metro Nashville student may apply to both, but may use only one program in a school year. TDOE treats the ESA, EFS and IEA as separate programs with separate portals and accounts, so a family that already has an ESA login still needs a new EFS account.
Being ESA-eligible also helps on the EFS side: ESA-eligible students are placed in EFS priority Tier 2.
Which pays more in Davidson County, the ESA or EFS?
The ESA pays more: $10,132.54 for a full 2026-27 year in the MNPS zone, against $7,530 for EFS. Across four years of elementary school, that gap is a little over $10,400 per child.
The ESA also lets up to half of the current award roll over, while EFS carries forward unused funds while the student remains in the program.
When does the Education Freedom Scholarship make more sense than the ESA in Nashville?
EFS is the practical choice when a family's prior-year income is above the ESA ceiling, when the student does not meet an ESA enrollment condition such as prior-year public school attendance, or when the preferred school is EFS-registered but not on the ESA list. On the 2026 lists, several Davidson County schools appear only on the EFS list.
Timing matters too. EFS applications for 2026-27 closed January 30, 2026, while the 2027-28 ESA window runs February 2 to April 15, 2027.
What does the ESA require that EFS does not?
ESA students in grades 3 through 11 must take the state TCAP tests in math and English language arts each year, the program's annual report confirms. EFS students in the same grades also test every year, but the EFS family handbook lets the school use a nationally standardized achievement test aligned to its own instruction instead of the TCAP.
ESA eligibility also rests on prior-year income documentation, and both programs require a Category I, II or III school, so neither pays a Category IV church school.
| ESA | EFS | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 award | $10,132.54 | $7,530 |
| Income rule | Prior-year income at or under 2x free-lunch guideline | Income affects priority tier, not eligibility |
| Enrollment condition | Usually prior-year TN public school | None |
| State testing | TCAP in grades 3-11 | Nationally standardized test or TCAP, grades 3-11 |
| Schools in this directory | 42 local campuses | 82 schools |
What should a Nashville family do next?
Take the two-minute funding check. A tuition counselor will confirm which program fits, what it is worth for your child and which date is next.