Last verified: October 2026
Which Tennessee private schools can register for the Education Freedom Scholarship?
A school can register if it is a Category I, II or III private school and has a physical Tennessee location, owned or leased, where students receive instruction and testing. Category IV and V schools cannot register.
TDOE stresses that EFS registration is separate from category approval; a school needs both.
When is EFS school registration for 2027-28?
Registration for the 2027-28 EFS school year runs from November 16, 2026 through April 30, 2027, and TDOE says no exceptions can be made to the April 30 deadline.
Questions about becoming a Category I, II or III school go to Private.Schools@tn.gov; EFS registration starts with a verified school representative emailing EFS.Questions@tn.gov.
How do EFS payments reach the school?
Funds move through the EFS portal in four allocations — 50% in August, 20% in October, 20% in January and 10% in March — and schools submit tuition and fee expenditure requests within set windows after each one. Enrollment is verified each quarter.
Billing schedules otherwise follow the school's own contract with the family.
Should a Davidson County school also apply for the ESA list?
Yes, if it serves Metro Nashville families. The ESA list is separate, and the second-semester 2026-27 ESA school application closed November 2, 2026; watch TDOE's ESA page for the 2027-28 school application.
IEA school applications are accepted year-round, which matters for Category IV and V schools that cannot join EFS or ESA.
| Category approval | EFS registration | |
|---|---|---|
| Who grants it | TDOE / SBE-authorized agencies | TDOE's EFS program |
| How often | Per category rules | Every year, in the window |
| Needed for EFS? | Yes (I, II or III) | Yes |
| 2027-28 deadline | Category I/V: January-May window | April 30, 2027 |