Governor Bill Lee announced Thursday that more than 50,304 applications have been received for Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Program for the 2026–2027 school year, with the deadline closing later this month.
Now in its second year, Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Program awards state-funded school choice scholarships for students to use for private K–12 education expenses.
TN’s Education Freedom Scholarship program has seen record interest, with more than 50,000 applications submitted so far.
TN parents want choices in their child’s education & I look forward to working with the General Assembly to increase scholarships & meet demand.
Read more:… pic.twitter.com/QlJT75GIlv
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) January 15, 2026
The program was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly last legislative session and offered an initial 20,000 scholarships for the 2025-2026 school year, each worth approximately $7,295.
The scholarships were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, with 10,000 designated for students whose household income does not exceed 300 percent of the federal free or reduced-price lunch guidelines and the other 10,000 available to all eligible students, regardless of income.
On December 9, 2025 the scholarship application opened for families who had received a scholarship in the program’s first year and are seeking to renew the funds for the 2026-2027 school year.
Families who did not receive a scholarship in the program’s first year were able to begin applying for the funds on January 13.
According to the governor’s office, nearly all families who received program funds in its first year have already applied to renew for the 2026-2027 school year.
Further, Lee’s office said applications for the upcoming school year have already exceeded the previous year’s total by more than 7,500 applications.
The General Assembly provided for a minimum of 20,000 scholarships – the same number available in the first year – for the program’s second year, and permitted the Department of Education to increase the second-year cap by up to 5,000 additional scholarships, for a possible total of 25,000, since applications in the first year exceed 75 percent of the available slots.
Lee said he “look[s] forward to working with the General Assembly to increase the number of available scholarships for the 2026-27 school year.”
“It’s clear that Tennessee parents want choices when it comes to their child’s education, and expanding access to this program will ensure every child has an opportunity to thrive, regardless of income or zip code,” the governor added.
The application window for Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Program closes for all families on January 30.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Gov. Bill Lee” and “Tennessee Students” by Gov. Bill Lee.
