Knoxville · Farragut · Maryville · Oak Ridge · Seymour

$7,530 toward a Knoxville private school, before any school aid.

Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarship pays $7,530 per K-12 student for 2026-27, and students with an IEP can use the larger IEA. We show which of the 77 private schools and early-learning programs in Knox, Blount, Anderson and Sevier counties can take that money.

See what my child qualifies for Browse 77 schools

$7,530

EFS per student, 2026-27. Flat across grades, released to the school in four installments from August to March.

Registered EFS schools in the four counties, out of 290 statewide on TDOE's August 2026 list.

Homeschool umbrella programs in TDOE's 2026-27 directory for these counties, a route only the IEA can fund.

35,000

EFS seats statewide for 2026-27 after the May 2026 expansion; 17,735 applications were still waitlisted.

A Knoxville parent at a kitchen table working through private school tuition and a Tennessee scholarship budget

Real numbers

What EFS does to a published Knoxville tuition

Sacred Heart Cathedral School publishes its 2026-27 K-8 tuition. Here is one child at the Catholic rate.

Published tuition, one child (Catholic rate)$10,650

Education Freedom Scholarship, 2026-27− $7,530

Left for the family, parish aid or a payment plan$3,120 / year

Tuition from Sacred Heart Cathedral School's published 2026-27 rates; book, student and security fees are extra. The $7,530 figure is TDOE's 2026-27 EFS amount. More examples, including Knoxville Catholic High School →

Programs

Every funding source an East Tennessee family can use

Two state programs, free pre-K, child care help, college-credit money, Catholic and school aid, and a federal tax-credit scholarship arriving in 2027.

Statewide · $7,530 for 2026-27

Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS)

Tennessee's universal scholarship, often called the state's voucher: $7,530 per K-12 student for 2026-27, paid first toward tuition and fees at a registered Category I, II or III school, with any remainder usable for approved extras.

Who qualifies →Students with an IEP · no income test

Individualized Education Account (IEA)

Tennessee's account for K-12 students whose IEP lists one of 11 eligible disabilities. It funds the TISA base plus average special-education dollars and, unlike EFS, can pay any approved private school category or home schooling.

Who qualifies →Free · age 4 · income-based

Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) in Knox County

State-funded pre-kindergarten that each school district runs for four-year-olds at risk, most often measured by household income. In Knox County, Knox County Schools runs it at 23 sites; Blount, Anderson and Sevier families apply through their own districts.

Who qualifies →6 weeks to K · income-based

Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance (TDHS)

TDHS help with licensed child care costs for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners, aimed at parents with roughly full-time work or college schedules.

Who qualifies →New · Tennessee opted in

Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (from 2027)

A federal income-tax credit that begins in 2027 for gifts to approved scholarship granting organizations (SGOs). Tennessee has opted in, but its list of approved SGOs is still being built.

Who qualifies →Catholic schools

Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Tuition Assistance

Knoxville-area Catholic schools pair EFS with need-based help from the Knoxville Regional Catholic Schools Operating Fund (KRCSOF), which families reach through a FACTS application at their school.

Who qualifies →

All 9 sources Find my EFS priority tier

How it works

Three steps from question to enrolled

Tell us the basics

Grade, school type, where you live, household size and start date. Nothing to upload.

Get matched

A counselor checks your EFS priority tier, whether an IEP opens the IEA, and the aid your target school offers.

Meet the dates

We line up the citizenship and residency documents and the deadlines, including school aid that closes before EFS opens.

77 private schools and early-learning programs, with their state status

Open any school to see its Tennessee category, its 2026-27 EFS status, the grades it serves and the enrollment it reported.

Catholic Schools

The Diocese of Knoxville's schools in these four counties, plus an independent Chesterton classical high school.

6 schools →

Christian Schools

Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Episcopal, Church of Christ, Adventist, classical and non-denominational Christian schools.

43 schools →

Church-Based Schools

Schools whose names tie them to a congregation: Baptist academies, church kindergartens and tabernacle schools.

11 schools →

Independent & Secular Schools

Schools with no religious affiliation on record: college-prep campuses, progressive and university programs, and early-learning centers.

25 schools →

Montessori Schools

Montessori children's houses and elementary programs from Fountain City to Farragut.

7 schools →

Preschool & Kindergarten Programs

Programs that stop at pre-K or kindergarten, including church weekday schools, franchise preschools and the UT lab school.

12 schools →

High Schools (Grades 9-12)

Private schools in the four counties that run through 12th grade.

32 schools →

By area: Bearden, Sequoyah Hills & West Hills · Cedar Bluff, Northshore & West Knox · Farragut, Concord & Hardin Valley · Fountain City, Halls, Powell & Corryton · Downtown, UT, East & South Knoxville · Maryville, Alcoa & Blount County · Oak Ridge, Clinton & Anderson County · Sevierville, Seymour & Sevier County

Churches & ministries

Starting or growing a church school in East Tennessee?

Your approval category decides whether families can bring EFS money. We explain the trade-offs and refer families who already know what they qualify for.

Work with us Start a church school

A brick church school building with a playground on an East Tennessee church campus

Blog

Latest from Knoxville Edu Funding

Oct 30, 2026

The EFS Marketplace Is Open: Laptop Rules and Deadlines for Knoxville Families

A laptop and a tablet, each once every three calendar years, after tuition is paid; technology sales close April 30, 2027.

Read →Oct 26, 2026

Knoxville Catholic High School 2027-28: $17,100 Tuition, a Dec. 11 Aid Deadline and EFS

Published 2027-28 prices, the December 11 FACTS deadline, the diocesan fund behind the aid, and what a $7,530 EFS award covers.

Read →Oct 23, 2026

Why Knox County Families Can't Use Tennessee's ESA, and What Works Instead

The ESA is limited to three districts and former ASD schools. Knoxville families choose between EFS and the IEA.

Read →

Quick answers

Knoxville school-choice questions

What is a Knoxville student's Education Freedom Scholarship worth for 2026-27?

$7,530 for the 2026-27 year. Grade does not change it and neither does county, so a Maryville first grader and a Powell senior get the same figure. The school's tuition and fees come out first; whatever remains can buy approved extras like books, tutoring or a Marketplace device.

Can Knoxville families use Tennessee's ESA?

No. The Education Savings Account is limited to students zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Hamilton County Schools or a former Achievement School District school, so East Tennessee families outside Hamilton County use the Education Freedom Scholarship or, with a qualifying IEP, the IEA.

How many private schools in the Knoxville area accept EFS?

34 schools in Knox, Blount, Anderson and Sevier counties are on TDOE's 2026-27 registered list (updated August 24, 2026), 27 of them in Knox County. Category IV church schools cannot register, and a few eligible schools, such as Clayton-Bradley Academy, did not.

When do Knoxville families apply for 2027-28 school-choice money?

TDOE has not posted 2027-28 EFS dates; the last cycle ran January 13-30, 2026, so families should be ready by early December. The IEA window is projected to open February 16, 2027.

Can Tennessee school-choice money pay for homeschooling near Knoxville?

Only the IEA can, for a student with a qualifying IEP; it pays umbrella programs, curricula, online programs, tutoring and therapies. EFS requires enrollment at a registered Category I, II or III school, and the area's homeschool umbrellas are Category IV.

Find out which Tennessee program fits your child

Answer five questions. A tuition counselor calls back with the program, the amount and the next date for your family, at no cost.

Start the funding check →