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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
The Education Freedom Scholarship Program (EFS), also known as school vouchers, will be switching to a tiered distribution system for the upcoming school year to determine which students will receive the funds.
Per the law created by the act, if the number of applications received by the department of education (TDOE) exceeds the number of scholarships available for the respective school year, beginning with the 2026-27 school year the department must shift to a tiered priority order for awarding the scholarships.
This past school year the department gave out half of 20,000 vouchers worth over $7,000 based on need while the other half were distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. In the first two hours applications were open at the program’s launch, TDOE says they had 30,000 voucher applications.
The tiered structure therefore must take effect for next year, putting students who received the scholarship this year and reapply for next at the top of the list followed by those who qualify for free or reduced lunches, then an income-based tier with a higher income cap.
The five specific prioritized categories are:
1. An eligible student who received a scholarship in the immediately preceding school year.
2. An eligible student whose annual household income does not exceed 100% of the amount required for the student to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch per USDA eligibility guidelines and state law, in the order in which the department receives completed scholarship applications.
3. An eligible student whose annual household income does not exceed 300% of the amount required for the student to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch per USDA guidelines, in the order in which the department receives completed scholarship applications.
4. An eligible student who, at the time of submitting a completed application, is currently enrolled in a public school, or who is eligible to enroll in kindergarten in a public school for the respective school year, in the order in which the department receives completed scholarship applications.
5. An eligible student, in the order in which the department receives completed scholarship applications.
TDOE stated they don’t know how many scholarships for the fourth and fifth tiers will be left over or how many scholarships will be added for next year. Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson-District 11) says it will depend how much money is available, though he reiterated the legislation allows for an increase of 5,000 students without any action by the General Assembly.
The application window opens for 2026-27 renewal applications on Dec. 9 at 12 p.m. CT. New EFS applications open on January 13, 2026, and the window for all applicants closes on January 30.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
