Tennessee
School Choice Programs
Tennessee offers K–12 students and their families several types of school choice, including three private school choice programs, charter schools, magnet schools, home schooling and inter-district and intra-district public school choice via an open enrollment policy.
Available School Choice Programs
Education Savings Account(3 programs)
Education Savings Account Program
Tennessee’s Education Savings Account program is for low-income students in the Hamilton County (Chattanooga), Shelby County (Memphis), and Metro Nashville Public Schools systems. Participating families can customize a student’s education with broad approved expenses.
Individualized Education Account Program
Tennessee’s Individualized Education Account (IEA) Program provides parents funds to pay for a variety of educational services for their children with special needs, including private school tuition, tutoring, online education, curriculum, therapy, post-secondary educational institutions in Tennessee, and other defined educational services.
Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Act
The Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Act is an education savings account (ESA) program which will be available to all Tennessee families in 2025. Parents must first use funds on tuition and fees to attend a private school. After this, families are able to utilize the accounts on other educational expenses. The scholarship program is funded through a one-time appropriation, and the amount a student receives is tied to the state’s base funding formula. Every participating student will receive $7,296 in the Act’s first year.
Private School Choice
Tennessee has three private school choice programs. These programs help families send their children to participating private schools. * Tennessee Education Savings Account [Learn More](https://www.edchoice.org/school-choice/programs/tennessee-education-savings-account-pilot-program/) * Tennessee Education Savings Account [Learn More](https://www.edchoice.org/school-choice/programs/individualized-education-account-program/) * Tennessee Education Savings Account [Learn More](https://www.edchoice.org/school-choice/programs/tennessee-education-freedom-scholarship-act/)
Public School Choice
Tennessee has inter-district and intra-district open enrollment policies, which allow students to transfer to traditional public schools outside their zoned schools. Tennessee also has magnet schools.
Charter School Choice
Tennessee has some charter schools. Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are free of many of the regulations that restrict traditional public schools.
Home School Choice
Parents have to follow certain laws in Tennessee when homeschooling their children.
State Statistics
3
Total Programs
1
Program Types
4,270
Total Students Participating