Latest news with #EducationFreedomScholarship
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
More than 38,000 applications for TN school vouchers submitted
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Less than a week after applications for Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarship Program opened, more than 38,000 have been submitted. The program, often referred to as school vouchers, opened applications on May 15. Severe weather likely this evening, multiple rounds expected, all threats possible During a January special session, state lawmakers approved the program, which uses public money to fund scholarships that families can use to help pay for tuition at private schools. There are 20,000 scholarships available in the first year of the program, each worth $7,295. On Tuesday morning, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) stated in a news release that 38,160 applications have been submitted from people across the state. For the 2025-26 school year, 10,000 of the total scholarships will be reserved for students coming from households with a qualified income. The other half will be universal scholarships that are awarded to students regardless of their household's income. The TDOE reports that 18,852 applications were from families with a qualified income. According to the department, 19,308 applications were for universal scholarships. Schools that have registered to participate in the program and accept students using scholarships can be viewed on the Education Freedom Scholarship website. Families hoping to apply for the program can do so online. The TDOE is starting to review applications in the order they are received. Applicants will be notified by email regarding their application status. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Over 33,000 applications submitted on first day of Tennessee school voucher program
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee officially launched its universal school voucher program on Thursday and state officials reported over 33,000 applications were submitted within hours of its launch. Following the passage of the Education Freedom Act in January, parents can now apply to receive around $7,000 of state funds to be used on private school tuition. A total of 20,000 scholarships will be available for the upcoming school year to use at more than 200 private schools across Tennessee, 10,000 of which will be reserved for eligible students based on income. Oak Ridge catholic school welcomes voucher applicants on program launch day Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday that the Department of Education received over 33,000 applications on Thursday. Families can still apply at Completed applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. 'The response to universal school choice in Tennessee has been an overwhelming success,' said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. 'Families have embraced the educational opportunities that have been unleashed for their students through the state's Education Freedom Scholarship program.' East Tennessee public schools respond to passage of Governor's school voucher bill If the number of applications received exceeds 75% of the total number of scholarships available, the department may increase the maximum number of scholarships available for the next school year by up to 5,000. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oak Ridge catholic school welcomes voucher applicants on program launch day
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Education Freedom Act passed in Tennessee back in January amid plenty of controversy. Applications are now open for parents to apply for the new state-funded scholarships. Saint Mary's Catholic School in Oak Ridge is one of the eligible private schools. On Thursday the school hosted an open computer lab to help parents through the process. Parents jumped at the opportunity to apply on a first-come first-served basis, with Tennessee receiving 20,000 scholarships to more than 200 private schools across the state. Many took advantage of resources at Saint Mary's but faced varying waiting times throughout the day. Once inside the application, parents found the process quick and easy, though each child required a separate submission. Ribbon cut on new 264-home neighborhood in North Knoxville 'It was super simple and I think that's a lot of thanks to the state of Tennessee for just walking us through the whole process. From the initial information to the checklist of what documents we needed to prepare, and then the step-by-step guide to really see what that application was going to look like before we got in there that we were able to just breeze right through it and be so prepared for it,' explained Tiffany Shreve, a mother and Director of Advancement at Saint Mary's Catholic. The school voucher program allows K-12 students to access around $7,000 in state funds for private school. Saint Mary's serves pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. 'Catholic education is an extra expense, but it's an invaluable expense really. But we do have to pay our bills and our teachers, so we welcome this opportunity to help parents to cut some of those costs that they would pay for our school that they can use for their other family needs,' said Sister Mary John Slonkosky, the school's principal. Amy Shanahan, a mother of three, told 6 News that vouchers ease financial stress, especially with her mother living at home and another child on the way. 'It's putting the choice back into the people. We don't have to go to schools we're zoned for. Private schools are expensive, but this helps make it more affordable so that parents have more choice in where they send their students,' Shanahan said. While it's unclear how many vouchers each school will receive, 10,000 will be income based and another 10,000 will be universal. Former governor Bill Haslam appointed to University of Tennessee Board of Trustees 'They're the future and that starts with education and all different types of education. And every student is different. They learn differently. They learn in different environments. And that's what's so beautiful about this, is that there is support to educate our future in the right environment for that student,' added Shreve. The Department of Education reported the Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarship website has had around 30,000 visits within the past week. Initial wait times varied from 45 minutes to upwards of two hours. After the initial wave of applicants Thursday morning, parents are able to log right in with little wait. Saint Mary's Catholic School plans to continue to stay open throughout the weekend allowing parents an opportunity to gain access to the technology to apply if needed. The private school shares vouchers will help to pay 72% of their tuition costs. Many people in the state are not for these new vouchers, saying that they will essentially do more harm than good. ▶ See more top stories on 'Vouchers do not work, not in any state that has them. We should not be subsidizing private school for students who never attended public schools over the next few years,' Democratic Knoxville State Rep. Gloria Johnson. 'We will be sending $1 billion to private schools for the voucher scam while our public schools continue to lose funding. We are giving more money in a private school voucher than we pay for public school students in the majority of counties.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
TN private school voucher program gets over 33K applications for 20K spots within hours of opening
The applications for the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship officially opened on May 15 at noon Central Time, and by 5:45 pm, there were more applications than available vouchers. The Tennessee Department of Education said in a press release on the evening of May 15 that over 33,000 applications were submitted for the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship within "hours of the program's launch." "This remarkable response demonstrates what we have known all along: Tennessee parents want choices when it comes to their child's education," Gov. Bill Lee said in a statement. 'I'm grateful to the General Assembly for their partnership in delivering universal school choice to families across our state, and I thank the Department of Education for their dedication to a smooth implementation." The state only has 20,000 scholarships available this year, but the number could increase by 5,000 during the next fiscal year if demand is high enough and the fiscal appropriations are made for the program. The scholarships will be awarded in the order the Department of Education received the applications, with the first 10,000 set aside for students who meet the guidelines outlined by the department. 'The response to universal school choice in Tennessee has been an overwhelming success,' said Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds in a statement. 'Families have embraced the educational opportunities that have been unleashed for their students through the state's Education Freedom Scholarship program.' Out of all the vouchers, 10,000 vouchers were open to anyone to apply for. The remaining 10,000 were reserved for families with incomes below 300% of the income limit to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is roughly $170,000 for a family of four. Scholarships for the 2025-26 school year are worth $7,295. The family would be responsible for the remainder of the tuition, but many private schools offer financial aid and other scholarships. The Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship, despite its controversy, passed during the 2025 special session in January. Lee called the special session to pass voucher, immigration and disaster relief legislation. The scholarship program passed after a years-long, controversial push by Lee. After a failed effort to pass the expansion in 2024, lawmakers ultimately passed legislation after Lee called a special session. This is the latest iteration of a private school voucher program in Tennessee, but is the first of its kind in the state to apply to all 95 counties. The Education Savings Account, established in 2019 and started during the 2022-23 school year. The ESA program only applied to K-12 students who attended public schools in the 2019-20 school year in Davidson, Shelby or Hamilton counties. Those students also could not have a family income that exceeded twice the eligibility for free lunch. For more information about the EFS Program and for additional resources, visit the EFS webpage. This is a developing story and will be updated. Brooke Muckerman is the education and children's issues reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at and 901-484-6225. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Tennessee private school voucher program gets 33K applications in hours
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee school vouchers awarded on first-come basis: How to apply, who qualifies
Tennessee families in all 95 counties can apply starting May 15 for taxpayer-funded school vouchers to help offset costs for private K-12 schooling. The Education Freedom Scholarship program was set to open applications at noon CT on May 15 for families to secure vouchers for the 2025-26 school year. In a May 13 news release from the Tennessee Department of Education, Gov. Bill Lee hailed the program as a way for families to enroll children in the school that best fits their needs, regardless of their family income or location. A previous version of the program limited vouchers to three counties and families that did not surpass a set income cap. The current program is open to applicants statewide and will offer 20,000 vouchers to families. The first 10,000 vouchers have income and other restrictions, while the remaining 10,000 do not. "I'm grateful to the schools that have registered to participate in the Education Freedom Scholarship program and look forward to delivering excellent educational choices for students," Lee said in the release. The scholarship program passed after a yearslong, highly controversial push by Lee. After a failed effort to pass the expansion in 2024, lawmakers ultimately passed legislation after Lee called a special session in January. Here's what to know about who qualifies, where to apply and more. More: Tennessee lawmakers pass $447M school voucher program in major win for Gov. Bill Lee Applications and more information are available at Paper applications are available in English, Chinese, Arabic and Spanish. However, all information provided on the applications must be submitted in English. Scholarships for the 2025-26 school year are worth $7,295. To receive a scholarship, students must be residents of Tennessee entitled to attend a public K-12 school. They must also be lawfully present in the United States. The first 10,000 scholarships will go to students whose household income falls below a threshold, along with students with certain disabilities and those who received vouchers under the state's previous program. More information can be found by going to and scrolling down to the "ESA Student Application Checklist." For reference, here's a look at the household income requirements: Family of two: under $113,442 Family of three: under $143,301 Family of four: under $173,160 Family of five: under $203,019 Family of six: under $232,878 Family of seven: under $262,737 The remaining 10,000 scholarships are available to students regardless of income. The department will award the 20,000 scholarships in the order it receives completed applications, with the first 10,000 earmarked for students who meet the guidelines outlined on the Tennessee Department of Education site. As of May 13, a total of 230 schools either registered or signaled they intend to participate in the Education Freedom Scholarship program, according to the Tennessee Department of Education. The list is updated at the end of the day each Tuesday and Thursday and can be found by going to and scrolling to the tab labeled "Registered EFS Schools." More information on Education Freedom Scholarships, including a family handbook, frequently asked questions, a step-by-step guide and eligibility guidelines, can be found at The website also includes a link to sign-up for email updates. It's not clear when the applications will close. Questions about the program can be directed to This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee school vouchers awarded on first-come basis: How to apply
