Latest news with #EducationFreedomScholarships
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee school vouchers: Half of applicants request scholarships with income cap
Roughly half of those who have applied for Tennessee's taxpayer-funded school vouchers to offset private K-12 school costs put in for scholarships with income limits, according to the Tennessee Department of Education. As of May 19, more than 38,000 people applied for the newly launched vouchers, known as Education Freedom Scholarships, just four days after applications opened, a news release from the department stated. The program marks a statewide expansion to Tennessee's controversial school vouchers and offers 20,000 scholarships worth $7,295 for the 2025-26 school year. The first 10,000 are reserved for families who fall below an income threshold, have children with disabilities or received vouchers under Tennessee's previous program. The remaining 10,000 are open to all eligible students, regardless of income. The department said it received 18,852 applications for qualified income scholarships and 19,308 for universal scholarships as of May 19. It was not immediately clear if any applicants have been approved, including those who applied for the income-restricted scholarships. "The demand for universal school choice in Tennessee is strong, and families are embracing the freedom they have been provided through the Education Freedom Scholarship Program," Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds said in the release. "All students deserve the ability to access a learning environment that best fits their unique needs." The applicants so far span 300 zip codes, the release said. An average of 2,935 applications were submitted per grade level from kindergarten through 12th grade. Applications were still open as of May 20. They will be approved in the order they are received, but it will take some time for the department to process, approve and award the 20,000 vouchers, the release said. A waiting list will be established if additional scholarships become available. Applicants will receive updates from the email address Notifications@ More: TN private school voucher program gets over 33K applications for 20K spots within hours of opening As applications launched last week, parents reported mixed results on wait times, with some who were in the queue for hours as estimated wait times fluctuated wildly. Others were able to get through in a matter of minutes. Some said they received confirmation emails with the wrong child's name, but later received updates with the correct information. The department said it tested its website and system thoroughly to handle a large influx of traffic ahead of opening applications. It was not immediately clear when applications will close. Applications and more information can be found at Rachel Wegner covers education and children's issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at RAwegner@ You can also find her on Twitter or Bluesky under the handle @RachelAnnWegner. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee school vouchers: How many listed income restrictions
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Over 30K applications for TN education freedom scholarships
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Governor Bill Lee announced that the Tennessee Department of Education received more than 33,000 applications for the Education Freedom Scholarships. According to a press release, Tennessee's first-ever universal school choice program allows parents to choose the school that best fits their child's needs, regardless of income level or zip code. Families can apply for a $7,000 scholarship for their children to attend the private school of their choosing. This comes after legislators passed and Gov. Lee signed the Tennessee Education Freedom Act, which allowed Tennessee's universal choice program to be in effect on Feb. 12. Applications for school vouchers launch May 15 On Mar. 20, the State Board of Education held a meeting to hear the Education Freedom Scholarship Act emergency rules. In the meeting, terms were defined, and processes and procedures for the scholarships were established. EFS_ApplicationChecklistDownload During the meeting, the emergency rules received a unanimous positive recommendation. The emergency rules will remain in effect for 180 days while the department and the State Board of Education work to promulgate permanent rules. The release said a waitlist will be established should additional seats become available. 'This remarkable response demonstrates what we have known all along: Tennessee parents want choices when it comes to their child's education,' said Gov. Lee. '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 Education Freedom Act has faced significant pushback from lawmakers, educators, and local leaders across the state, with many stating that the program will divert money from struggling public schools. School vouchers officially signed into TN law: What does it mean? 'When you're pulling all of that money from public education, and then that hurts us. It hurts, you know, us when we're trying to build the infrastructure in schools,' said Dolores Rivers with the Memphis Shelby County Education Association. Tennessee State Rep. Jesse Chism of Memphis said the private schools' selectiveness could negatively impact neighborhood schools. 'It won't be school choice for the parent. It's school choice for the schools themselves, because if there's only a certain amount of seats available, they're only going to pick the valedictorians and the athletes,' Chism said. 'So that leaves our other students at our neighborhood schools at a disadvantage, because if you take away the highest achievement students, that makes the median test score go down.' For the 2025-26 school year, 20,000 scholarships will be awarded at more than 200 participating private schools, with the updated list of schools officially registered or intending to participate available on the EFS webpage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
As Tennessee voucher application launches, parents report mixed results on wait times
Some Tennesseans reported long waits and wildly fluctuating estimated times while others moved through with no issues as they applied for the newly launched Education Freedom Scholarships on May 15. The scholarships are taxpayer-funded vouchers that families can use to offset private K-12 tuition and expand the state's previously limited program to statewide participation. A total of 20,000 scholarships worth $7,295 each are available for the 2025-26 school year. The first 10,000 are reserved for families with limited incomes, children with disabilities and previous recipients of state school vouchers. The remaining 10,000 are available to students regardless of income. AT Rice logged on as the applications opened at noon CT and waited nearly two hours in the queue. Rice said the estimated wait time bounced from 102 minutes to 11 minutes to 222 minutes. Others posted similar accounts on social media, expressing frustration over the process. Tennessee school vouchers: How to apply, who qualifies for the first-come scholarships When Bobby Anderson logged on around the same time, he also saw large fluctuations in the wait time before getting through the queue in about five minutes. He was able to put in two applications for his kids easily and said the process from entering the queue to finishing the applications took only 10 minutes total. Anderson, who lives in Bethesda, said his two children he submitted scholarship applications for are already enrolled in private school. He thinks Tennessee's approach to offering a limited number of scholarships is a smart move. "I think it's great," he said of the program. "I think that public school just isn't for everyone. ... Private school, at least for our kids, worked out better." Ahead of the application launch, the Tennessee Department of Education shared resources with families to guide them through the process. It also said it prepared its website for a high volume of traffic and tested its site and virtual queuing tool to manage the influx. More information on the scholarships can be found at This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN school vouchers: Parents have mixed results on application wait times
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee's new private school voucher applications open May 15
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Starting May 15 at noon central, families can begin applying for Tennessee's new Education Freedom Scholarships for the 2025-26 school year. The controversial program, which will use public dollars to pay for students' private school tuition, passed during a special legislative session this past January. There are 20,000 scholarships, or vouchers, available for K-12 students, which are worth $7,295 each. Rep. William Slater (R-Gallatin) told News 2 the TN Dept. of Education reported around 30,000 visits to the state's Education Freedom Scholarship information website within the past week, suggesting there's high interest in the program. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → 'That indicates to me that there's going to be kind of a rush to get everything in on time. It is first come, first served,' Rep. Slater said. 'Other states that have rolled out universal school choice have sometimes had a slow start. I don't think that's going to be the case in Tennessee, and the reason is because we've been preparing for school choice in Tennessee for a number of years.' Rep. Slater said the measure has drawn more constituent feedback than any other issue. In recent weeks, people have reached out to ask about the application process and other logistical questions, according to the Republican. According to the state, 230 private schools have either expressed interest in participating or have officially registered to accept the vouchers. However, those schools are in just 39 out of TN's 95 counties. Some lawmakers argue the program, which was sold as a 'universal school choice' measure, will leave out thousands of students and divert money away from public schools. 'We see schools enrolling that are very questionable,' Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) said. 'The reasons voucher programs produce such poor outcomes academically is because reputable private schools are still inaccessible, and it's really the school's choice. It's not school choice, but the school's choice about who they're going to take.' Democrats and some Republicans are also concerned about the cost, which the state has projected will be at least $1.1 billion within the first five years. In addition, critics believe the majority of students who will receive the vouchers will be those already attending private school, because the $7,295 voucher isn't enough money to cover full private school tuition. However, Rep. Slater said the program will allow more families to choose the best education for their child. 'Now that it's in place and ready to roll out, what I'm hearing is just excitement from families who get to choose the best educational opportunity for their children,' Rep. Slater said. ⏩ To learn more information about the Education Freedom Scholarships, or to apply, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Applications for Tennessee's new school voucher program to open on May 15
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The application window for Tennessee's new school voucher program opens Thursday, May 15 at noon CT/ 1 p.m. Eastern. A total of 20,000 scholarships will be available for the upcoming school year to use at more than 200 private schools across Tennessee. The scholarships are made possible by the Education Freedom Act, which state lawmakers passed in January. The scholarships allow a child who attends a public school in grades K-12 to use state funds to attend a private school. The amount available to students is around $7,000. $10,000 reward offered in 40-year-old Campbell County cold case 'A quality education has the power to change the trajectory of a child's life, and for the first time, families across Tennessee have the opportunity to choose the best school for their child,' said Gov. Lee. 'I'm grateful that the vast majority of eligible schools intend to participate in Education Freedom Scholarships, and I have full confidence in the Department of Education's ability to implement the program.' Of the scholarship available, 10,000 will be reserved for eligible students based on income, IEA eligibility, or ESA eligibility. The Department of Education released a student application checklist, which provides detailed eligibility requirements. To be eligible, the student must live in Tennessee, be a U.S. citizen or be lawfully in the U.S., have not more than 13 years in school and entering grades K-12 and must be 5 years old by September 30, 2025. 'I appreciate all the families and schools who engaged throughout this implementation phase as we continue to best prepare them for the upcoming application launch on May 15,' said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. East Tennessee public schools respond to passage of Governor's school voucher bill According to the Vanderbilt Poll, 8% of parents with public school children said they plan to use the vouchers, while 34% of parents of private school students said they plan to apply for a voucher to help pay tuition. If the number of applicants exceeds 75% of the vouchers available, the act allows for the number of scholarships to be increased by up to 5,000. To learn more, visit the Education Freedom Scholarship webpage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
