Education Freedom Scholarships expansion
Demand for Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship program far exceeds supply (tens of thousands of applications for far fewer slots). The governor and legislature advanced major funding to expand the number of awards, making school choice a dominant 2026 session issue alongside broader K-12 investments and teacher pay goals.
Should Tennessee significantly expand the Education Freedom Scholarship program so more students can use public funds for private or alternative schooling?
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Sources
Governor Bill Lee — https://www.bakerdonelson.com/tennessees-2026-state-of-the-state-address-retrospective-final-year-priorities-and-budget-details
School choice is set to dominate the session. Demand for the Education Freedom Scholarship program exceeds available slots, with 54,000 applications for 20,000 scholarships. The Governor is urging lawmakers to at least double the number of awards this year.
Bass, Berry & Sims legislative recap — https://bassberry.com/news/2026-legislative-recap-114th-tennessee-general-assembly-second-session
$155 million to expand Education Freedom Scholarships by 15,000
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- End or sharply curtail voucher-style scholarships and redirect all funds to public district schools
- Keep scholarships limited; prioritize public-school funding and accountability over expansion
- Modestly expand scholarships while pairing them with stronger public-school investment
- Double or more the number of Education Freedom Scholarships as proposed
- Universal education savings accounts so every family can direct full per-pupil funding