The Tennessee Department of Education announced that all 20,000 scholarships in the first year of the Education Freedom Scholarship Program were fully reserved. Half were for students from low-income households, and half were available to all students, according to the Tennessee Department of Education.
The Tennessee Department of Education reported that 42,827 applications were submitted for the Qualified and Universal scholarships. Students from 94 of Tennessee's 95 counties applied, and reservations were made for students from 86 counties. The scholarships were distributed across 220 of the 241 participating non-public schools in Categories I, II, and III.
Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education, spoke about the new school choice program, saying, "Thank you to all the families, schools, and partners who engaged throughout the launch and implementation of the program," and noted its strong demand. The program follows the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Act, signed by Governor Bill Lee on February 12, after the Tennessee General Assembly's early 2025 session. The Tennessee Department of Education provides information about the program and can be contacted through the Education Freedom Scholarship webpage or the department’s listed email for media inquiries.
