Tennessee Governor enacts educational choice program with universal eligibility

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the Education Freedom Act of 2025 into law, launching a new educational choice program. This program, providing universal eligibility, is set to begin in the fall and is available to any student in the state.

Robert Enlow, President and CEO of EdChoice, stated, “Today, Tennessee joins the growing list of states taking bold action to empower parents and make school choice available to all students.” Enlow emphasized the trend of states establishing inclusive programs that ensure children have access to a suitable education, commending Tennessee's commitment to educational freedom as an example for other states.

This new program is Tennessee’s third choice initiative, supplementing two existing programs for students with special needs and those from low-income families in specific areas. Nationally, it is the 20th education savings account (ESA) program, and Tennessee becomes the 14th state with universal eligibility for school choice.

Participants in the program can receive scholarships worth around $7,000, initially covering tuition, with any remaining funds applicable to qualified expenses like transportation, tutoring, technology, and therapy.

The program aims to commence in the 2025-2026 school year, with the Tennessee Department of Education distributing up to 20,000 scholarships statewide. Half of these are reserved for select groups, while the rest are open to all Tennessean families. An increase to 25,000 scholarships is planned if 75% of the initial allocation is awarded.

Enlow called for Tennessee and other states to ensure that choice programs are fully funded and universally applicable, as seen in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, and West Virginia. “It’s one thing to offer all families a choice, but quite another to fully fund families and actually trust all parents to make educational choices for their children,” he added.

The current distribution of Tennessee students is: 78% in traditional public schools, 9% in private schools, 1.5% homeschooled, 7.2% in magnet schools, 4% in public charter schools, and 0.4% in existing choice programs.

For more information on the Tennessee program or other educational choice trends, Robert Enlow and EdChoice representatives are available through Chantal Fennell at [email protected] or 989-251-8388. EdChoice is a nonprofit organization focused on empowering families to choose suitable learning environments for their children.

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