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The scholarship, otherwise known as vouchers, are part of the Education Freedom Act of 2025 which passed in the Tennessee General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee in February.

Each scholarship is for $7,000 and only 20,000 are available for the upcoming school year, half of which are available for families of any income level.

Gov. Lee pushed for the legislation on the basis of giving parents choice in their children鈥檚 education and offering alternatives to public education. State Republicans and Democrats spoke out against the Act multiple times throughout the Special Session called by Lee earlier this year.

School boards across Tennessee, including Wilson County, also criticized the act, citing fears of funding being diverted from public education, especially since public tax dollars are being used for the vouchers.

On March 20, the State Board of Education held a special called meeting to hear the Education Freedom Scholarship Act emergency rules, which further flesh out the law, define terms and establish processes and procedures for the scholarships.

During the meeting, the emergency rules received a unanimous positive recommendation, which the DOE says marks another step in the implementation process. The emergency rules will remain in effect for 180 days while the department and State Board of Education work on permanent rules.

鈥淔or the first time, Tennessee parents in all 95 counties will have the opportunity to enroll their child in the school of their choosing, regardless of income level or ZIP code,鈥� Gov. Lee said. 鈥淣early 200 schools have already signaled intent to participate in the Education Freedom Scholarship program, and I have full confidence in the Tennessee Department of Education鈥檚 ability to process applications and deliver excellent educational choices for parents in the coming school year.鈥�

In Wilson County, Cedars Preparatory Academy, Friendship Christian School and Mt. Juliet Christian Academy announced intentions to participate and accept EFS funds for the 2025-26 school year.

The checklist, available to view at , lists the requirements: two documents of proof of Tennessee residency, one proof of a student’s U.S. citizenship or two proofs of lawful presence; must have no more than 13 years in school and entering grades K-12 and must be five years old by Sept. 30.

鈥淎t the department, we are hard at work to provide essential resources for families, so they are prepared and know what to expect once the application window opens later this spring,鈥� Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education, said. 鈥淓nsuring parents are at the forefront of their child鈥檚 education is essential, and I encourage all interested Tennessee families to remain engaged, sign up for our newsletter and get prepared for when the application window opens.鈥�

The DOE says it will announce the program鈥檚 launch date in coming weeks.