EFS FAQs

• The EFS student application for the 2025-26 school year will launch on May 15, 2025, at noon CT/1 p.m. ET on this webpage.
• The EFS application includes four sections:
  • Student Information: Provide information about the student for whom the EFS application is submitted and the parent/legal guardian.
  • Program Eligibility: Upload supporting documentation to demonstrate the student’s eligibility for the EFS program as either a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the U.S. Additionally, if you are interested in applying for a Qualified Scholarship, you will upload documentation to demonstrate eligibility.
  • TN Residency: Upload two (2) proof documents from the approved list to confirm TN residency.
  • Assurances & Submit: Review and agree to EFS Assurances and a FERPA release.

• Upon application submission, a confirmation of receipt email will be sent to the family from Notifications@TheoLearning.com. The time it takes to review an application will depend on the volume of applications received.
• After review of the application is complete, families will receive an email from Notifications@TheoLearning.com with a decision and next steps.

• An individual application must be submitted for each student intending to participate in the EFS Program in the 2025-26 school year.
• Parent/guardian information and Tennessee residency documentation will be pre-populated on subsequent applications after it is entered in one student’s application.
• As with all applications, applications completed for multiple children in one family will be reviewed in the order in which they are received; no preference is given for approval of sibling applications.

• Ten thousand (10,000) scholarships are available for any eligible student.
• Ten thousand (10,000) scholarships are reserved for eligible students who: have an annual household income on line 9 of the 2024 Form 1040 at or below 300 percent of the amount required for the student to qualify for reduced price lunch, as provided in the income eligibility guidelines published by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service; are receiving TANF/SNAP; or are eligible for the IEA program or the ESA program.

• For the 2025-26 school year, a total of 20,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applications will be reviewed in the order received by the department.

• Applications will be reviewed by TDOE in the order received. Monitor your email inbox that was provided in your application for an email indicating the results of the review from Notifications@TheoLearning.com. If approved for a scholarship, the email will also contain next steps in choosing an EFS registered school and enrolling.

• Even if submitting a paper application, an email address is required to maintain the application and, if applicable, eventual enrollment and payment of funds to the EFS registered school and/or service providers.

• No, families will not know their place in line when they complete their application. Families will receive an email confirming that their application has been submitted.  

• Student is a resident of Tennessee who is entitled to attend a public school in any of the grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12) during the year for which the EFS would be used.
• Student is a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the United States.
• More information regarding eligibility documentation that a family will be required to submit with the application can be found in the EFS Application Checklist.

• The EFS Program is for eligible students entering grades K-12 for the 2025-26 school year.

• Families that have a current EFS scholarship will need to reapply for each child every year.

• Yes, a family can submit an EFS application for more than one child in grades K-12. The family must submit a separate application for each child. The online portal supports copying certain elements of the applications, including parent/guardian contact and Tennessee residency, from one application to another within the same family.

• Yes, a family who has their child actively enrolled in a non-public school can apply for the EFS. However, the student must enroll in an EFS registered Category I, II, or III non-public school to become a recipient of EFS funds. A list of registered non-public schools is available on the EFS webpage.

• No, a student does not need to be currently enrolled in a non-public school to apply for the EFS Program. However, students must be enrolled in an EFS registered Category I, II, or III non-public school to receive scholarship funds following EFS approval. A list of registered non-public schools is available on the EFS webpage.

• Yes, all families are welcome to apply for the EFS. However, the student must enroll in an EFS registered Category I, II, or III non-public school in the year that the EFS would be used to become a recipient of EFS funds. A list of registered non-public schools is available on the EFS webpage.

• This chart lists the federal income guidelines at 300% by household size for the first year of the EFS Program.

• For the 2025-2026 school year, only 2024 tax returns may be used to verify eligibility for Qualified Scholarships.
• For the first year of the program and due to the IRS extension, if you have not completed your 2024 taxes and would like to submit income verification for a Qualified Scholarship, you can upload your 2023 Form 1040 US Individual Tax Return as additional documentation related to income level; however, the income documentation will be denied, and you will be permitted to file a step 1 appeal within 10 business days of receiving the denial, which will maintain your place in line and permit more time to submit your 2024 taxes.

• The name, address, entire list of dependents, and Line 9 of the document must be visible. The student’s name should be listed as a dependent.
• If there are dependents listed on an additional dependent statement, the statement should be included in the upload.
• If you are providing a Form 1040X, please ensure you include the full Form 1040X that was filed to demonstrate dependents.

• No, only 2024 Form 1040 tax returns may be used to verify the income eligibility for Qualified Scholarships.

• Current (within last 365 days) benefits documentation that lists the name of the parent/legal guardian or student should be provided.
• If you are providing an eligibility letter for a household member not listed as a parent/legal guardian or student on this application, please upload additional documentation from the One DHS portal that lists the eligible student (e.g. a screenshot of the household member list).
• The program team must be able to identify the parent/guardian listed on the application, the student applicant, and the date the benefits started to determine if the SNAP/TANF requirement will be satisfied.

• Yes, as long as both documents list the same address as listed on the application.

• Yes, as long as both documents list the same address as listed on the application.

• No, if using birth certificate to prove U.S. citizenship, it must be an official birth certificate (not the mother’s copy) issued by a state, jurisdiction or territory of the United States, including Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, Guam.

• For a Tennessee birth certificate, the quickest way to obtain one is to go in person to your county’s health department to request it. Turnaround times when requesting official birth certificates from state vital records offices may vary.
• Please note that Puerto Rican birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, shall not be recognized.

• If you are able to demonstrate residency in the state of Tennessee using approved documents listed in the handbook and on the application checklist, then you are eligible to apply now. For example, if you are still in the process of moving to the state, but you already have a mortgage or lease in place, you can submit that documentation.

• The school must be physically located in Tennessee, be a Category I, II, or III non-public school, and register to receive EFS funds with the Tennessee Department of Education (department). A school located in Tennessee has a physical location owned or leased by the non-public school located in the state of Tennessee where students may receive educational services and testing and registers with the department to receive funds from the program.

• The requirements for non-public schools are set by the State Board of Education and can be found here. This information can also be found on the department’s non-public schools webpage.

• Schools will complete a registration form to accept funds from the department. Please email EFS.Questions@tn.gov if you would like to receive a registration form.
• The school registration process for the EFS Program is different from the school application process for the ESA and IEA programs, which require separate applications for each program.

• Once a Category I, II, or III non-public school has registered with the department to receive EFS funds, the school's name will be listed on the EFS webpage to signal to the school’s participation to families.

• No. According to the Education Freedom Act, non-public schools that enroll recipients must have the maximum freedom to provide for the educational needs of recipients without governmental control. A non-public school that enrolls recipients is not required to alter its creed, practices, admission policies, hiring policies, or curriculum in order to accept recipients.

• No. There is no cap on how many scholarships a school can receive. There will be no additional requirements for schools to accept EFS scholarship recipients.

• Yes, if the school no longer wishes to participate, they may inform the department.

• No, registered non-public schools that enroll recipients must have the maximum freedom to provide for the educational needs of recipients without governmental control. A non-public school that enrolls recipients is not required to alter its creed, practices, admission policies, hiring policies, or curriculum to accept recipients.

• Student acceptance for a particular school is determined by the school’s own admissions process.

• Yes. A family may apply and be conditionally approved for the EFS scholarship before enrolling in a school. However, the student must enroll in a registered Category I, II, or III non-public school to become a recipient of EFS funds. Families are encouraged to share their notification of EFS approval with their school of choice as soon as it is determined.

• A student’s eligibility for interscholastic athletics is established by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA). For more information on athletic eligibility, please reference this FAQ from TSSAA.

• Student enrollment must be confirmed in the EFS Portal by July 15, 2025.

• The department encourages schools to communicate with individual families regarding a student’s EFS approval. A family will be notified via email when they have been approved for the EFS. The school will be notified of a scholarship recipient when the account holder selects the school in the online portal. The school administrator will then confirm the student’s enrollment in the portal to finalize the scholarship approval.

• The department encourages schools to share resources such as this FAQ document and the EFS webpage with families.

• No, schools can use their current nationally standardized achievement test. Administering the TCAP is not required. EFS recipients in grades 3-11 must be annually administered:

1). A nationally standardized achievement test that is aligned to the respective non-public school's instructional plan, as determined by rules promulgated by the State Board of Education for math and English language arts; or

2). The TCAP test for math and English language arts required for the grade in which the recipient is enrolled.

• Schools may use their current nationally standardized achievement test in alignment with existing State Board of Education requirements for Category I, II, and III non-public schools.

• Yes, only test scores of scholarship recipients in the EFS Program need to be submitted.

• The Education Freedom Act requires each private school that enrolls scholarship recipients to annually administer the TCAP or a nationally standardized achievement test.  Each private school must provide the results of those tests for scholarship recipients to the Office of Research and Accountability (OREA). Prior to the first reporting deadline of June 30, 2026, OREA will develop and publish the form schools will use to provide the results. In addition to the required test results for scholarship recipients, the form will include fields for race, sex, and household income level.  Schools should provide this information if the schools already collect such data. OREA will provide additional guidance to private schools as the June 2026 reporting deadline approaches.