Memphis · Germantown · Cordova · Bartlett · Millington · Somerville

$7,530 toward private school, and $10,132 inside the MSCS zone.

Every eligible Tennessee student can apply for the $7,530 Education Freedom Scholarship. Income-eligible children zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools can use a $10,132.54 ESA instead, and students with an IEP have the IEA. We show which of 116 private schools and early-learning programs in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette counties can take each one.

See what my child qualifies for Browse 116 schools

$7,530

EFS per student in 2026-27. One amount for every grade, released to the account in four installments.

EFS-registered schools in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette, of 290 on TDOE's statewide list.

$10,132

ESA in the MSCS zone ($10,132.54 exactly) for income-eligible students zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

~5,500

Shelby County students used EFS or ESA money in 2025-26, about $45 million in all, per the Daily Memphian.

A Memphis parent working out private school tuition and Tennessee scholarship amounts at a dining table

Real numbers

A Catholic high school bill, three ways.

St. Benedict at Auburndale in Cordova publishes $17,880 tuition for its 2026-27 traditional program. Here is what each Tennessee program would leave.

Published 2026-27 tuition$17,880

With the Education Freedom Scholarship$10,350 left

With the MSCS-zone ESA$7,747.46 left

Then: FACTS aid, sibling discount, MOSTVaries

Tuition is St. Benedict's published 2026-27 figure; fees, books and uniforms are extra. Award amounts are TDOE's for 2026-27. More worked examples →

Funding sources

What a Memphis-area family can draw on

Three state programs, MSCS Pre-K, child care help, the Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust, school aid, dual-enrollment money and the federal tax credit that starts in 2027.

Statewide · $7,530 in 2026-27

Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS)

The scholarship most Memphis parents mean when they say 'the voucher': $7,530 for each 2026-27 student, spent on tuition and fees at a school signed up for EFS before anything else, with leftovers available for approved costs.

Who can use it →MSCS zone · $10,132.54

Education Savings Account (ESA) — MSCS Zone

The older of Tennessee's two general programs, limited to income-eligible students zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools (or a former Achievement School District school), Metro Nashville or Hamilton County. In the MSCS zone it pays $10,132.54 for 2026-27.

Who can use it →Students with an IEP

Individualized Education Account (IEA)

A parent-run account for Tennessee students whose IEP names a qualifying disability. It usually carries more money than EFS, ignores income, and can be spent at label IV and V schools or on home education, which EFS and the ESA cannot.

Who can use it →Ages 3-4 · Year-round application

MSCS Pre-K & Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K

Memphis-Shelby County Schools runs pre-K for three- and four-year-olds through district, Voluntary Pre-K, First 8 Memphis and Head Start collaboration classrooms. The application is open year-round, and over-income families may apply.

Who can use it →6 weeks to K · Income-based

Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance (TDHS)

The Tennessee Department of Human Services program that pays part of licensed child care for working or studying parents, from six weeks old through kindergarten, with a weekly copay based on income.

Who can use it →Shelby County · Private, need-based

Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust (MOST)

A Memphis nonprofit founded in 1998 that gives partial, need-based scholarships to Shelby County families at about 42 partner private schools. New students enter through an annual lottery application.

Who can use it →

All 11 sources Check my EFS tier and ESA line

How it works

Three steps from questions to a plan

Tell us the basics

Grade, type of school, your area, household size and start date. No paperwork at this stage.

Get matched to programs

A tuition counselor checks your school zone for the ESA, your EFS tier, IEA eligibility if there is an IEP, MOST and the school's own aid.

Meet every window

We line up residency, citizenship and income documents ahead of the January-to-April application season.

116 private schools and early-learning programs in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette

Every listing carries the school's Tennessee approval category, its 2026-27 EFS and ESA status, grades served and reported enrollment.

Catholic Schools

Parish and diocesan schools of the Catholic Schools of Memphis system, plus the Lasallian and Dominican schools that operate independently.

10 schools →

Christian Schools

Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Adventist, Church of God in Christ, Church of Christ and non-denominational schools.

56 schools →

Church-Run Schools

Schools whose name ties them to a congregation, tabernacle or ministry, usually small and housed in church buildings.

10 schools →

Independent & Secular Schools

College-prep, progressive, gifted, early-learning and specialized schools with no religious affiliation reported.

46 schools →

Montessori Schools

Montessori children's houses and elementary programs in Memphis and Cordova.

6 schools →

Special Education & Learning-Differences Schools

Schools built for dyslexia, autism, ADHD and other learning needs, plus special-purpose programs approved by TDOE.

15 schools →

Preschool & Early Learning

Programs that end at pre-K, kindergarten or the early grades, including church preschools and university lab programs.

21 schools →

High Schools (Grades 9-12)

Private schools in the three counties that teach through grade 12.

58 schools →

By area: East Memphis & the Poplar Corridor · Midtown, Downtown, North & South Memphis · Frayser & Raleigh · Hickory Hill, Whitehaven & Southeast Memphis · Cordova & Eads · Germantown & Collierville · Bartlett, Arlington & the Raleigh-LaGrange Corridor · Millington & Tipton County · Fayette County (Somerville, Rossville & Oakland)

Congregations

Running or planning a church school in the Memphis area?

Your approval category decides whether families can bring EFS or ESA dollars. We walk churches through the options and send families who already know which program they hold.

Work with us Starting a school

A brick church school building and playground on a church campus in Memphis

Blog

New from Memphis Edu Funding

Oct 30, 2026

Laptops, Tablets and Uniforms: What EFS and the ESA Can Buy for Memphis Students in 2026-27

Both the EFS and ESA handbooks for 2026-27 now allow a laptop and a tablet once every three calendar years. The Marketplace stops taking device orders April 30, 2027.

Read →Oct 26, 2026

A 2027-28 Memphis Tuition Plan: EFS, the ESA, MOST and FACTS Aid on One Calendar

School aid opens in November, EFS likely in January, the ESA and MOST in February. Filing in the right order protects every layer.

Read →Oct 23, 2026

Memphis EFS and ESA Schools by Area, 2026-27: What the State Lists Show

East Memphis has the most schools signed up for EFS; Midtown has as many ESA-approved campuses. The suburbs and outer counties look very different.

Read →

Quick answers

Memphis school-choice questions, answered

How much is Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarship for a Memphis child in 2026-27?

It is $7,530 per student for 2026-27, at every grade from kindergarten to 12th and in every part of Shelby, Tipton and Fayette counties. The money pays tuition and required fees at an EFS-registered Category I, II or III school first, and any remainder can go to approved items such as books, tutoring and therapies.

Can a Memphis family get more than the Education Freedom Scholarship?

Yes, if the child is zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools and last year's household income was low enough: the ESA pays $10,132.54 for a full 2026-27 year. Students zoned to Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Arlington, Lakeland or Millington schools, or living in Tipton or Fayette, cannot use the ESA, and no student can hold two programs in one year.

How many private schools around Memphis take EFS?

59 schools in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette counties are on TDOE's 2026-27 EFS registered list (updated August 24, 2026), and 48 local campuses are approved for the ESA. Category IV church-related schools cannot register for either.

When do Memphis families apply for 2027-28 funding?

The ESA window runs February 2 to April 15, 2027, the IEA is projected for February 16 to April 16, 2027, and MOST takes new-student lottery applications in February. TDOE has not announced 2027-28 EFS dates; the last window ran January 13-30, so have documents ready by December.

Does any Tennessee program pay for homeschooling in Memphis?

One program does: the IEA, for a child whose Tennessee IEP is current and names a covered disability. The other two, EFS and the ESA, pay only while the child attends a label I, II or III school.

Find out which Tennessee program your child can use

Answer five quick questions. A tuition counselor then calls with the programs, dollar amounts and next dates that fit your family, at no cost.

Start the funding check →