The Tennessee Department of Education is accepting applications from eligible non-public schools to participate in the Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) Program for second-semester enrollment in the 2026-27 school year. The school application closes November 2, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time. Schools approved through this window may enroll approved ESA students beginning in January 2027.
Eligibility
Category I, II, or III Tennessee non-public schools may apply to become ESA participating schools. The application must be completed by the principal, head of school, or designee. Submission does not itself constitute approval; the Tennessee Department of Education must review the application and issue an approval letter before the school is considered a participating ESA school.
Funding Structure
This is a school-participation and student-directed funding opportunity rather than a conventional grant to the school. Approved students may use ESA funds for tuition and eligible education-related fees at approved participating non-public schools. For 2026-27, published full-year ESA award amounts are $10,093.89 for Hamilton County Schools and $10,132.54 for Metro Nashville Public Schools and Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The Department states that the second-semester student award is one-half of the applicable full-year award. A separate school-level maximum or total funding pool is not stated on the current school application page.
School Application Requirements
Applicants must declare the number of ESA student seats available by grade; demonstrate financial viability to repay funds potentially owed to the state using a surety bond, the most recent tax return, or a notarized CPA letter; and submit the school academic calendar, admission policy, and tuition-and-fee schedule. The financial-viability amount must equal 25% of the number of declared ESA seats multiplied by the prior-year ESA amount. Admission policies must state that the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Tuition and fee documentation must identify charges by grade where applicable and state whether application, enrollment, technology, textbook, and uniform fees are included or separate.
Geography and Student Eligibility Context
The participating-school application is available to eligible Tennessee Category I, II, and III non-public schools. Students using an ESA must independently meet the program’s student eligibility requirements, including the applicable Tennessee residency, enrollment, income, and qualifying-school-zone requirements. The current handbook identifies Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Hamilton County Schools, and schools that were in the Achievement School District on May 24, 2019 for the student zoning requirement.
Submission and Contact
Applications are accessed through the Tennessee ESA webpage and portal. Questions concerning school enrollment, the school application, or the ESA Program may be sent to ESA.Questions@tn.gov. Finance questions may be sent to ESA.Finance@tn.gov.
Atlas Assessment
Atlas Opportunity Score: 78/100. N9+ Fit: 0/100. This is a meaningful Tennessee K-12 funding-access opportunity for eligible non-public schools, but it is not a technology procurement, clinical-services grant, or healthcare equipment opportunity. The Nonagon N9+ remote physical examination platform and QC Healthcare should not be represented as eligible under this school-participation application.