EFS Resource Guide

The Educational Freedom Scholarship (EFS) program in Tennessee is now underway for the 2025–26 school year. This program successfully provided funding toward tuition for many of our Tennessee families with students in grades K-12. We will continue to update this page as new information becomes available for the 2026-2027 school year.

Learn more about the Tennessee Educational Freedom Scholarship (EFS).

Your Questions Answered

  • Application Timeline:
  • Tuition and Fees:
    • Participation in the EFS program will not cause a tuition increase beyond the forecasted increases approved by the Board of Trustees as part of the strategic plan.
  • Admissions Requirements:
    • CCS will continue to maintain the same admissions requirements for students and families, following a covenantal school model.
  • Need-Based Financial Aid:
    • CCS will publish the plan for determining need-based financial aid for families who are accepted into the EFS program.
    • Families eligible for the program should apply to maximize their aid for CCS tuition.
  • Priority for Future EFS Applications:
    • If you received an EFS voucher for the 2025-2026 school year, you will have priority for future EFS applications in subsequent years.
  • State-Funded Program:
    • EFS vouchers are funded by the state of Tennessee, not the federal government.
    • Participating in the program will not make CCS a recipient of federal financial assistance.
  • Eligibility:
    • EFS vouchers are available only to Tennessee residents, regardless of county of residence.
    • EFSs are available to current and future students attending an approved non-public school in Tennessee, from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
  • Funding and Vouchers:
    • There were 20,000 EFS vouchers available in 2025 , with an additional 5,000 scholarships available each year following.
    • Half of the scholarships will go to:
      • Students at or below 300% of the income level for free or reduced-price lunch (e.g., $173,160 for a family of four),
      • Students with disabilities, and
      • Students eligible for the Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) program.
    • These scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
    • The remaining 10,000 scholarships will be available to a broader pool of students on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Program Participation Limits:
    • Students may only participate in one of Tennessee’s school choice funding programs: IEA, ESA, or EFS.
    • Families may apply for different programs for different students, but each individual student may only participate in one program.
    • The IEA and ESA programs will continue to accept applications for the 2025-2026 school year.
  • EFS Funding Amount:
    • The amount of an EFS is predicted to be approximately $7,000 per student. This is lower than the funding available through the ESA and IEA programs.
    • If students are currently participating in IEA or ESA and remain eligible for those programs, they would receive a higher funding amount from those programs than from an EFS.

Chattanooga Christian School

3354 Charger Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37409 | 423.265.6411