In spring 2019, the Tennessee General Assembly passed and Governor Bill Lee signed Public Chapter 506. This law creates the Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) Program.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please be aware that there is a pending legal challenge to the ESA Program and the Davidson County Chancery Court has entered an order preventing the State from advancing the program. While the order remains in effect, the Department may not take any further action on completed or pending applications. In addition, the application link has been disabled as of May 7, 2020, and calls or e-mails regarding the ESA Program cannot be answered or returned. The Department is seeking reversal of the Court’s order and hopes to succeed on appeal to allow the Program to start enrollment this school year. Updated information will be provided on this site when it becomes available. In the meantime, applicants to the ESA Program should consider the possibility that they will need alternate plans for school enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year.

How does the ESA program work?
The ESA program was created for families in Davidson and Shelby counties of Tennessee who are looking for more choices in their students’ education. Interested in learning more? View or print our infographic on how the ESA program works.
Important Dates

Early 2020
Application Opens for Schools

Spring 2020
Application Opens for Students

May 2020
Students Receive Acceptance Letters

June 15, 2020
Students must upload an acceptance letter from a private school to the department’s Facts Management online platform
Enrollment Cap
For the 2020-21 school year, there are 5,000 ESAs available. If the department receives more than 5,000 applications, there will be an enrollment lottery.
There are 5,000 ESAs available for the 2020-21 school year.
If the department receives more eligible applications than the maximum number of students that may participate in the program for that school year, there will be an enrollment lottery.
Students who participated in the program in the previous school year will automatically be re-enrolled in the program if renewal requirements are met. In other words, these students will not have to enter the lottery.
If an enrollment lottery is conducted, enrollment preference will be granted in the below order:
- Eligible students who have a sibling participating in the program.
- Eligible students zoned to attend a Priority School as defined by the state’s accountability system at the time of the enrollment lottery.
- Eligible students who are eligible for direct certification status.
- All other eligible students.
What is the ESA program?
In spring 2019, the Tennessee General Assembly passed and Governor Bill Lee signed Public Chapter 506. This law creates the Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) program.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please be aware that there is a pending legal challenge to the ESA Program and the Davidson County Chancery Court has entered an order preventing the State from advancing the program. While the order remains in effect, the Department may not take any further action on completed or pending applications. In addition, the application link has been disabled as of May 7, 2020, and calls or e-mails regarding the ESA Program cannot be answered or returned. The Department is seeking reversal of the Court’s order and hopes to succeed on appeal to allow the Program to start enrollment this school year. Updated information will be provided on this site when it becomes available. In the meantime, applicants to the ESA Program should consider the possibility that they will need alternate plans for school enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year.

How does the ESA program work?
The ESA program was created for families in Davidson and Shelby counties of Tennessee who are looking for more choices in their students’ education. Interested in learning more? View or print our infographic on how the ESA program works.
Important Dates

Early 2020
Application Opens for Schools

Spring 2020
Application Opens for Students

April 2020
Students Receive Acceptance Letters

May 30, 2020
Students must upload acceptance letter from a private school to the department Facts Management online platform
Enrollment Cap
For the 2020-21 school year, there are 5,000 ESAs available. If the department receives more than 5,000 applications, there will be an enrollment lottery.
There are 5,000 ESAs available for the 2020-21 school year.
If the department receives more eligible applications than the maximum number of students that may participate in the program for that school year, there will be an enrollment lottery.
Students who participated in the program in the previous school year will automatically be re-enrolled in the program if renewal requirements are met. In other words, these students will not have to enter the lottery.
If an enrollment lottery is conducted, enrollment preference will be granted in the below order:
- Eligible students who have a sibling participating in the program.
- Eligible students zoned to attend a Priority School as defined by the state’s accountability system at the time of the enrollment lottery.
- Eligible students who are eligible for direct certification status.
- All other eligible students.
What is the ESA program?
In spring 2019, the Tennessee General Assembly passed and Governor Bill Lee signed Public Chapter 506. This law creates the Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) Program.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please be aware that there is a pending legal challenge to the ESA Program and the Davidson County Chancery Court has entered an order preventing the State from advancing the program. While the order remains in effect, the Department may not take any further action on completed or pending applications. In addition, the application link has been disabled as of May 7, 2020, and calls or e-mails regarding the ESA Program cannot be answered or returned. The Department is seeking reversal of the Court’s order and hopes to succeed on appeal to allow the Program to start enrollment this school year. Updated information will be provided on this site when it becomes available. In the meantime, applicants to the ESA Program should consider the possibility that they will need alternate plans for school enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year.

How does the ESA program work?
The ESA program was created for families in Davidson and Shelby counties of Tennessee who are looking for more choices in their students’ education. Interested in learning more? View or print our infographic on how the ESA program works.
Important Dates

Early 2020
Application Opens for Schools

Spring 2020
Application Opens for Students

April 2020
Students Receive Acceptance Letters

May 30, 2020
Students must upload acceptance letter from a private school to the department Facts Management online platform
Enrollment Cap
For the 2020-21 school year, there are 5,000 ESAs available. If the department receives more than 5,000 applications, there will be an enrollment lottery.
There are 5,000 ESAs available for the 2020-21 school year.
If the department receives more eligible applications than the maximum number of students that may participate in the program for that school year, there will be an enrollment lottery.
Students who participated in the program in the previous school year will automatically be re-enrolled in the program if renewal requirements are met. In other words, these students will not have to enter the lottery.
If an enrollment lottery is conducted, enrollment preference will be granted in the below order:
- Eligible students who have a sibling participating in the program.
- Eligible students zoned to attend a Priority School as defined by the state’s accountability system at the time of the enrollment lottery.
- Eligible students who are eligible for direct certification status.
- All other eligible students.

What is the ESA program?
In spring 2019, the Tennessee General Assembly passed and Governor Bill Lee signed Public Chapter 506. This law creates the Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) Program.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please be aware that there is a pending legal challenge to the ESA Program and the Davidson County Chancery Court has entered an order preventing the State from advancing the program. While the order remains in effect, the Department may not take any further action on completed or pending applications. In addition, the application link has been disabled as of May 7, 2020, and calls or e-mails regarding the ESA Program cannot be answered or returned. The Department is seeking reversal of the Court’s order and hopes to succeed on appeal to allow the Program to start enrollment this school year. Updated information will be provided on this site when it becomes available. In the meantime, applicants to the ESA Program should consider the possibility that they will need alternate plans for school enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year.
How does the ESA program work?
The ESA program was created for families in Davidson and Shelby counties of Tennessee who are looking for more choices in their students’ education. Interested in learning more? View or print our infographic on how the ESA program works.
Important Dates

Early 2020
Application Opens for Schools

Spring 2020
Application Opens for Students

April 2020
Students Receive Acceptance Letters

May 30, 2020
Students must upload acceptance letter from a private school to the department Facts Management online platform
Enrollment Cap
For the 2020-21 school year, there are 5,000 ESAs available. If the department receives more than 5,000 applications, there will be an enrollment lottery.
There are 5,000 ESAs available for the 2020-21 school year.
If the department receives more eligible applications than the maximum number of students that may participate in the program for that school year, there will be an enrollment lottery.
Students who participated in the program in the previous school year will automatically be re-enrolled in the program if renewal requirements are met. In other words, these students will not have to enter the lottery.
If an enrollment lottery is conducted, enrollment preference will be granted in the below order:
- Eligible students who have a sibling participating in the program.
- Eligible students zoned to attend a Priority School as defined by the state’s accountability system at the time of the enrollment lottery.
- Eligible students who are eligible for direct certification status.
- All other eligible students.