Last week, while waiting in the carpool line, a mom in the next car rolled down her window and asked me if I had heard of EFS, and whether families like ours could apply. I was curious too, so that night I dug through the state education department's materials.

EFS stands for Education Freedom Scholarship, a private school scholarship provided by the state of Tennessee. It is a program that supports tuition for K-12 students attending registered private schools in the state.

The amount for the 2026-27 school year is $7,530 per student. It was $7,295 for the first year, 2025-26, so it has increased a bit.

The funds are not disbursed all at once. They are paid out quarterly, and the scheduled payment date for the second quarter of this school year is October 15.

There are specific uses for the funds. The state education department advises that they should primarily be used for tuition and various registration fees.

Now, let's get to the most pressing question: Can Korean families apply? The answer is that as long as the paperwork is correct, they can.

The eligibility criteria are simpler than you might think. You must be a resident of Tennessee and a K-12 student eligible to attend public school, and you must be enrolled in a registered private school.

The key factor is proof of identity. If you are a U.S. citizen, you need one document proving citizenship; if you are not, you need two documents showing legal residency.

This is where many people get confused. The determining factor is the student's identity, not the parent's.

So, if a child is born in the U.S. even if the parents are still on a visa, they can apply with citizenship documents. If the child was brought from Korea, they need to provide two documents proving legal residency.

It's honestly hard to definitively state which visas or documents are accepted in a blog post. Be sure to check the official checklist that comes out during the application season.

You also need two separate documents proving residency. If you've just moved into a new home, it's helpful to gather utility bills or lease agreements in advance.

However, just because you qualify doesn't mean you will receive the scholarship. I was a bit surprised by this part.

There were 56,440 applications for the 2026-27 school year. That's an increase of 31.8 percent from the previous year.

There were 35,000 scholarship spots available. Originally, there were 20,000, but on May 7, the governor signed a bill to increase it by 15,000.

Still, 17,735 applications are on the waiting list. Even with the increase, that shows there is a significant demand.

Scholarships are not distributed by lottery but by priority. The first priority goes to students who received the scholarship last year, filling 18,553 spots.

The next group includes students who meet income criteria or qualify for other state education accounts like IEA or ESA. The income criteria are households earning less than 300 percent of the free or reduced-price lunch guidelines.

Following that are students who were attending public school at the time of application or new kindergarteners. Families already in private school and exceeding the income criteria are at the bottom of the priority list, making it realistically difficult.

Even after receiving the scholarship, there are requirements. Students in grades 3 through 11 must take the TCAP or a national standardized test each year.

Timing is also important. Applications for the 2026-27 school year closed on February 6 at 4 PM this year.

The application date for the 2027-28 school year has not yet been officially announced by the state. Some schools expect it to open in January, but that is not confirmed, so it's best to keep an eye on the tn.gov/education/efs page.

If you have questions, you can email the education department at [email protected] or call 615-741-5158. If you're worried about the language barrier, it might be helpful to ask the admissions office of the private school you're considering.

I'll share a personal thought as well. I'm still concerned about how this program will impact the public school budget.

I've seen music classes and art programs reduced due to budget issues. In a community where even a line from a country song can move you, it's a bit disappointing to see those classes disappear.

However, since the program exists, I believe it's the parents' responsibility to determine if it's right for their child. I think it's okay to separate political views from our family decisions.

If it were me, I would focus on three things right now: gathering my child's identity documents and residency proof in one folder, checking if the schools I'm interested in are registered for EFS, and frequently checking the official page starting in January.

$7,530 often doesn't cover the entire private school tuition. So, be sure to calculate the actual tuition for each school along with any additional costs like uniforms or transportation.

I also shared this with that mom in the carpool line. I told her that it is possible to receive the scholarship, but it's all about the paperwork and the order of application.