NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Starting May 15 at noon central, families can begin applying for Tennessee's new Education Freedom Scholarships for the 2025-26 school year.

The controversial program, which will use public dollars to pay for students' private school tuition, passed during a special legislative session this past January.

There are 20,000 scholarships, or vouchers, available for K-12 students, which are worth $7,295 each.

Rep. William Slater (R-Gallatin) told News 2 the TN Dept. of Education reported around 30,000 visits to the state's Education Freedom Scholarship information website within the past week, suggesting there's high interest in the program.

"That indicates to me that there's going to be kind of a rush to get everything in on time. It is first come, first served," Rep. Slater said. "Other states that have rolled out universal school choice have sometimes had a slow start. I don't think that's going to be the case in Tennessee, and the reason is because we've been preparing for school choice in Tennessee for a number of years."

Rep. Slater said the measure has drawn more constituent feedback than any other issue. In recent weeks, people have reached out to ask about the application process and other logistical questions, according to the Republican.

According to the state, 230 private schools have either expressed interest in participating or have officially registered to accept the vouchers.

However, those schools are in just 39 out of TN's 95 counties. Some lawmakers argue the program, which was sold as a "universal school choice" measure, will leave out thousands of students and divert money away from public schools.

"We see schools enrolling that are very questionable," Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) said. "The reasons voucher programs produce such poor outcomes academically is because reputable private schools are still inaccessible, and it's really the school's choice. It's not school choice, but the school's choice about who they're going to take."

Democrats and some Republicans are also concerned about the cost, which the state has projected will be at least $1.1 billion within the first five years.

In addition, critics believe the majority of students who will receive the vouchers will be those already attending private school, because the $7,295 voucher isn't enough money to cover full private school tuition.

However, Rep. Slater said the program will allow more families to choose the best education for their child.

"Now that it's in place and ready to roll out, what I'm hearing is just excitement from families who get to choose the best educational opportunity for their children," Rep. Slater said.

To learn more information about the Education Freedom Scholarships, or to apply, click here.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/tn-private-school-voucher-applications-open-may-15/