Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee /Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
Newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Education shows that Knoxville students have received more Education Freedom Scholarships, also called school vouchers, for the current school year than any other city in the state.
The Education Freedom Scholarship Program (EFS) was passed in the General Assembly by state lawmakers earlier this year and the first cycle of scholarships were made available to students going into the 2025-2026 school year.
20,000 scholarships worth $7,295 were made available to eligible students for the first year of the program.
The state ended up receiving 42,827 applications from eligible students across the state. The highest number of applications from one city, 4,580, came from Memphis.
Knoxville residents submitted 4,567 of the applications, Nashville submitted 3,061, Chattanooga submitted 2,294, Murfreesboro submitted 1,616 and Jackson submitted 1,357.
A records request from WBIR Channel 10 News showed that out of the 20,000 scholarships that were awarded to Tennessee students, 2,557 of them were given to Knoxville residents.
Memphis students received the second highest number of scholarships at 1,888, Nashville students received 1,267, Chattanooga students received 1,188, Murfreesboro students received 793 and Jackson students received 725.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
