How much a Tennessee IEA is worth
There is no single IEA number. The award is built from your own student's funding profile, which is why two families in the same county can be handed noticeably different amounts.
Reviewed September 2026 against Tennessee Department of Education guidance for the 2026-27 school year. IEA rules, amounts, and deadlines are set annually — confirm current details in the official IEA handbook before you act on them.
How the number is built
Tennessee funds public school students through TISA — the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act — which pairs a base per-pupil amount with weights for particular student needs, including special education. An IEA award starts from the state and local funding your student would have generated for their district under that formula, applies the special-education weighting tied to the disability category and services in the IEP, and subtracts the administrative share the state retains to run the program.
Practical range
Base per-pupil funding in Tennessee has recently sat in the neighborhood of $7,000 to $9,000, and published averages across the state's account-style programs have been cited near $8,500 per student. Students with higher-need disability weightings receive more. Treat these as orientation only — the current handbook publishes the actual figures, and they are reset annually.
When the money arrives — and how to budget around it
Deposits are made into the account in installments across the school year, historically on a quarterly schedule, through the state's IEA portal. That timing matters more than families expect: a private school that wants tuition in August cannot be paid from money that lands in January. Ask any participating school or therapy provider whether they will accept the state's disbursement cadence before you sign anything.
Rollover, and what happens when you leave
While you're in the program, unspent funds generally roll over from one year to the next. That makes it reasonable to underspend in a light year and bank toward an expensive one — an intensive therapy block, a laptop, a year of private school tuition.
When you exit, whatever remains goes back to the state. Exiting includes enrolling full time in a public school, graduating, aging out, or being terminated from the program. There is no cash-out, and no transfer into a college savings vehicle. If you know you're leaving, spend the balance on legitimate approved expenses before the exit takes effect.
Misuse has teeth. Spending on non-approved items can trigger repayment demands, suspension or termination of the account, and referral for investigation. Keep every receipt.
Money questions
- How much is a Tennessee IEA worth?
- The award equals the state and local per-pupil funding the student would have generated for their district under Tennessee's TISA funding formula, including the special-education weighting for the student's disability category, less certain administrative amounts retained by the state. Base per-pupil funding has run in the $7,000-$9,000 range, and awards for students with heavier disability weightings run higher.
- When is the money deposited?
- Funds are placed in the account in installments across the school year — historically quarterly — rather than as one lump sum, so plan tuition and therapy commitments against that schedule.
- Do unused IEA funds roll over?
- Yes, unspent funds generally carry over to the next year as long as the student continues in the program.
- What happens to leftover money if we leave the program?
- Remaining funds are returned to the state when the student exits — by returning full time to public school, graduating, aging out, or withdrawing. They are not paid out to the family and cannot be converted into a college savings account.
Find providers in Tennessee
Tutors, therapists, and schools listed in this directory are a starting point. Confirm with each provider that they can invoice or receipt an IEA purchase before you commit.
Keep reading
- Who qualifies for an IEAQualifying disability categories, the active IEP requirement, the prior-year public school rule, and its exceptions.
- What IEA funds can buyAllowable expense categories including homeschool curricula, tutoring, and therapies — plus what's off limits and what you must document.
- How to apply for an IEAThe application sequence, required documents, the IEA portal, deadlines, renewal, and what to do if you're denied.
- IEA vs. the Education Freedom ScholarshipTwo very different Tennessee programs, side by side — and a plain decision guide for which one fits your family.