IEA vs. the Education Freedom Scholarship
Tennessee runs two school-choice programs that families constantly confuse. They fund different things, for different students, with very different amounts of paperwork — and no student can use both.
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.
| IEA | Education Freedom Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | K-12 students with an active IEP in a qualifying disability category, meeting the prior-year enrollment rule or an exception. | Broadly available to students entitled to attend a Tennessee public school, subject to the year's available scholarships. |
| Can you homeschool with it? | Yes — home schooling is an approved option, and curriculum, tutoring, and therapies are allowable expenses. | No. Funds must be used at an EFS-registered non-public school. |
| What it pays for | Tuition, curriculum, tutoring, licensed therapies, testing fees, approved technology, transportation, and contracted public school classes. | Tuition and required fees at a participating non-public school. |
| Award size | Varies by student — per-pupil funding plus special-education weighting, so higher-need students receive more. | A flat, near-base per-pupil amount, publicly cited around $7,000+ per student. |
| Flexibility | High. You assemble the program and direct the spending. | Low. The school enrolls the student and the money follows tuition. |
| Administrative burden | Substantial — receipts, expense reporting, monitoring, annual renewal. | Light for the family; the school carries most of the paperwork. |
| What changes legally | The district's IDEA/FAPE obligation is suspended while the student participates; it resumes on return to public school. | The student is enrolled in a non-public school, so independent homeschool status ends and the school owns records and reporting. |
| Can you use both? | No — the programs are separate and non-duplicative. | No — you have to choose one. |
A short decision guide
- Your child has an IEP and you want to teach at home: the IEA is the only option of the two. Start with eligibility.
- Your child has an IEP and needs therapies plus schooling: the IEA, because it can pay both, usually at a larger award.
- Your child has no IEP and you want a Christian school: the Education Freedom Scholarship.
- Your child has no IEP and you want to homeschool: neither program funds you. Your costs stay out of pocket — the directory is still the fastest way to find affordable co-ops and tutorials.
- You qualify for both: weigh the larger, more flexible IEA award against its reporting burden and the loss of district-delivered IEP services. Families who want to build a custom program lean IEA; families who just want tuition help at one school lean EFS.
Comparison questions
- Which is better for a homeschooling family?
- If your student has a qualifying disability and an active IEP, the IEA is the only one of the two that will fund home schooling. The Education Freedom Scholarship requires enrollment in a registered non-public school.
- My child has an IEP but I want a private Christian school. Which program?
- Either can work, and the comparison is about size and flexibility. An IEA often carries a larger award because of special-education weighting and can also cover therapies the school doesn't provide, but it comes with reporting duties. EFS is simpler if tuition is the only thing you need covered.
- Can I switch from EFS to IEA, or the other way?
- You can't hold both at once, and each has its own application window and eligibility test. Treat a switch as a full new application in the other program, timed to that program's cycle.
- Does either program cover a co-op or hybrid program?
- An IEA can pay for tutoring and individualized instruction, which is how many co-op and tutorial arrangements get covered — if the provider can invoice and document properly. EFS cannot, unless the program itself is an EFS-registered non-public school.
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.
- How much the award is worthHow the amount is calculated from state and local per-pupil funding, how it's disbursed, and what happens to unused funds.
- 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.