Education Savings Account Program

Evidence Step: Outputs

Department: Education

Priority Area: Education Quality and Access

Program Description

The Education Savings Account (ESA) Program allows eligible K-12 students in certain zoned districts to use state and local money to attend an approved nonpublic school and pay for educational expenses such as tuition, uniforms, textbooks, technology, tutoring, and summer programs.

Learn More on Program Website

Details

Program Demographic: Children, Adolescents / Young Adults

Delivery Setting: School

Current Participants: 3,693

Outputs

Number of schools participating in the program

2025: 97

2023: 81

Number of students approved to participate

2025: 5,083

2023: 2,755

Number of students enrolled in a participating school and using funds

2025: 3,693

2023: 2,074

Percent of students who renew ESAs for concurrent years

2025: 83%

2023: 82%

Logic Model

If we expand access to educational opportunities for students in some of Tennessee’s lowest-performing school districts through opportunities to use state and local funding to pay for educational expenses at non-public schools, then students will display increased educational engagement, increased academic achievement, and increased overall satisfaction with educational experiences in Tennessee.