Education Savings Account (ESA) Program

NOTICE:

The Chancery Count of Davidson County lifted the injunction on the Education Savings Account on July 13, 2022 at 9:51 am.  The work to reinstate the ESA program is underway.  The department is taking four business days to update program resources to ensure up-to-date information is available for families and schools. The website will relaunch Tuesday, July 19, 2022.  Thank you for your interest in this important choice program.  Direct inquiries can be sent to esa.questions@tn.gov.

Public Chapter 506, which was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly and signed by Governor Bill Lee in spring 2019, established the ESA program, providing additional education choices for students. Gov. Bill Lee, in his first State of the State address before a joint session of the 111th Tennessee General Assembly on March 4, 2019, said, “Low income students deserve the same opportunity as every other kid in this state, and we will need a bold plan that will help level the playing field. We need to challenge the status quo, increase competition, and not slow down until every student in Tennessee has access to a great education. We’re not going to get big results from our struggling schools by nibbling around the edges. That is why we need education savings accounts in Tennessee this year.”

The Rules of State Board of Education Chapter 0520-01-16 for Education Savings Accounts can be found here.