KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — WBIR requested data from the Tennessee Department of Education that shows students who received Education Freedom Scholarships, or vouchers, were mostly from major cities and wealthy zip codes, and 75% are white students.

In January, legislators approved the program, which provides 20,000 publicly funded scholarships of $7,295.

Data from the state comptroller’s office shows that during the 2020-21 school year, 61% of public school students were white, 24% were African American and 12% were Hispanic.

But among students who received vouchers, 75% were white, 12% were African American or multiracial and 3% were Hispanic.

Credit: WBIR Pie charts display demographics from the Tennessee Comptroller's Office from 2021 in contrast with EFS recipients in 2025.

Wednesday, G

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