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Dear Friend, As Tennesseans vote in primary elections and students and educators prepare to head back to school, our team is focused on an important question: How are the education policies passed during the 2026 legislative session being implemented, and what will they mean for Tennessee students and families? This year brought significant changes to Tennessee's school voucher program. Lawmakers expanded the program, changed how districts are protected from losing funding as vouchers grow, and added new requirements for participating families. Families applying for vouchers are now asked to provide their child's Social Security Number (SSN), even though families generally cannot be required to provide SSNs as a condition of enrolling their child in public school. At a time when cybersecurity threats to schools continue to grow — and recent debates over access to education for immigrant students — it's important that families understand what information is required, what is optional, and what rights they have. They also made it optional for voucher schools to administer the same statewide assessment required in public schools, raising important questions about how student outcomes will be measured and compared over time. As these policies take effect, families, educators, and advocates deserve clear, accurate information about what is changing and why it matters. At EdTrust-Tennessee, we remain committed to providing trusted research, timely analysis, and practical resources as these policies move from legislation to implementation. We continue to believe that public dollars should be invested in public schools, and over the coming months we'll be closely tracking both Tennessee's expanded voucher program and the new federal voucher tax credit program to help inform conversations and decision-making across our state. We are also closely monitoring Tennessee’s lottery shortfall and implications for the future of scholarships for postsecondary education and training. As policymakers prepare to tackle substantial changes to financial aid in Tennessee, EdTrust-Tennessee will be advocating to direct our resources toward the students with the greatest financial need. Our new brief explores how Tennessee awards financial aid on the basis of need, how we compare to other Southern states, and opportunities to make policy choices that position students from low-income backgrounds to enroll in and complete postsecondary. I'm also excited to officially welcome Liah Lawson to the EdTrust-Tennessee team as our Senior Communications and Engagement Associate. Liah has already helped elevate the voices of students, educators, and advocates through our communications, and she'll play a key role in strengthening our coalition partnerships and leading the next EmpowerED Youth Advocacy Cohort. Thank you for reading and for partnering with us as we continue working toward a stronger, more transparent public education system that serves every Tennessee student. In partnership,
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