Tennessee has over 50 virtual public schools serving grades K-12. That’s a lot. Most are tuition-free for state residents and tied to a local education agency. They’re a real option for families who qualify. About 15% of Tennessee’s school-age children attend private schools or are homeschooled – a share that’s been growing since the state expanded school choice options.
But a meaningful portion of Tennessee families end up in the private online school market – by choice, by necessity, or because their child needs something the public virtual school system doesn’t offer. The private side of online high school in Tennessee looks different. Smaller enrollment, tuition-based, and not restricted to state residents.
The most commonly cited private online high schools serving Tennessee families are Forest Trail Academy, Keystone School, and Acellus Academy. Our accredited online high school is in the same category: private, fully accredited online, no residency requirement.
Private Online High Schools Serving Tennessee Learners
Forest Trail Academy has served over 10,000 children since 2007. Accredited by Cognia, MSA-CESS, and Accreditation International. Grades K-12, $2,200–$4,200 per grade level per year ($2,950 for high school). No live classes – asynchronous, self-paced, with teacher office hours twice a week per subject. Tennessee families can enroll any time.
Keystone School has been running correspondence and online programs since 1974 – nearly 40 years before “online school” was a common phrase. Cognia-accredited, 170+ courses including AP and credit recovery. Self-paced, fully asynchronous. Teacher contact by phone, email, or chat. Learners in all 50 states use Keystone, including a consistent base in Tennessee.
Acellus Academy (4-12) is listed by the state as a Category III approved non-public Tennessee virtual school – meaning it meets state accreditation standards for non-public enrollment in Tennessee. Fully self-paced using their Acellus Gold platform. Monthly or annual tuition plans. Enrollment open year-round.
Three credible private options. All of them asynchronous. None of them run daily live classes.
What Our Accredited School Offers Instead
Our classes are live. Monday through Friday, your child logs into a scheduled session with a qualified teacher and up to 14 other classmates. The teacher delivers the lesson, answers questions, runs the discussion. Not pre-recorded content – an actual person, in real time, who can tell which student has been quiet all week.
The 15-student cap isn’t a preference. It’s the number at which live online instruction stays functional. Below that threshold, an educator can manage actual dialogue. Above it, a virtual class becomes a broadcast.
WASC accreditation is the credential behind our diploma – different from Cognia, which Forest Trail, Keystone, and Acellus hold. Both are accepted by US colleges and universities. For most Tennessee families applying in-state, the practical difference is minimal. The distinction matters more for those applying out of state or internationally, where WASC has broader recognition. Our College Board approval (school code 000114) is verifiable at the AP Ledger.
Diploma Options
Three tracks for high schoolers in grades 9–12:
Standard Diploma – 24 credits. Four-year track, minimum 2.5 GPA.
Accelerated Diploma – 18 credits. Three-year track, career-preparatory focus. Designed for those entering technical programs or the workforce sooner.
Honors Diploma – 24 credits. More rigorous course load, multiple AP classes required. Built for those targeting competitive university admissions.
We offer 19 AP courses. That’s more than most private online schools can provide – Keystone and Forest Trail both have AP options, but 19 subjects across mathematics, sciences, humanities, and computer science is a catalog that lets a student build a genuinely competitive application. Subjects include AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Physics, AP Biology, AP Computer Science A, AP US History, AP World History, AP Psychology, and more.
Advanced Placement is where the diploma stops being just a credential and starts being evidence of academic preparation. A student who finishes high school with four or five AP exams passed at 4–5 has demonstrated something that a self-paced diploma alone doesn’t show admissions offices.
For learners ready to go further: dual enrollment with Arizona State University and University of South Florida. College credits that count toward the high school diploma and the undergraduate degree at the same time. That’s different from AP – AP credits depend on the university accepting your score. Dual enrollment credits are already college credits, earned at an accredited university.
Three Plans, One School
We offer three learning plans, and all three lead to the same diploma:
Live Group Learning – the primary model. Live classes five days a week, up to 15 people per session. Qualified teachers run structured lessons in real time. High schoolers attend 5–6 classes daily depending on course load.
One-on-One Learning – individual sessions with a dedicated teacher. Fully customized schedule. For students who need intensive academic support or whose schedule doesn’t allow group class times.
Self-Paced Learning – independent coursework, no fixed schedule, teacher review on all submitted work. For Tennessee students whose schedule genuinely doesn’t allow synchronous attendance – athletes in professional training, children managing chronic health conditions, or families who travel.
No plan is subordinate to another. The diploma at the end is identical. The curriculum is the same Florida Virtual School content. The choice is about instructional model, not quality tier.
Tennessee’s Private School Context
TN now has an Education Freedom Scholarship Act offering up to $7,300 per student for approved educational expenses, including private school tuition. Families should verify current eligibility requirements – the program applies to specific student categories and income thresholds. Private online school tuition may qualify as an approved expense.
There are over 570 private schools in Tennessee, with average high school tuition around $12,000/year for traditional in-person programs. Our full-time online tuition starts at $2,500/year – substantially below that. See current pricing at our tuition page.
Enrollment
No application essay. No entrance exam. Private online school serving students in grades K-12, year-round enrollment. Placement tests for K-8 students. Transfer credits from accredited schools accepted for high school entry.
Tennessee families enrolling in a private institution don’t need public school district approval. If your child is currently in a Tennessee public school, you may want to notify the district – but it’s not required to begin private school enrollment.
Schedule a free trial class. Your child attends a live session in their grade level. You meet separately with an advisor. Your child can start classes within 48 hours of completing enrollment.
Tennessee students join classes alongside children from 15+ countries. Same live sessions. Same WASC-accredited diploma at the end.
