Applications Now Closed.

Applications for the 2026–27 school year are no longer being accepted.

This first program year saw record-setting demand for the Education Freedom Accounts. Funding will be awarded to students in April based on priority.

Please check your email for updates.

Applications Now Closed.

Applications for the 2026–27 school year are no longer being accepted.

This first program year saw record-setting demand for the Education Freedom Accounts. Funding will be awarded to students in April based on priority.

Please check your email for updates.

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Introducing Texas Education Freedom Accounts™

In 2025, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 2 and provided $1 billion in funding to create the Texas Education Freedom Accounts™(TEFA) program and give parents greater freedom and flexibility in choosing the best educational environment for their children.

The TEFA program, administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, is the largest day-one school choice initiative in the nation. Through this program, parents who choose to enroll their children outside of the public school system – including a private school or homeschool – and are accepted into the program can use their child’s TEFA funds to pay for approved education-related expenses through the program marketplace.

Kelly Hancock - Acting Comptroller of Public Accounts

Funding

The award amounts for the 2026-27 school year will depend on the individual circumstances outlined below. The amount available to a participating child depends on the educational setting they choose.

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Private School Students

An awarded child who attends a participating private school or a pre-K or kindergarten program will receive 85% of the estimated statewide average amount of state and local funding per student in average daily attendance for the most recent school year, as calculated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

TEA has set this amount at $10,474 for the 2026-27 school year. 

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Private School Students with a Disability

An awarded child with a disability who is enrolled in a participating private school or in a pre-K or kindergarten program may be eligible to receive up to $30,000. To qualify, the child must have an individualized education program (IEP) that is on file with the Texas Education Agency by the end of the application period. 

The award amount is based on the funding that the child’s local school district would receive to provide services under the child’s IEP. 

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All Other Students

An awarded child who is homeschooled or is not enrolled in a public school or a pre-K or kindergarten program will receive $2,000 annually.

Timeline

Parent Application

The application window ran February 4 – March 31, 2026.

Notification of Funding Status

Funding and waitlist notifications have been posted in each applicant’s Odyssey portal.

Private School Confirmation

For awarded private school students, parents will indicate the school where their student is enrolled. Private schools will confirm enrollment.

Initial Funding

July 1, 2026 – Private school students will receive the first 25% of their award.

Homeschool/other students receive 100% of their award.

Additional Funding

October 1, 2026 – Private school students will receive the second 25% of their award.

February 1, 2027 – Private school students will receive the remaining 50% of their award.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Texas Education Freedom Accounts™ (TEFA) program application window opened on February 4, 2026 and closed on March 31, 2026.  We received more than 274,000 applications and found approximately 25,500 applicants were ineligible. 

The most common reasons we found applicants ineligible were:

  • They did not meet the eligibility requirements for Pre-Kindergarten, which are narrower than the requirements for K-12 students
  • We could not confirm their annual household income
  • We could not confirm citizenship or lawful presence
  • We could not confirm Texas residency

Pre-Kindergarten

State law requires that TEFA Pre-Kindergarten applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for free public Pre-Kindergarten. A student must turn three years old before September 1, 2026 and fall into at least one of these categories:

  • Unable to speak and comprehend the English language
  • Economically disadvantaged (income below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level)
  • Homeless
  • Children of active-duty member of the U.S. armed forces or the children of a member of the U.S. armed forces injured or killed while on active duty
  • In the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services
  • Children of a recipient of the Star of Texas Award
  • Children of a classroom teacher at a public primary or secondary school in a district offering free Pre-Kindergarten

Most applicants determined to be ineligible for Pre-Kindergarten indicated on their application that none of the eligibility criteria applied to their children. The program automatically corrected applications for students who qualified based on household income and found them eligible.

Income Documentation

As noted in the application guide, an applicant must have submitted complete information with their application, including a Form 1040 Federal Tax Return for either 2024 or 2025 to allow us to verify income.

Pay stubs, W2s, or other documents indicating income or government benefits could not be accepted to verify income.

Citizenship

If the program was unable to validate a child’s lawful status using the parent’s driver license or real ID, or the child’s social security number, applicants were prompted to upload additional documentation to verify lawful presence in the United States.  Parents were directed to upload one of the following:

  • Birth certificate
  • Report of birth abroad
  • Certificate of citizenship
  • Certificate of naturalization
  • Other official documentation affirming lawful admission

Texas Residency

Applicants unable to prove residency using a Texas driver license or state ID were prompted to upload one of the following:

  • Utility bill
  • Lease agreement or mortgage statement
  • Voter registration certificate. 

Military families outside the state of Texas at the time of application were able to provide military orders showing they would be stationed in Texas during the 2026-27 school year.

Do you believe you met all of the application requirements and your child should have been eligible?

Please review the information above before deciding whether to appeal your child’s ineligibility determination.  You must file an appeal within 30 days of the date you were notified, and all appeal decisions are final.

Appeals are an opportunity to fix errors the program may have made in processing your application. Appeals seeking exceptions to published deadlines or requirements, including attempts to provide information that was missing, incomplete or incorrect when you submitted your application, are unlikely to be approved. More information about appeals is available here.

If your child was ineligible for the 2026-27 school year, but may meet the requirements in the future, please consider joining our interest list.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts will oversee the program to ensure funds are used properly. Odyssey was selected as the certified educational assistance organization (CEAO) that will help with administration of the program under the Comptroller’s oversight.

Children are eligible to participate if they are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the United States and are eligible to attend a Texas school district or open-enrollment charter school or pre-K program, including children of a parent who is an active-duty member of the U.S. armed forces. The parent must be a Texas resident.

The amount depends on the child’s situation:
Private school students
State law sets the amount of the transfer at 85 percent of the statewide average amount of state and local funding per student in Texas public schools. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has determined the amount for the 2026-27 school year is $10,474 per child if the student attends an approved private school.

Students with disabilities who have an individualized education plan (IEP) on file with their school district
May receive more — up to $30,000 per year.

Homeschooled students
May receive up to $2,000 per year.

Not necessarily. If applications exceed available funding, a lottery will decide placement. State law sets this priority order:

Year 1

For the 2026-27 school year, applicants will be prioritized as follows:

  1. Children with a disability who are members of a household whose total annual income is at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level.*
  2. Children who are members of a household whose total annual income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
  3. Children who are members of a household whose total annual income is between 200% and 500% of the Federal Poverty Level.
  4. Children who are members of a household whose total annual income is at or above 500% of the Federal Poverty Level. Children who were enrolled in a Texas public school or charter school for at least 90% of the prior school year will be prioritized within this group. Funds for children in this category may not exceed 20 percent of the amount of money appropriated from the program fund for that school year.

*For purposes of prioritization, the term “children with a disability” includes both children with an IEP on file with the Texas Education Agency at the time the application process closes and children who have submitted a program-approved proof-of-disability form with their application. However, only those children with an IEP on file who are accepted into the program are eligible for the increased funding amount available to children with a disability.

Note: Note: Federal Poverty Level guidelines are set annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Year 2

After year 1, applicants will first be prioritized in the following order, and then will be prioritized within each group in the order stated in the year 1 prioritization:

  1. Siblings of participating children.
  2. New eligible program applicants.
  3. Prior program participants who ceased program participation due to enrollment in a public or charter school.

If a child is accepted for participation during an application period, any eligible sibling of that child who applies during the same application period is also accepted for participation during that application period.

The parent of the child can submit an application. Parent means a resident of this state who is a natural or adoptive parent, managing or possessory conservator, legal guardian, custodian, or other person with legal authority to act on behalf of a child.

No. Participants in good standing stay in the program automatically. Families only need to confirm they want to continue.

Yes, if the provider applies for approval and is accepted into the program.

Yes. Families may use funds for approved CTE programs.

The Comptroller is required to contract with a private entity to audit accounts and program eligibility at least annually to ensure compliance with applicable law. The State Auditor will also perform periodic audits to verify compliance with eligibility requirements and that funds are used for approved expenses.

The application period for private schools opened on December 9, 2025. Private schools may apply on a rolling basis. Private schools must be in Texas, accredited by an organization recognized by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission or another accreditor recognized by the Texas Education Agency, and in continuous operation for at least two school years preceding the date of application. They also must annually administer a nationally norm-referenced assessment to participating students in grades 3-12. More information will be forthcoming soon.

The application period ran February 4 – March 31, 2026. Families can sign up for updates regarding the 2027-28 application period.

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