School Choice Information for Families
New Opportunities for Education in Texas
The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program is up and running with 85,344 students funded and participating in this exciting new opportunity.
Families that were not able to apply this year but are interested in applying for the 2027-28 school year can indicate early interest on this form. This information will be useful as the Texas Legislature next session contemplates increasing funding for the TEFA program. Students who are currently on the waitlist as well as those who did not apply at all this year should complete this form.
Q&A: Education Savings Accounts
What is anTexas Education Freedom Account (TEFA)?
An TEFA provides parents of students in non-public Texas schools a publicly-funded, government-authorized savings account with restricted, but multiple, uses for their children’s education. The TEFA program will be administered on behalf of the State by a Certified Educational Assistance Organization (CEAO), selected by the Comptroller.
How much is available per student, annually?
For a student enrolled in an eligible school, the standard award is $10,474. A child with disabilities will be given up to $30,000, and home-schooled participants will receive $2,000.
How can the money be used?
Parents may use TEFA funds to pay for eligible expenses, including: school tuition, school breakfasts and lunches, uniforms, tutoring, online education programs, therapies or special services for students with disabilities, textbooks, instructional materials, transportation to and from approved education providers, and the cost of computer hardware and software.
Who is eligible for an TEFA?
Student must be a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful resident eligible to attend a Texas public school.
Although all students meeting the above criteria are eligible, the law prioritizes children from low-income families and children with special learning needs. If a student is approved, so is the student’s sibling(s) who applied.
Once a family is approved and receives a TEFA, they do not need to reapply each year. Their account will remain active as long as they continue to meet the program’s requirements and file an annual intent to continue.
Unused funds may roll over year to year with no rollover limit while the student participates in the program.
What is required to participate in the program?
Parents must agree to:
- Spend program money only for eligible expenses
- Authorize school to share child’s assessment results with CEAO
- Not sell an item purchased with program money and
- Notify the CEAO within 30 days of child enrolling in public school, graduating high school, or otherwise becoming ineligible to enroll in public school
Who qualifies as a child with disabilities?
A student may qualify as a child with a disability if they are at least three years old but not more than 21 years old and have one or more of the following conditions that prevent them from being adequately or safely educated in public school without special services:
- Visual or auditory impairment
- Physical disability
- Intellectual or developmental disability
- Emotional disturbance
- Learning disability
- Autism
- Speech disability
- Traumatic brain injury
OR
- An Individual Education Plan (IEP)
How are children prioritized?
Applicants are prioritized as follows:
- Students with a disability (defined by the TX Educ. Code Sec. 29.003) whose family income is at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG).
- Children whose family income is at or below 200% of FPG.
- Children whose family income is between 200% and 500% of FPG.
-
Everyone else, depending on available funds, but no more than 20% of spots can go to this group. Students who switch from public schools will be prioritized over currently enrolled private school students in this category only.
|
Household |
Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) yearly income |
200% of FPG yearly income |
500% of FPG yearly income |
|
1 |
$15,650 |
$31,300 |
$78,250 |
|
2 |
$21,150 |
$42,300 |
$133,750 |
|
3 |
$26,650 |
$53,300 |
$133,250 |
|
4 |
$32,150 |
$64,300 |
$160,750 |
|
5 |
$37,650 |
$75,300 |
$188.250 |
|
6 |
$42.150 |
$83,920 |
$215,750 |
How does a child qualify for priority group one placement?
To qualify for priority group 1 placement, families are required to provide:
- A letter verifying the child’s eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance, or
- A written diagnosis from a licensed physician verifying one of the listed disabilities, or
- An Individualized Education Program (IEP) issued by a Texas public school district or open-enrollment charter school.
Who qualifies for an increased TEFA amount?
To qualify for an award of up to $30,000 per year (instead of the standard TEFA amount), families must provide an Individualized Education Program (IEP) issued by a Texas public school district or open-enrollment charter school.
Will all private schools participate?
Private schools also have choice. Schools can choose whether or not to accept TEFA funds. Some schools may wish to accommodate families using TEFA by providing scholarships to cover any difference between the TEFA amount and full tuition. This means more options and fewer barriers to giving your child the educational experience they deserve. The choice is yours—take advantage of this upcoming opportunity to empower your child’s education journey and discover a school that nurtures their potential.
Important Dates
August, 2026: TEFA students start the school year!
October 1, 2026: The second of three payments funded to parent accounts.
February 1, 2027: The final payment for the 2026-2027 school year goes to parent accounts.
Late Winter or Spring: Applications open for the 2027-2028 school year.
Other Details
- $1 billion will be appropriated for the state’s FY 2026-2027 biennium. This means approximately 80,000 – 100,000 students statewide could participate in the program in the first year.
- Private schools may opt in—this is NOT mandatory
- TEFA students begin attending participating private schools in the Fall of 2026.
- Admission policies and processes remain the same for private schools.
- Schools may charge the family the difference between the TEFA amount and the actual tuition, or may choose to use private scholarship funds. This is an internal school decision.
- Private schools that participate in the program must administer a norm-referenced test in grades 3-12. The parents of the TEFA children will report those test scores to the organization administering the TEFA program. These scores, along with a parental satisfaction survey of the program, are the reporting requirements of SB2.