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Texas Comptroller Announces Texas Education Freedom Accounts Program, Selects Implementation Partner(AUSTIN) —
Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock today announced the formal name for Texas’ school choice program — Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) — and the selection of Odyssey as the certified educational assistance organization that will help launch the program. The announcement marks two major steps toward rolling out the largest school choice initiative in the nation, set to begin in the 2026-27 school year.
Read the Press Release
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TEFA at a Glanceschool choice in texas
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Program Details$1 billion will be appropriated. This means approximately 90,000 students statewide could participate in the program in the first year:
- Four categories of prioritization for applicants (see next section)
- A typical student would receive about $10,000; a special education student could receive more based on their needs
- Funds could be spent on a variety of educational expenses, including tuition at a private school, tutoring services, therapies, and more…
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Who qualifies for TEFA?
- Currently enrolled private school students are eligible.
- Students must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawfully admitted into the U.S. and eligible to attend a Texas public school.
- If a student is approved, so is the student’s sibling(s) who applied.
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TEFA Timeline
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Coming soon...
We are committed to keeping you informed as the TEFA program takes shape. As soon as details are released, this section will include:
- A step-by-step guide to applying for the TEFA
- A direct link to the official application
- Supporting resources and FAQs to help answer your questions
Thank you for your patience as we await official updates. Please check back soon—or sign up for email updates—so you’ll be among the first to know when new information becomes available.
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TEFA Eligibility
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priority 2Children from families making up to $64,300* for a family of four (200% of the FPG).
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priority 3Children from families making between $64,300 to $160,000* (200-500% of the FPG).
*Income levels are approximate. -
priority 4Everyone else depending on available funds. Students who switched to private schools will go ahead of currently enrolled private school students (in this category only).
Funding for Priority 4 is capped at 20% of the total appropriation in the TEFA program.
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2025 federal poverty guidelines (FPG)
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While applications are not open yet, now is the time to learn, prepare, and explore your options.
By signing up, you’ll receive updates, easy-to-understand resources, and step-by-step guidance so your family is ready when the TEFA application opens.
Stay informed. Be prepared. Discover more choices, more support, and more faith for your child’s education.
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Educational Videos
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NOTE:
When these webinars were hosted, the initiative was known as the Education Savings Account (ESA) program. As of October 2025, the Texas Comptroller has officially renamed the program Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA).
You may still see the term “ESA” in our materials and recordings; however, it refers to the same program. The essence and purpose of the program remain unchanged — to help families access educational options, including Catholic schools. -
TEFA WebinarsWhat parents need to know about the new texas education savings account program
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TEFA Session Informativaen espaÑol
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What is School Choice?
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What is an Education Savings Account (ESA)?
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Parental Choice, also known as “school choice,” is a public policy that financially assists parents in choosing the best educational environment for their children by allowing their tax dollars to be used outside of the public school system.
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Everyone. Currently, only those able to afford to live in the best public-school districts or to pay private school tuition enjoy a full range of educational options. However, through a well-designed parental choice program, families with fewer financial resources will no longer be limited to their local public school and will be able to consider additional educational opportunities.
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The State of Texas has appropriated $1 billion for the first year of the program to support families seeking education options outside the traditional public school system.
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A Texas Education Freedom Account (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 Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department is overseeing TEFA implementation in Catholic schools, and will be a guiding hand for parents and schools as they navigate the process.
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It is anticipated that the application process will begin in January 2026. Funds will be available beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
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School Choice v. Parental Choice: “School choice” is the most common term used to describe government funding for non-public school options. The term "parental choice” more accurately reflects the fundamental right and responsibility of parents to direct their children’s education.
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Yes! Homeschool families may qualify for $2,000 per eligible student to help cover approved educational expenses such as curriculum, materials, and resources.
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- A provider of supplemental special education services previously approved by TEA.
- A private school accredited by TEPSAC or TEA and annually administers a nationally norm-referenced assessment in grades 3-12 and has continuously operated a campus for at least two school years preceding the date the school seeks approval to participate in the program.
- A school district or charter school accredited by TEA and able to provide services or products to participating children in a manner that the children are not counted toward average daily attendance.
- A qualified private tutor, therapist, or teaching service employee.
- A higher education provider that demonstrates nationally recognized postsecondary education accreditation.
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- Tuition and fees for a private school, higher ed provider, online educational course or program, or a program that provides industry-based credential approved by TEA.
- Costs of breakfast or lunch provided during the school day by a private school.
- Purchase of instructional materials or uniforms.
- Fees for classes provided by a public school.
- Costs related to academic assessments.
- Fees for private tutor or teaching service.
- Fees for transportation provided by a fee-for-service transportation provider.
- Fees for educational therapies or services not covered by government benefits or private insurance.
- Costs of computer hardware and software and other technological devices required by a provider or prescribed by a physician (not to exceed in any year 10% of the total amount in the child’s EFA for the year).
- Money may not be used to pay any person related to a program participant within the third degree of consanguinity.
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An education service provider or vendor who receives TEFA money is not a recipient of federal financial assistance and may not be considered a state actor. The state may not impose limits or requirements contrary to religious or institutional values of a provider, vendor, or participant regarding curriculum, admissions practices, operations, policies, standards, etc.
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- Quarterly transfers into Texas EFA accounts will be made on the first day of July, October, January, and April.
- If a child enrolls in the program after the beginning of the school year, the amount transferred is prorated based on the date of enrollment.
- Any money remaining in a participating child’s account will be carried over to the next fiscal year.
- Transfers to an account are not considered taxable income unless otherwise provided by federal or another state’s law.
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Parents must agree to:
- Spend program money only for eligible expenses.
- Share child's assessment results with Odyssey (Certified Educational Assistance Organization).
- Not sell an item purchased with program money.
- Notify Odyssey within 30 days of the child enrolling in public school, graduating high school, or otherwise becoming ineligible to enroll in public school.
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- The parent of a child not enrolled in public school may request a school district evaluate a child for determining eligibility for special education services and participation in the EFA program as a child with a disability. If the child is eligible, the school district must develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the child.
- The certified education assistance organization (CEAO) must provide notice to parents that a private school is not subject to federal and state laws regarding the provision of educational services to a child with a disability in the same manner as a public school.
- The CEAO must provide information regarding the rights to which a child with a disability is entitled if the child attends a public school
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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)
One of the following documents is needed to prove a child with disabilities:
- A letter verifying the child’s eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), 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.
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No. Once a family is approved and receives an 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.
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Please contact the Catholic school of your preference and speak with your pastor or principal, who can assist you with more information on available scholarships and/or financial assistance.
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