Over 200,000 students have applied for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program. Here’s what you need to know.
Thousands of families in North Texas submitted their applications for the state’s Texas Education Freedom Accounts, a new school voucher program created to distribute funds to families in need, ahead of the original March 17 deadline. Now, a judge has ordered that the deadline be extended until March 31 to allow Islamic schools to apply. TEFA was approved last year in Senate Bill 2 and includes $1 billion in funding. Applicants can receive $2,000 for home schoolers, $10,474 for private school education, and up to $30,000 will be distributed to special education students. According to KERA News, around 79% of families requested at least $10,400 in their applications, and about 20% applied for home school funds. The Texas Comptroller’s office did not provide information as to how many applications requested up to $30,000 for special education needs.
3,782 applications had already been received by March 8 from families in Fort Worth ISD, and around 6,707 applications had come from Dallas ISD students by that date as well. A surplus of residents are expected to apply for the voucher program, which would provide funds for the 2026-2027 academic year, amid the extended deadline. Kelly Hancock, the Acting Comptroller, wrote that, “This two-week extension will give families an additional opportunity to apply for the first year of school choice in Texas. We look forward to building on the record-setting demand for educational options that we have seen over the first six weeks.”
Officials noted that those who submit their applications between now and March 31 will be equally considered as those who sent in their requests earlier in the month. They also stated that awards will be distributed based on need and not on a first-come, first-served basis. So, how exactly will that need be determined? Let’s go over the details below.
Select applications will receive priority funding based on need
The funds distributed by the Texas Education Freedom Accounts can be put toward tutoring, instructional materials, private school tuition, and a variety of expenses approved by the Texas Legislature. About 200,000 student applications had come in ahead of the original March 17 deadline, and 2,200 schools had also signed up for the program. As of writing, requests appear to add up to a total of $1.4 billion, which exceeds the $1 billion funding threshold previously established. The state is expected to hold a lottery to decide which families will receive awards from the school voucher program.
Texas state law requires low-income and middle-income families, as well as students with disabilities, to be given priority. Eligibility requirements include documentation proving the student is a lawfully admitted resident or US citizen, resides in Texas, and is eligible to attend either a charter school or public school within the state. Once accepted, these children will be able to participate in the program until their education is complete (AKA when they graduate high school). They can become ineligible, however, if they move out of Texas or can no longer attend public or charter school in the area.
If you have yet to submit your application but would like to do so, please click here. The Texas Education Freedom Accounts website has numerous resources available to make the process as easy as possible, including a checklist, application guide, and parent walkthrough.
