Applications Begin for Texas’ New $1 Billion School Choice Program

[Elderberry]

Texas Scorecard by Brandon Waltens February 4, 2026

The program has been seeded with $1 billion in initial funding for the 2026-27 school year.

Applications for Texas’ new school choice program officially opened Wednesday, marking the first opportunity for families to apply for Education Freedom Accounts under legislation enacted last year.

The Texas Education Freedom Account program was created by the legislature last year after Gov. Greg Abbott made school choice a top legislative priority.

The law authorizes eligible students to receive public funds for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and other approved educational services beginning with the 2026–27 school year.

“The Texas Education Freedom Account program puts parents firmly in charge of their children’s education, ensuring families have real options and the flexibility to choose the educational path that best meets their child’s needs, setting students across Texas up for success,” said Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, whose office oversees the accounts. 

Under the program, students enrolled in participating accredited private schools or certain at-risk pre-kindergarten students may be eligible to receive more than $10,000 annually. Students with disabilities may receive up to $30,000 based on an Individualized Education Program.

More: https://texasscorecard.com/state/applications-begin-for-texas-new-1-billion-school-choice-program/

[Elderberry]

Applications Now Open: Texas Launches State-Funded Private School Accounts

 Dallas Express 2/4/2026

 Texas families can begin applying on Wednesday for new education freedom accounts that provide public funds for private schooling, homeschooling, or other approved expenses, with priority given to students with disabilities and lower-income households.

The program, known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), was created through Senate Bill 2, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law on May 3, 2025. It took effect September 1, 2025, and will distribute money for the 2026-27 school year, capped at $1 billion and 90,000 students overall.

Administered by a Certified Educational Assistance Organization selected by the state comptroller, the accounts allow parents to withdraw children from public schools and use state money for eligible non-public options.

Funds can cover tuition, school breakfasts and lunches, uniforms, tutoring, online education programs, therapies or special services for students with disabilities, textbooks, instructional materials, transportation to approved providers, and computer hardware and software.

For most students at eligible private schools, the standard award is 85% of the statewide average per-student public school funding, which the Texas Education Agency has set at $10,474 per child for the 2026-27 school year.

Based on that figure, the standard award for private school students would be about $8,902.

Children with disabilities may receive up to $30,000 annually, while homeschool families can get up to $2,000 per student for curriculum and materials.

More: https://dallasexpress.com/education/applications-now-open-texas-launches-state-funded-private-school-accounts/