Created by Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) with $1 billion in funding — the largest day-one school choice initiative in the nation. Apply now for the 2026-27 school year.
The Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program was created by Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), passed by the 89th Texas Legislature in 2025 and effective September 1, 2025. The program provides $1 billion in state funding for eligible families to use toward private school tuition, homeschool expenses, tutoring, therapy, and other approved educational costs. Applications for the 2026-27 school year are open February 4 – March 17, 2026 at educationfreedom.texas.gov. Over 74,000 families have already applied. This is not first-come, first-served — a lottery within priority tiers determines funding.
Last verified: February 18, 2026 — Sources: educationfreedom.texas.gov, Office of the Governor
All Texas children are eligible to apply if they live in Texas and are a U.S. citizen or were lawfully admitted. Because the $1 billion fund may have more applicants than available funding, students are grouped into four priority tiers. A lottery within each tier determines who receives funding.
Visit educationfreedom.texas.gov and click "Apply Now." Applications are processed through the Odyssey platform, selected by the Texas Comptroller's Office as the certified educational assistance organization (CEAO).
You will need:
Submit one application for your household that includes all children you want to enroll. You can log back in and make changes any time before the March 17 deadline. Indicate whether each child will attend a participating private school or homeschool.
After March 17, Odyssey conducts a lottery within each priority tier to allocate available funding. Notifications begin the week of April 6, 2026. If awarded, you must select a participating school by June 1 and the school must confirm enrollment by June 15. Funds become available July 1, 2026 through Odyssey's platform.
The application window closes at 11:59 p.m. CT on March 17, 2026. Over 74,000 families have already applied. Don't miss this opportunity to access up to $10,500–$30,000 in education funding for your child.