How to Apply for TEFA
Applications run through the state's own Education Freedom Account portal, not through this site. Here's the timing and what to know before you apply.
- July 1, 2026: first round of accounts funded, roughly 73,000 accounts.
- Across 2026: 85,344 students funded under the program in total.
- ~145,000 applicants waitlisted, with the next application window expected in early 2027. We don't have a confirmed exact date. Check educationfreedom.texas.gov for the current cycle before you plan around it.
The state has actually done something Arizona and several other ESA states haven't: it publishes a real, public, filterable vendor finder with no login required, plus a downloadable spreadsheet of participating vendors. If all you need is "is this specific business an approved TEFA vendor," the state's own finder at finder.educationfreedom.texas.gov is a legitimate place to check.
Where it falls short for most Houston families is everything the state marketplace was never built to cover. Homeschool co-ops, learning pods, and informal parent-run groups mostly aren't set up as TEFA vendors at all. They're not businesses registered to sell products through Odyssey, so they simply don't appear in the state's system, even though they're a huge part of how Houston families actually do homeschool. The state finder also isn't built to answer "which of these hybrid schools near me is actually accredited," which, as covered above, is the single question that determines whether a family gets $2,000 or $10,474.
That's the gap we built this directory to fill: real parent reviews, a map organized by Houston-area neighborhood instead of a statewide list, faith-tradition and teaching-methodology filters that match how Houston parents actually search, and clear TEFA-status tags on every listing, including the co-ops and pods the state marketplace structurally can't show you.
Frequently asked questions
What does TEFA mean?
TEFA stands for Texas Education Freedom Account, the state's new education savings account program. It gives approved families a state-funded account to pay for tuition, tutoring, and other eligible education expenses at approved schools and vendors.
Who qualifies for the TEFA program in Texas?
Eligibility is decided through the state's application and approval process, run by the Comptroller's office and Odyssey, not by homeschool status alone. Roughly 77% of the first approved round had household income under $66,000. Check educationfreedom.texas.gov for the current eligibility rules before assuming your family does or doesn't qualify.
What can I use TEFA funds for in Texas?
The official list covers tuition and fees, textbooks, uniforms, public or charter class fees, assessments, private tutoring, transportation, educational therapies, computer hardware and software (capped at 10%), and school meals. Enrichment, sports, and co-op fees aren't on the official list, but some are approved case by case through Odyssey when a vendor demonstrates an educational focus. Confirm with the specific vendor before assuming coverage.
What disabilities count for TEFA?
The state's materials point toward a disability-related award of up to $30,000 per year, but this appears tied to enrollment at an accredited private school rather than available to homeschooling families generally. The exact disability criteria aren't fully spelled out in public materials we've reviewed, so we recommend confirming directly with the Comptroller's office if this applies to your family.
Does Texas pay parents for homeschooling?
Yes, through TEFA. Homeschooling families who are approved receive $2,000 per year into an account they can spend on eligible expenses. It isn't a cash payment to the family directly; it flows through the Odyssey platform to approved vendors.