School Choice in Texas

Texas Education Freedom Accounts

Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFAs) give parents direct control of education funds to use for private school tuition, tutoring, curriculum, and other learning resources. Instead of funding school systems, TEFAs fund students, allowing families to choose the environment that best fits their child.

The Legislature passed the ESA program in 2025, with funds expected by summer 2026. Homeschool freedoms stay the same. There is no testing requirement, and participation is optional. Families who apply can access additional resources; those who don’t can continue homeschooling just as they do now.

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What Is the ESA/TEFA Program?

How to Apply

What Vendors Need to Know

What You Need to Know

There are information sessions happening across Texas for families interested in learning more about the new ESA/TEFA program for the 2026-20267 school year. These events are designed to help families learn more about the program and apply. Click here to find an information session in your area. 

How? When? Where Do I Apply?

What Documents Will I Need To Apply?

What Else Do I Need To Know?

  • April 2026 – Funding notifications will be sent to parents beginning in early April 2026.
  • July 1, 2026 – At least 25 percent of approved funding will be available in participant accounts.
  • October 1, 2026 – At least 50 percent of approved funding will be available in participant accounts.

What Else Do I Need To Know?

The Texas Education Freedom Account website is your way of staying informed about all things related to ESA/TEFA. Please sign up for the latest updates as well as answers to TEFA FAQs. Signups are available for: parents and families, providers and vendors, and schools. 

Additionally, be sure to sign up for updates from the Texas Home School Coalition where you can find a robust list of TEFA FAQs. 

We think that’s it for now. As always, we remain grateful for your advocacy, engagement, and desire to help us Keep Texas Families Free.

How Will the Program Work for Families?

Families who choose to participate in the ESA program will:

  1. Apply to the program.
  2. Be selected to receive an ESA.
  3. Receive access to an account with the approved funds.
  4. Use the funds for qualified educational expenses, such as tuition, books, materials, tutoring, dual credit courses, and more.

NOTE: Funding for the program is limited, selection would be limited by available funds.

THSC’s Core Priorities for School Choice

 THSC defends homeschool freedom and supports families who choose to participate.

  1. Make Programs Usable
    Funds must cover real homeschool needs like curriculum, tutoring, therapies, dual credit, and supplies.

  2. Safeguard Participants
    Parents who use the program must keep full authority over their child’s education.

  3. Protect Non-Participants
    No new regulations or requirements for homeschoolers who choose not to participate.

Still Have More ESA Questions? We’ve Got You Covered

School choice/parental choice legislation is a broad term that most often refers to legislation allowing money to follow the child so that a parent whose child is not enrolled in public school can use a portion of the dollars designated for that student on an alternate form of education. These funds are most often used to pay for some form of private education, sometimes even including homeschooling, instead of being spent on the local public school.The idea is that if a student is not in the public school, the money earmarked for that student should follow the student to help fund their alternative style of education.

This means that tax dollars set aside for a child’s public education are made accessible to the parent to “follow the child” and can be used to fund educational expenses related to public, private, or homeschool.

An ESA program is a voluntary program which parents of children not enrolled in public school can opt into. It would place a portion of state funds into a third-party savings account. The account funds can then be sent, as directed by participants, towards private school tuition and approved educational expenses.

A voucher is a payment made directly by the government to a private school for tuition. An ESA gives parents flexibility to spend on a variety of approved educational services and products.

The Texas Comptroller’s Office oversees the ESA program, managing state funds and ensuring they are used properly. The new law, SB2, allows for the Texas Comptroller to approve up to five Certified Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs) to help manage the ESA program.

EAOs are organizations approved by the Texas Comptroller’s Office to help families and education providers use ESA funds properly.

Think of them as trusted go-betweens that make sure ESA funds are used smoothly and legally — helping the money move from the state to the right places, like tutors, curriculum providers, and schools.

Some EAOs focus on helping parents apply for and manage their ESA accounts. Others work directly with service providers, like co-ops or tutors, to help them get approved for the program.

In short, EAOs are here to help the ESA system run well for both families and education vendors and providers.

Yes, there may be two types:

One to assist families with applying and participating in the ESA program.

Another to help vendors and service providers apply and deliver their services.

In the event that more than one EAO is selected to provide Program Participant Application Services, all applicants will be combined for the purposes of prioritization and duplicate applications will be eliminated.

Families (program participants) will use an online portal similar to a marketplace to select approved vendors and service providers. The Comptroller’s Office pays the vendors directly; families never handle the funds.

  • Example #1: If a parent wants to use the ESA funds to pay for private school tuition, the parent will use the online platform to select the private school and then the Comptroller’s Office will then send the funds directly to the private school.
  • Example #2: If a parent wants to purchase a curriculum, the parent will use the online platform to select the desired curriculum and the Office sends the funds directly to that curriculum vendor.

Service providers offer services like tutoring, therapy, or teaching.

Vendors provide tangible educational products such as textbooks, uniforms, or software.

 

Only vendors and service providers registered to do business in Texas and approved by the EAO can participate.

No. ESA funds cannot be used to pay relatives due to a “consanguinity clause” in the law basically meaning a program participant cannot pay a relative.

The application window closed on March 31, 2026

CEAOs must submit a Comptroller-approved marketing plan within 45 days of contract signing. The marketing must support access and enrollment for eligible families.

Additionally, THSC will continue communicating with our families so they will know when the application window opens. 

Concerns with Testing Requirements 

There is no testing requirement for homeschool families. Accredited private schools already require testing so there is no change.

Concerns with ESA and UIL

While both SB 2 and SB 401 impact homeschool families, they serve distinct purposes. SB 2 creates the ESA program to fund various educational expenses, while SB 401 focuses solely on allowing homeschool students to participate in UIL activities—an option left to each school district’s discretion.

No, there is no connection between the two programs. When you enroll in the ESA program, no one in the Comptroller’s Office knows that the family has someone participating in UIL activities.

Concerns with Parental Choice/Government Regulation/Homeschool Regulation/Segregation/UIL

 No, ESA programs rely on the existing definition of homeschooling in Texas law, which came from the Leeper case, in which the Texas Supreme Court rendered homeschooling in Texas to be legal. 

No, the state is prohibited from regulating anything related to a participant’s curriculum, method of instruction, or religious practices.

Homeschool freedoms are protected in three ways.

First, homeschooling freedoms are protected by court precedent from the Texas Supreme Court, such as the Leeper case, and from the United State Supreme Court which prohibits the government from infringing on religious practices in any way through the program. 

Second, due to THSC’s legislative advocacy, Texas state law under the Homeschool Freedom Act of 2025 (HB 2674) now explicitly prohibits any regulation of homeschooling by state agencies, further strengthening legal protections for Texas homeschool families.

Finally, homeschoolers are protected by language used in SB2. The legislation is structured in a way that holds government and third-party contracted organizations on a very tight leash, while letting homeschoolers reign free. All government programs require some level of fraud protections, but those within the ESA program do not inhibit the unprecedented amount of freedom given to program participants. 

In order for any type of regulation to be placed upon homeschoolers, a bill creating this regulation would have to fully pass the legislature and get signed into law by the governor. Harmful legislation is held to the same lengthy process as all legislation is bound to, and is subject to the same accountability and levels of examination. 

Yes, participants can opt out at any time. Once opted out, participants aren’t required to repay any funds to the state that were spent on approved expenses before that point, and are completely released from program requirements.

No, this would violate civil rights laws. Parental Choice would actually level the playing field when it comes to education access because lower-income students would suddenly have access to an education other than their local public school.

Stay Informed

Stay informed and involved by following THSC as we continue to advocate for parental rights and education freedom.

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