73,000 Texas families set to receive school choice funding Wednesday

Nearly 73,000 Texas Education Freedom Accounts will receive initial funding Wednesday, marking the launch of what state officials are calling the nation’s largest year-one school choice program.  Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced Tuesday that the initial funding for the accounts, known as TEFA, will serve families participating in the state’s new school choice program.

“As we launch the nation’s largest year-one school choice program, our office is committed to helping families find the education that best fits their child while delivering a first-class experience and protecting taxpayer dollars,” Hancock said in a statement.

Under the funding schedule, homeschool and other eligible nonpublic students will receive their full $2,000 annual award on July 1.  Private school students will receive their funding in phases: the first 25% on July 1, an additional 25% on Oct. 1, and the remaining enrolled in a participating private school.

The initial funding group consists of private school families who opted in and had their enrollment confirmed by their selected school, as well as homeschool and other families who opted in by the program’s deadline.  Families who were awarded funding before June 22 have until July 15 to select a participating school.  Those schools then have until July 31 to confirm student enrollment through the TEFA portal.

For waitlisted families who receive awards in the future, a four-week window from their award date will be provided to complete confirmations.  Families completing this process will receive funding periodically in batches before the school year begins in August.

The program’s online platform, the TEFA Marketplace, also opens July 1.  The secure platform allows families to use account funds directly to purchase approved products and services from participating schools, service providers and vendors.  Eligible expenses include private school tuition, textbooks, instructional materials, tutoring and other approved education costs.

The program will undergo three separate audits to track spending: one by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts’ internal team, one by an independent firm, and another by the State Auditor’s Office.

At launch, the marketplace will feature more than 54,000 approved educational products and services from nearly 2,400 vendors.  The inventory includes widely used textbooks, technology products, and assistive products for students with disabilities.  Additional products and services are expected to be added regularly.  Families needing assistance finding specific educational items can request additional offerings by emailing Odyssey, the program’s certified educational assistance organization.