AUSTIN, Texas - Texas’ first statewide school voucher-style program, the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), has closed its initial application window, as the Texas Comptroller’s Office said more than 274,000 applications were submitted for the program by the March 31 deadline.
The number of applicants far exceeds the number of available spots, setting up a competitive selection process for families seeking state-funded education accounts.
High demand for TEFA spots
What we know:
The TEFA program allows families to use public funds for private school tuition, homeschooling costs, tutoring and other education-related expenses.
The surge of applications caps weeks of rapidly rising interest in the $1 billion program that was created by the Legislature in 2025. The Texas Comptroller’s Office reported over 274,000 applications were submitted for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, a figure that far exceeds the program’s first-year capacity of about 90,000 students.
How Texas will prioritize applications
Since demand exceeds available funding, state law requires officials to prioritize applicants. Students with disabilities and families from low- and middle-income households are expected to receive priority consideration.
What they're saying:
The American Federation for Children, a national school choice advocacy group, called the program’s rollout a historic milestone, noting it is one of the largest launches of its kind in the country.
In a statement, Nathan Cunneen, the group’s Texas state director, praised state leaders and program administrators for the early response.
"TEFA’s massively successful launch is a testament to what can be accomplished when leaders prioritize students and empower parents," Cunneen said. "We look forward to continuing our work together to ensure every Texas child has access to a school where he or she can learn, grow, and thrive."
The group also credited state officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, for implementing the program and expanding access to education options for families.
Timeline for TEFA funding and school choice
Big picture view:
State officials will now begin reviewing applications, with funding decisions expected to be released to parent emails starting in early April, according to the program timeline.
Families who are selected will then move to the next phase: confirming their school choice. Parents will have until mid-July to indicate where their child will enroll, and private schools must verify acceptance before funds are distributed.
The first portion of funding, at least 25% of approved amounts, is scheduled to be deposited into accounts on July 1, 2026, with additional payments rolling out in October and the remainder by April 2027.
What families should expect
What's next:
For now, all applicants who have met the deadline will be considered equally since the process is not first-come, first-served. Families who are not selected in the initial round could still receive funding later if spots open or additional funding is made available.
Even for those approved, participation is not guaranteed. Students must still be accepted by a participating private school, and more than 2,000 schools have signed up so far.
The program’s launch marks one of the largest school choice expansions in the country, and its overwhelming demand signals both strong interest and the likelihood of continued debate as Texas moves into the next phase of implementation.
Previous application data by income and region
By the numbers:
The latest application data from the comptroller’s office shows the scale and makeup of demand across Texas, as the preliminary student application fact sheet shows more than 256,700 applications were submitted between Feb. 4 and March 29, before the final surge pushed totals past 274,000 by the deadline.
Most applicants are seeking private school options. Of the 256,700 applicants from the fact sheet, about 77% of families indicated private school enrollment, while roughly 23% selected homeschooling or other educational settings.
Applications span a wide range of income levels. Roughly 36% of applicants reported household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, another 36% fell between 200% and 500%, and about 28% reported income above that threshold.
The data also shows strong interest among younger students. Pre-K accounts for the largest share of applicants with more than 34,000 applications, followed by kindergarten at over 24,000, with numbers gradually declining across higher grade levels.
Geographically, applications are concentrated in major metro regions, with the Houston and North Texas areas among the highest in total submissions, according to regional breakdowns in the report.
In addition, more than 34,000 applicants indicated a disability status, placing them in priority consideration tiers under state law.
Legal challenges and the deadline extension
The backstory:
The application period was extended by two weeks after a federal judge ruled the state must allow more time following a lawsuit alleging that Islamic schools were excluded from the program.
The March 31 deadline replaced an earlier mid-March cutoff, giving additional families time to apply while broader legal questions about school eligibility continue.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for later in April.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by previous FOX 4 coverage and the social media account of the Texas Comptroller's Office.