Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA)

Odyssey Instructional Video

The Texas Education Freedom Act (TEFA), passed as Senate Bill 2, allows eligible families to apply for state funds to use toward approved educational expenses, including private school tuition, beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Through TEFA, eligible families may receive an estimated $10,474 per student each year to apply toward private school tuition and other approved educational costs. The program is designed to expand access to private education, particularly for low to moderate income families and students with special learning needs.

According to the TEFA information page, the State’s family application portal is scheduled to open on February 4, 2026, and close on March 17, 2026. Families will be notified of their award the week of April 6. Here are key elements of the program based on information currently published by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts:

• Texas Education Agency (TEA) currently estimates that the students who qualify will receive $10,474.
• Students with documented disabilities who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) on file with their public school district may receive up to $30,000.
• Participation by families is optional, and acceptance into TEFA does not guarantee admission to Winston.
• Winston’s admissions criteria, curriculum, and high-quality multisensory instruction will not change as a result of TEFA participation.

TEFA funds can be applied toward several educational expenses, including private school tuition, textbooks and instructional materials, tutoring and academic testing, transportation, technology, therapies and diagnostic services, and school meals. 

Priority for TEFA funding will be given to the following groups:

• Children with disabilities from families earning up to 500% of the federal poverty level.
• Low-income families earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level.
• Children from households above 200% and below 500% of the federal poverty level.
• Siblings of students who are already receiving TEFA funds.
• Children from households at or above 500% of the federal poverty level, prioritized by children who were enrolled in a Texas public school district or open-enrollment charter school for at least 90% of the preceding school year, according to the TEA( capped at 20% of the program’s total budget).

Resources for your convenience: Image of the lottery process and Calculation of the federal poverty level. 

If, during an application period, there are more acceptable applications for admission than there are available positions, a wait list will be established based on the priority categories listed above.

TEFA eligibility does not guarantee admission to Winston. 

Children with disabilities receive the highest priority tier (when household income qualifies as up to 500% of the federal poverty level). Private psychoeducational evaluations, including those completed by the Winston testing team, are acceptable to submit as documentation to meet the priority eligibility for TEFA. However, these documents do not meet TEFA’s requirements for supplemental disability-based awards. Only those children with an IEP on file who are accepted into the program are eligible for the increased funding amount available to children with a disability.

To qualify for an award of up to $30,000 per year (instead of the standard TEFA amount), families must provide an Individualized Education Program (IEP) issued by a Texas public school district or open-enrollment charter school before the application period ends. 

We encourage families who believe their child may qualify for disability-based funding to begin the process of securing the necessary documentation from their local public school district. 

Step 1: Identify the school district in which you live and/or the school district of your selected private school. The Winston School San Antonio is in the NorthEast ISD. 

Step 2: Send a written request for a special education evaluation. Email both districts’ Special Education department.

On Jan. 26, 2026, the Texas Private Schools Association reported that the Texas Comptroller and the Texas Education Agency have clarified that additional TEFA funding requires an IEP from Texas school districts or charter schools dated either from the 2023-2024 school year, the 2024-2025 school year, or the 2025-2026 school year.  

For prioritization only, an IEP of any date, an FIIE, an IEP from a state other than Texas, or a completed disability form will suffice.  

The disability form is to be completed by a licensed professional in order for a child to have priority in getting a TEFA award is available here. The instructions to fill out this form are here and here.  If you have any questions that are not answered in these documents, please contact disabilityform.tefa@cpa.texas.gov.

February 4, 2026 — TEFA family application portal is scheduled to open.
March 17, 2026 — TEFA family application portal closes.
Week of April 6, 2026 — Families will be notified of their award.
2026–27 school year — Funds may first be used for tuition and approved educational expenses.

Parent Checklist and Required Documentation

According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, families who applied for TEFA can expect the following timeline:

April 2026 - TEFA award notifications will be sent directly to families by Odyssey. 
June 1, 2026 - Deadline to confirm enrollment at a TEFA-participating private school. 
July 15, 2026 - Final deadline for students to select a private school.
2026–27 School Year - TEFA funds may first be used for approved educational expenses.

Yes. Recognizing that not all families will receive a TEFA award for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year, tuition assistance will continue to be awarded to families who meet eligibility requirements. 

TEFA may reduce a family’s out-of-pocket tuition cost, but it will not cover the full cost of a Winston education. 

Learn more about Winston's tuition assistance program. 

As of April 28, The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reports that the TEFA payment schedule is expected to be distributed in three installments:

July 1, 2026: 25% of award

Oct. 1, 2026: 25% of award

April 1, 2027: Remaining balance

Funds will be paid directly to the school from the parents’ Odyssey account. Families are responsible for paying any remaining tuition balance to Winston according to Winston’s standard payment methods and schedules.

No. Winston's admissions criteria and multisensory instruction will remain unchanged. We will continue to participate only as long as the law protects and preserves the autonomy of private schools.

TEFA eligibility does not guarantee admission to The Winston School San Antonio.