Texas school choice program rollout begins
The Texas Comptroller’s Office, lead by Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, has begun implementing the state’s new education Savings Account (ESA) program, officially named the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA). Created by the texas Legislature earlier this year, the program will launch in the 2026-27 school year as a pilot offering $10,000 ESA grants to about 100,000 students. These funds are intended to provide parents with more educational choices, allowing them to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, tutoring, career and technical education, and other educational services.
The program aims to empower families by giving them freedom to choose the best educational environments for their children. Odyssey, a company with experience managing school choice programs in several states, has been selected to administer TEFA. Odyssey will provide a user-kind online portal for applications, school searches, and payment processing, as well as customer support. The portal will feature a secure digital wallet with real-time balances and an e-commerce marketplace for approved expenditures.
Eligibility is open to children who are U.S.citizens or legal residents eligible to attend Texas public schools, charter schools, or pre-K programs. Applications are expected to open in early 2026. The comptroller’s office is also conducting outreach to parents, schools, and service providers and has allocated resources to organizations assisting families in accessing TEFA benefits.
the TEFA program represents a notable expansion of school choice options in Texas, prioritizing parental control over educational decisions and aiming to broaden opportunities for students across the state.
Texas school choice program rollout begins
(The Center Square) – The Texas Comptroller’s Office, which manages Texas’ new Education Savings Account program, has begun rolling out the program under Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock.
Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature created the state’s first ESA program, which Hancock says has been formally named the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program.
The program, which becomes effective in the 2026–27 school year, provides taxpayer-funded ESA grants of $10,000 to roughly 100,000 students through a pilot program the legislature passed this year. The program makes funds available to eligible parents to send their child to a school of their choice. Funds may be used for private school tuition, educational expenses for homeschoolers, tutoring, career and technical education programs, among other expenses.
“We’re moving quickly to launch this program, keeping the end goal in sight every step of the way – giving parents the freedom to choose the best educational path for their children to reach their God-given potential,” Hancock said. “This is about empowering families, expanding opportunity and making sure every child can learn in the environment that works best for them.
“It’s an exciting new chapter for education in Texas – designed to put parents in the driver’s seat. Texas is taking a bold step to expand educational opportunities.”
The comptroller’s office announced that it has selected Odyssey as the certified educational assistance organization to assist with administering the program. Odyssey will support parents, schools, service providers, and state administrators, the comptroller’s office said. It will roll out a portal and provide customer support, assisting with the application process and tuition payments.
The online portal will provide information about the application process, access to the application, a search engine for eligible schools and service providers, and a centralized process to pay for eligible education expenses.
Applications are expected to open in early 2026.
Parents or legal guardians will have the opportunity to apply for TEFA on behalf of children who are U.S. citizens or legal residents, the comptroller’s office states. However, the Texas Constitution does not prevent public school education or taxpayer money from funding or providing education for children who are in the country illegally.
The comptroller’s office states that children who are “eligible to attend a Texas public school, open-enrollment charter school, or pre-K program” may apply.
Odyssey CEO Joseph Connor says the company has “successfully served hundreds of thousands of students across the nation, we are ready to deliver a user-friendly and trustworthy platform that can ensure a seamless rollout.”
It says it has successfully managed school choice programs in Iowa, Georgia, Louisiana, Utah, and Wyoming. “Its mobile-first platform will provide each approved TEFA recipient with a secure digital wallet featuring real-time balances and transaction details, offering access to an e-commerce marketplace where parents can shop on behalf of multiple students,” the comptroller’s office explains.
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TEFA is also providing updates about service providers and vendors, outreach to parents, students, and private and charter schools.
Millions of dollars in additional resources have also been provided to organizations assisting parents in Texas interested in participating in the new ESA program, The Center Square reported.
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