TEFA Application Deadline Extended to March 31st

Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced that the deadline to submit applications for the Texas Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program has been extended to 11:59 p.m. of March 31^st. As of the original deadline, more than 229,000 students applied for the program.

Applications opened on February 4^th, with 8,000 students applying in the first hour and over 42,000 students applying in total over the first day of applications being open.

Of the students who applied on the first day, 80.3 percent of student applicants indicated they plan to attend a participating private school next year, and 19.7 percent said they plan to choose another option, such as homeschooling.

Of the students with verified information:

• 34 percent have household incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($66,000 for a family of four).
• 38 percent have household incomes between 200 percent and 500 percent of the federal poverty level ($165,000 for a family of four).
• Nearly three in four have been placed in one of the three top priority groups established by Senate Bill 2:
  • 10 percent have been placed in the top priority tier for students with disabilities and household incomes below 500 percent of the federal poverty level.
  • 29 percent have been placed in the second priority tier for students with household incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
  • 33 percent have been placed in the third priority tier for students with household incomes between 200 and 500 percent of the federal poverty level.

As of one month into the application window, more than 160,000 students have submitted applications. Over 2,200 schools have also signed up to participate.

If the number of applicants exceeds available funding, a lottery will be used which prioritizes students with disabilities and those from low and middle income households.

See below for agency press releases regarding the Texas Education Freedom Accounts Program:

• 3/17/26 – Texas Education Freedom Account Application Deadline Extended Through March 31
• 3/16/26 – Texas Education Freedom Accounts Reach 200,000 Student Applications Ahead of Tomorrow’s Deadline
• 3/9/26 – Texas Education Freedom Accounts Pass 160,000 Applicants as March 17 Deadline Approaches
• 2/25/26 – Texas Education Freedom Accounts Reach Midway Milestone as Application Window Hits Three-Week Mark
• 2/16/26 – Governor Abbott Celebrates Record-Breaking School Choice Demand
• 2/16/26 – Historic Milestone: More Than 100,000 Students Apply for Texas Education Freedom Accounts
• 2/5/26 – Texas Shatters Record for Student Applications in New School Choice Program
• 2/4/26 – 20,000 Students Applied for Texas Education Freedom Accounts During First Hours of Enrollment Period
• 2/4/26 – Texas Opens Applications For Texas Education Freedom Accounts
• 1/29/26 – Updated Guidance: Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
• 1/28/26 – Texas Education Freedom Account Family Applications Open One Week from Today