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The 2027 TEFA Prep Kit
Documents, tiers, the two tracks, the after-award calendar, and the IEP letter, on one page
Last updated September 15, 2026. We update this page the day the state publishes anything new.
The Texas Education Freedom Account application takes about fifteen minutes. Families lose out because a document is missing when the form asks for it, or because they check the wrong box. This page is everything to have ready before the window opens. Bookmark it.
Where things stand right now
Money: the Comptroller asked the Legislature on August 31 for about $2.3 billion for the next two school years. The Legislature votes in 2027. Not decided.
Dates: nothing published for 2027-28. Last year the window opened February 4 at 9am and closed March 31 after a court extension. Plan for early February.
Amount: $10,474 for a participating private school and $2,000 for homeschool/other were the 2026-27 figures. The private-school amount is recalculated every year.
If you were funded this year: you do not reapply. You confirm once a year that you want to continue.
If you were waitlisted: you apply again from zero. Position does not carry over.
1. The five documents
Federal tax return. The first two pages of your most recently filed Form 1040, with your child listed as a dependent. Last cycle accepted 2024 or 2025 returns. Not accepted: pay stubs, W-2s, benefit letters, IRS transcripts. No income? A $0 return can be filed free online in about fifteen minutes. If someone else claimed your child that year, the return is rejected and there is no paperwork fix.
Texas residency. Your Texas driver license or state ID number. If it cannot be verified: a utility bill, lease or mortgage statement, or voter registration card in your name at your address.
Identity numbers. Your SSN or ITIN (both accepted). Your child's SSN; if it cannot be verified, a birth certificate or citizenship document.
Texas Unique Student ID, if your child ever attended a Texas public school. Report card first, then the district portal, then the district office. If you cannot get it, enter 11111 followed by your zip code and continue.
Custody or guardianship paperwork, if it applies. Only a parent or legal guardian can apply.
2. Find your tier
Priority is set by household income against the federal poverty line, using the tax return you submit. 2026 figures used by the program:
Household size | Tier 2 cutoff (200%) | Tier 3 upper limit (500%) |
|---|---|---|
2 | $43,280 | $108,200 |
3 | $54,640 | $136,600 |
4 | $66,000 | $165,000 |
5 | $77,360 | $193,400 |
6 | $88,720 | $221,800 |
Each extra person adds $11,360 to the Tier 2 cutoff and $28,400 to the Tier 3 limit. Tier 1 is any child with a disability in a household at or below 500%. Tier 2 is at or below the first column. Tier 3 is between the two columns. Tier 4 is above the second column and is capped at 20% of the program's money. Last year Tier 1 and Tier 2 were funded first; Tier 3 mostly waited.
3. The two tracks
Participating private school | Homeschool / other | |
|---|---|---|
2026-27 award | $10,474 (recalculated yearly) | $2,000 |
Paid | 25% July 1, 25% October 1, 50% February 1 | All on July 1 |
Used for | Tuition and fees at a school on the state list, including online schools | Curriculum, tutoring, therapies, classes, kits, equipment through the state marketplace |
Technology cap (10%) | About $1,047 a year | $200 a year, hardware and software combined |
Can switch to the other track? | Yes, to homeschool, after awards | No, not after the deadline |
Undecided about the school? The state's advice is to select private school. The specific school can be chosen later and the door stays open.
4. After "approved"
Approval is not money. This year's sequence: the parent opts in and selects a setting in the portal; the school confirms enrollment; the school enters tuition; the parent confirms it; then funds release on the tranche dates. Confirming tuition does not pay the school; payment is a separate step in the Wallet. Families awarded from the waitlist who had not confirmed by September 15 received 75% of the award instead of all of it. Any tuition above the award is the family's to pay.
5. Do not do these
Do not pick "homeschool" as a placeholder. It cannot be changed up later.
Do not put siblings on separate applications. One application per household; siblings are accepted together.
Do not wait for a Unique Student ID. Use the fallback and keep going.
Do not upload an IRS transcript, a W-2, or a pay stub. Only the 1040.
Do not assume "eligible" means funded. It means you are in the lottery.
6. If your child has, or may need, an IEP
A Texas IEP on file with TEA before the window closes moves your household to Tier 1 and adds a district-specific amount to the award (total capped at $30,000; most receive far less). A 504 plan and the doctor's certification form give priority only, not the extra money. If your child is not in public school, request a Full Individual and Initial Evaluation from the district you live in; it has 15 school days to respond and 45 school days after your consent to finish. Send this and keep a dated copy:
"I am requesting a Full Individual and Initial Evaluation for my child, [name], date of birth [date], who resides at [address] within [district]. My child is not currently enrolled in a public school. I am requesting this evaluation under Texas Education Code Section 29.3615 to determine eligibility for special education services and for the Texas Education Freedom Account program. Please send the consent forms and confirm the date you received this request."
Sources: Texas Comptroller program site and Parent Application Guide, Texas Education Code Chapter 29 Subchapter J, 34 TAC Chapter 16, Odyssey help center, the Comptroller's 2028-29 Legislative Appropriations Request. Funding is never guaranteed and requires state approval.