Texas TEFA Funding Disbursement Schedule 2026-27

By The School Choice Index Editorial Team The School Choice Index is an independent comparison and research resource for U.S. school choice programs.

Last verified: August 4, 2026 · Sources: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the official TEFA program site, Odyssey program guidance, the Texas Education Code, and 34 Texas Administrative Code §16.407

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Here's the Texas TEFA funding disbursement schedule 2026-27 in one breath: private school families whose schools confirmed enrollment by June 15 get 25% of the award on July 1, 2026, another 25% on October 1, 2026, and the final 50% on February 1, 2027. On the standard $10,474 award, that's $2,618.50, then $2,618.50, then $5,237. If your school confirmed enrollment by July 31 instead, your first 25% is scheduled by mid-August. Homeschool and "other" families get their full $2,000 in one funding installment, not in pieces. (Official TEFA funding schedule)

Now the part almost nobody tells you.

Money showing up in your account and money reaching your school are two different events, with two different clocks. You can be fully funded and still have a school that hasn't seen a dollar. The first clock is the state funding your child's account. The second starts only after the tuition amount is entered, you confirm it, and you submit the payment.

Account still empty? You're in bigger company than you think. In the state's August 1 report, using a July 29 snapshot, more than 122,000 awards had been made and 85,344 student accounts had been funded. That leaves a gap of more than 36,600 awards — about 3 in 10 issued awards — that had not yet become funded student accounts at the time of the snapshot. The report says some awarded parents had not yet confirmed participation and the award-and-funding process was still moving. Jump to the two-minute check ↓ (2026-27 Annual Demographic Report)

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The 2026-27 TEFA funding disbursement schedule at a glance

Use this guide if your child has a 2026-27 TEFA award or a waitlist notice and you're trying to figure out when the money is usable. Use a different guide if you missed the March 31, 2026 application window and you're planning for 2027-28. (Official TEFA program timeline)

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### One thing we're going to be straight with you about TEFA is not a lump sum for private school families. Only a quarter of your award is released in the first installment. On the standard $10,474 award, that is $2,618.50. If your school wants more than that up front, the uncovered difference is your family's responsibility unless the school adjusts its billing schedule or another aid source covers it. Here's the trade. Because the money stays in your child's program account instead of landing in your checking account, anything you don't spend can carry forward to the next program year while your child stays eligible, you confirm continued participation, and the account remains in good standing. Approved purchases have to run through the TEFA payment system; something you pay for outside the system will not be reimbursed. It's built for the school year, not for August. If August specifically is your problem, skip ahead — we show you how to calculate the gap, and there's a script for asking your school to move its dates.

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What is the Texas TEFA funding disbursement schedule for 2026-27?

For students at a participating private school whose school confirmed enrollment by June 15, TEFA releases 25% of the award on July 1, 2026, another 25% on October 1, 2026, and the remaining 50% on February 1, 2027. A school confirmation completed by July 31 moves the first 25% to the mid-August funding group. Students in homeschool or other approved settings receive their entire $2,000 award in a single funding installment. (Official TEFA schedule; Odyssey timeline)

Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) is the state's education savings account program — a state-funded account a family directs toward approved education costs. It was created by Senate Bill 2 in 2025, it's run by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the day-to-day platform is Odyssey, the program's certified educational assistance organization (the outside group the state hired to handle applications, accounts, and payments).

Three things trip people up on the schedule.

First, the dates are release dates, not deposit-into-your-bank dates. Nothing lands in your personal account. Ever. The money sits in your child's TEFA account and moves from there to approved schools and vendors.

Second, for private school families, the school confirmation date is the final enrollment gate that separates July 1 funding from the mid-August group. A parent who opted in on June 2 but whose school didn't confirm enrollment until July 20 was in the mid-August group, not the July 1 group.

Third, the later payments aren't automatic in the way people assume. October 1 and February 1 depend on your child remaining at a participating private school and the school verifying enrollment by the communicated deadline. More on why those two dates specifically, in a minute.

Homeschool and "other" families

Your $2,000 comes as one payment, not four. We'll spend a whole section on this below, because the wrong version of this has spread widely.

If you were awarded off the waitlist

Your award notice carries your own confirmation deadline, which is typically about four weeks from the date the award was issued. Follow that notice for your deadline to opt in, select a school, and complete enrollment verification. Open the notice.

Next step

Check your TEFA account status in the Odyssey parent portal →

Open the official TEFA site and select “Parent Portal Login.” You're looking for your award amount, application status, and enrollment status.

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How much TEFA money lands on each date?

A standard participating private school award of $10,474 for 2026-27 releases as $2,618.50 on July 1, $2,618.50 on October 1, and $5,237 on February 1. A qualifying private school student with a current individualized education program (IEP) on file with the Texas Education Agency by the end of the application period may receive up to $30,000, but the actual amount is calculated from the child's district and IEP instructional setting, and the state says most students receive less than the maximum. Homeschool and other approved settings receive $2,000 in one funding installment. (Official TEFA funding amounts; special education funding explanation)

The math is the same no matter what your award is. Take the amount showing in your Odyssey account — call it A.

About that $30,000 column. It's a ceiling, not a promise, and we're showing it only so the math is clear. Awards for students with disabilities are calculated from the child's district and IEP instructional arrangement or setting. The state says most students receive less than the maximum. Use the number actually showing in your account — not the headline you read in the news.

A higher TEFA award does not carry public school special education rights into a private school. Texas requires families to receive notice that private schools are not subject to federal and state special education-service laws in the same way as public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. (Official private school special education notice)

Calculate your exact TEFA installment dates and amounts

Use the amount shown in your Odyssey account. Call it A.

• First private school installment: A × 0.25
• Second private school installment: A × 0.25
• Final private school installment: A × 0.50
• Homeschool/other: the full approved amount in one installment

Write the three results next to July 1 or mid-August, October 1, and February 1. If you were awarded from the waitlist, run the proration calculation in the section below before relying on the annual total.

Next step

Calculate my exact TEFA installment dates and amounts →

Use the formula above. No email, name, or student information is required.

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Why hasn't my TEFA money shown up yet?

An award notice and a funded account are two different things. Odyssey names four reasons an awarded student wasn't funded on July 1: the family hasn't opted in, no school has been selected, the selected school hasn't verified enrollment, or the student's status changed after a program review. The state's July 29, 2026 snapshot counted more than 122,000 awards and 85,344 funded student accounts. The report says some awarded parents had not yet confirmed participation and the process was still ongoing. (Odyssey parent funding information; state annual report)

Let's do the math on that gap out loud, because it matters when you're the person staring at a blank balance at 11pm.

• Awards issued: more than 122,000
• Funded student accounts: 85,344
• Difference: more than 36,600 awards not yet reflected as funded student accounts
• That's about 30% of issued awards at the time of the snapshot

Three out of ten. You are not the only one. Now find the first unfinished step.

The two-minute check

Start with the wallet balance. Then follow the clock that is actually stuck.

If your wallet balance is still $0

Tuition entry and tuition confirmation do not explain a $0 wallet balance. They control whether you can send money that is already in the account.

If funds are visible but the school has not been paid

Two things that surprise people here

"Eligible" is not the same as "Approved," and "Approved" is not the same as a funded account. Odyssey says an “Eligible” student qualifies under the guidelines but is still on the waitlist; “Approved” means the student completed opt-in and will receive funds. The wallet becomes usable only after funding is issued. Texas launched the first program year with $1 billion in state funding, and the official program FAQ says eligible children are not guaranteed an award if applications exceed available funding. (Odyssey portal status guide; official TEFA funding and lottery information)

Selecting a school in Odyssey is not enrolling in that school. The school still runs its own admissions and enrollment process. A TEFA award does not guarantee a seat anywhere.

If the school says they did their part

Write this down before you call anyone:

• Your child's name exactly as it appears in the portal
• The current status text, word for word
• The school name
• The date the school says they confirmed enrollment
• The date you confirmed tuition, if you did
• Your award notification date and your personal deadline
• A screenshot with private details blacked out

Support conversations go a lot faster with that in front of you. Without it, you'll spend the call reading your screen out loud.

Next step

Run the 2-minute TEFA funding check →

Follow the funding clock first, then the payment clock. The first unfinished step tells you who has to act.

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When will my money arrive if my school confirmed after June 15?

Private school students whose enrollment was confirmed by July 31, 2026 are scheduled to receive their first 25% by mid-August rather than July 1. Families awarded from the waitlist later receive funding as soon as practicable after completing all required steps, and each award notice carries its own confirmation deadline — typically about four weeks from the award date. (Official TEFA funding schedule; Odyssey timeline)

We're going to be careful here, because a lot of pages aren't.

"Mid-August" is as precise as the statewide guidance has gone. Not August 15. Not "the second Tuesday." We're not going to invent a more exact statewide date with your tuition bill on the line.

Your award notice controls your personal confirmation deadline. A general article can't see your award date, your deadline, your award amount, your portal status, or when your school clicked confirm. Follow the notice for the steps and deadline assigned to your award, then use the official statewide schedule for the funding batch.

That's not us dodging. It's how the program is actually built — waitlist awards go out in batches, and each award gets its own confirmation clock.

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How does TEFA waitlist funding proration work?

Students brought off the TEFA waitlist after July 15, 2026 may have their award reduced depending on when they confirm. Under current program guidance, confirming private school enrollment or homeschool opt-in by September 15, 2026 preserves the full award. The published schedule then applies 75% after that point and 50% after January 15, 2027. (Official TEFA proration table; Odyssey proration table)

This is the most expensive paragraph on the page. Read it twice.

What the 75% line costs: compared with a full award, a standard award drops by $2,618.50. A homeschool award drops by $500. An award at the top of the disability range drops by $7,500.

The statewide proration table does not extend the deadline in your award notice. Your personal deadline may be earlier than September 15. For a private school award, Odyssey says missing the communicated enrollment-verification deadline can remove the student from the program rather than simply reduce the award. Follow the earlier date. Program notices may be sent by email, and the rules make you responsible for keeping your contact information current.

Now the honest part about that table

The state's own version of this table is genuinely confusing on its face. The column is labeled as the proration that applies after the confirmation date, the first row's percentage cell is left blank, and each percentage sits in the row below the date it describes. We read it against Odyssey's version — which labels the same column differently and fills in that blank cell — and the plain reading is the one in our table above.

We're confident in it. We're also telling you this instead of pretending the source was crystal clear, because it wasn't.

So do this: if you're confirming anywhere near one of those dates, ask Odyssey to confirm your prorated award amount in writing before you sign an enrollment contract. Get the number, not the percentage.

Next step

Open your award notice and find your personal confirmation deadline →

If you can't find it, use the official TEFA site to open the parent portal or Odyssey support today — not next week.

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Do homeschool families really get all $2,000 at once?

Yes. Under the current TEFA schedule, students in homeschool or other approved settings receive their entire $2,000 award in a single installment rather than the 25% / 25% / 50% split used for participating private school students. Opting in by June 15, 2026 meant funding on July 1; opting in by July 31 meant funding by mid-August. (Official TEFA funding schedule; Odyssey timeline)

A version of this went around that the $2,000 gets quartered too — that families would see $500 at a time. That's not how it works. One payment, full amount.

Two more things about the homeschool track worth knowing:

The learning-setting selection becomes final. Families who selected private school could change to homeschool before funds were issued. Homeschool and "other" selections are final once submitted, and Odyssey says the private school versus homeschool/other setting can no longer be changed after funding is issued.

Waitlist proration can still apply to you. If your $2,000 award came off the waitlist, the statewide table shows $1,500 at 75% and $1,000 at 50%. Follow the earlier deadline in your own award notice, because that personal deadline can control whether you remain in the program.

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Why is TEFA paid in three pieces instead of all at once?

State law requires staged funding. The Texas Education Code section governing TEFA accounts sets a minimum cumulative schedule — at least one quarter of the annual amount by July 1, one half by October 1, and the full remaining amount by April 1. The adopted comptroller rule at 34 Texas Administrative Code §16.407 carries the same July, October, and April structure, while adding that transfers occur on those dates or as soon afterward as appropriated funds become available. The program's published 25% / 25% / 50% schedule sits inside those minimums. (Texas Education Code, Chapter 29; 34 TAC §§16.401-16.410)

Here's the thing that explains a contradiction you've probably run into.

The law is written as a running total. The program describes each deposit.

That's it. That's the whole confusion.

So when one page says at least 50% must be available by October 1, and the program page says you get an additional 25% on October 1, both can be correct. One is describing the running total the law demands. The other is describing the size of that day's installment. Same money. Different sentence.

Two more takeaways from reading the actual text:

That July 1 quarter is the legal floor. The law says "at least" one quarter. The published 2026-27 first installment is exactly 25%.

Funds can't be released before the program verifies you. The rule blocks the certified educational assistance organization from making money available until ongoing eligibility is confirmed and, for private school students, enrollment is confirmed. That's not a delay outside the system. That is the system.

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Is the last TEFA payment February 1 or April 1, 2027?

February 1, 2027 is the date to plan around. It's the final installment date the TEFA program publishes for the 2026-27 school year. April 1 appears in the underlying statute as the outside date for reaching the full annual amount, while 34 Texas Administrative Code §16.407 adds the condition that appropriated funds be available. It is not a separately announced fourth payment. (Official 2026-27 schedule; 34 TAC §16.407)

You'll find April 1 on older pages and on some private school sites that copied the rule instead of the schedule. Here's the clean version:

The current published schedule finishes about two months before the statutory April 1 outside date. That's genuinely useful for planning. February 1 is the program's current operating schedule; April 1 is the later date written into the statute, with the rule's appropriated-funds condition attached.

If a school's finance office ever tells you the last payment comes April 1, now you know where they got it and why the current schedule says otherwise.

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Does TEFA send money to my bank account or pay my school automatically?

Neither. TEFA funds are never deposited into a parent's personal bank account, and confirming your school's tuition amount does not send payment. After your account is funded and all enrollment and tuition steps are done, you initiate the tuition payment yourself through your Odyssey account. State law then requires the program to send that payment to the school no later than the 10th business day after verifying the request. (Odyssey tuition confirmation guide; Texas Education Code §29.360)

This is the second clock, and it is one of the easiest blockers to miss when a funded family hears "we haven't received anything" from the school.

The actual chain, in order

1. You select the school in your portal.
2. The school confirms your child's enrollment. This is required before private school funding can be made available.
3. Your account receives its scheduled funding installment after the program verifies continuing eligibility.
4. The school enters annual tuition and fees.
5. You review and confirm or deny that amount in your parent portal.
6. You submit the tuition payment from the Wallet area of your account.
7. The program verifies the request and sends payment no later than the 10th business day after verification under Texas Education Code §29.360.
8. The payment is sent to the school.

The funding clock and the tuition-setup clock can run in parallel, so steps 3 through 5 may not appear in this exact order on every account. The hard rule is simpler: you cannot pay tuition until the account is funded, the school has entered tuition and fees, and you have confirmed the amount. (Odyssey tuition confirmation guide; Texas Education Code §29.360)

Confirm is not pay

One rule that costs families real money

There are no reimbursements. If you pay a tutor, a therapist, or a school out of your own pocket and then try to get TEFA to pay you back, the answer is no. Purchases made outside the program marketplace are not reimbursed, and you can't withdraw cash from the account. Everything has to run through the approved system, in advance.

One outside-system purchase can become a permanent out-of-pocket cost. Don't make it before checking the approved payment path.

Next step

See the TEFA tuition payment steps in order →

If your school says it hasn't been paid, work this list top to bottom and confirm that you submitted the payment after approving tuition.

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What if my school's tuition calendar doesn't match the TEFA schedule?

TEFA releases only 25% of a private school award in the first installment. If your school bills a deposit or a large first payment before later TEFA installments arrive, the calendar can create a real cash gap. On the standard $10,474 award, only $2,618.50 is in that first installment. Schools may choose to adjust billing or accept eligible advance payments once funds appear, but families remain responsible for anything TEFA doesn't cover. (Odyssey tuition and fee guidance)

Let's put an actual number on it, because "there may be a timing gap" doesn't help you write a check.

The August math

Here is a worked example, not a statewide tuition estimate. Replace the tuition and due-date numbers with your school's actual contract.

That's our arithmetic on a clearly labeled hypothetical. Your number depends on your school's tuition, required fees, discounts, financial aid, billing calendar, and the actual award shown in Odyssey.

What to actually do about it

Ask your school for a TEFA-aligned billing schedule. Odyssey says schools may consider adjusting payment schedules for families using TEFA. Here's the ask, word for word:

"My child's TEFA award is released in three parts — 25% now, 25% on October 1, and 50% on February 1. Can you show me which charges are due before each of those dates, and do you offer a payment schedule that lines up with them?"

Ask about paying tuition ahead. Current program guidance lets families pay eligible tuition and fees in advance once funds are available. If your school will accept a bigger February payment against the rest of the year, that can smooth things out. One caveat worth knowing: if a school takes advance TEFA money for services it doesn't end up delivering, it may have to return that money to the state.

Reserve tuition money before you spend anything else. The marketplace is full of approved curriculum, tech, and services, and that first deposit feels like a lot. It isn't. Do this before you buy anything:

Fair warning: technology purchases covered by the restriction — including computers, tablets, software, printers, monitors, calculators, hot spots, and listed accessories — share a combined cap of 10% of the student's annual award. That's $1,047.40 on a $10,474 award and $200 on a $2,000 award. A 3D printer is also limited to one purchase per year. (Odyssey purchase restrictions)

Next step

Compare my tuition due dates against my TEFA release dates →

Replace the worked-example numbers with your school's actual tuition contract and due dates.

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What can stop my October 1 and February 1 payments?

Later TEFA installments depend on your child staying enrolled at a participating private school. Under the statute, the program verifies with the Texas Education Agency on or before October 1 and February 1 that each participating child is not enrolled in a public school or open-enrollment charter school for state funding purposes — the same two dates the remaining installments are paid. (Texas Education Code, Chapter 29; official TEFA schedule)

That's not a coincidence, and it's the part of the schedule nobody explains.

The verification milestones and installment dates line up, but the check may happen before the date. The program must complete the required state-enrollment verification on or before October 1 and February 1. Those are also the published dates for the later private school installments, so "stay enrolled" isn't a soft suggestion buried in a handbook.

Things that can interrupt or end funding:

• Enrolling in a public school or an open-enrollment charter school in a way that counts the child toward average daily attendance. Worth saying clearly: charter schools are public schools in Texas. TEFA can still pay for approved fee-based classes or services from a public or charter school when those classes do not count the child toward average daily attendance.
• Leaving your participating private school without a new participating private school enrollment being verified.
• Your school no longer meeting program participation requirements. Contact Odyssey before assuming future private school installments will continue.
• An account suspension for a program violation. You receive written notice stating the reason and any corrective action, with 30 calendar days to respond and comply.

If you're switching private schools mid-year

Don't guess at the process, and don't assume your funding just follows you. Odyssey's public timeline says the private school versus homeschool/other setting is locked after funding, but the sources reviewed for this page do not publish a general process for moving from one participating private school to another. Future installments still require verified enrollment at a participating private school. Contact program support before you give notice at your current school, not after.

If you're going back to public school

Participation ends when the child becomes ineligible, including public or charter enrollment that counts the child toward state average daily attendance. The current rules require the parent to notify the program in writing no later than 30 calendar days after the child enrolls in public or charter school or otherwise becomes ineligible. After pending approved payments are completed, money left in the account returns to the program fund. If your school was paid in advance for services it won't deliver, Odyssey says the school is expected to return that advance tuition and fees to the state. Handle that conversation with the school and Odyssey directly and early.

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Do unused TEFA funds roll over? Are they taxable?

Money left in a TEFA account at year-end carries forward to the next program year if the child remains eligible, the parent confirms continued participation, and the account has not been declared ineligible. Transfers into the account are not treated as taxable income to the parent under Texas law unless federal law or another state's law provides otherwise. Any interest earned on program money is remitted to the state rather than added to the family's account. (34 TAC §16.407; Texas Education Code, Chapter 29)

Three quick clarifications, because each one has a wrong version floating around.

Rollover is real, but it's not a savings account. The balance stays tied to your child and stays inside the program. It doesn't become cash, and it doesn't survive your child leaving the program. When the account closes after pending approved payments are completed, remaining money goes back to the state.

Don't panic-spend in December. You don't have to burn the balance to keep it. Spend on your actual education plan, not on a deadline that doesn't exist.

On taxes: the Texas statute says these transfers aren't taxable income to the parent unless federal law or another state's law provides otherwise. Texas law does not answer every question that could affect a federal or out-of-state return. If the amount matters to your filing, ask a qualified tax preparer.

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What should I do right now, based on where I am?

The right next step depends less on the statewide calendar than on your account's current status. The delay may trace to one unfinished action, a school-side step, a status review, or the next funding batch. Knowing which clock controls your account is what stops a week of guessing.

Find your row.

Who to call, so you don't waste a week

• School hasn't confirmed enrollment or entered tuition? That's your school's business office. Program support can't do it for them.
• Status is wrong, or the portal is stuck? That's Odyssey program support.
• Appealing an award decision? Start through Odyssey support within 30 calendar days of the outcome notice, or file by mail using the official appeal instructions. Odyssey and the Comptroller make the decision together, and the Comptroller's final decision is not subject to further appeal — so put your best supported case in the first time. (Official TEFA appeal process)

Two ways forward

Check my TEFA account status → Calculate my remaining 2026-27 installments →

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What we actually verified for this page

We think you should know exactly where this came from and where it stops.

What we read directly:

• The official TEFA funding timelines and installments page from the Texas Comptroller's office, published June 4, 2026
• Odyssey's parent funding article (updated June 29, 2026), funding timeline article (updated July 29, 2026), parent portal status guide, and school-facing enrollment and tuition documentation
• The Comptroller's June 30, 2026 announcement of the first funding round and the opening of the TEFA marketplace
• The current Texas Education Code sections governing TEFA account administration and program expenditures, checked against the enrolled text of Senate Bill 2
• The adopted comptroller rule at 34 Texas Administrative Code §16.407
• The Comptroller's first annual demographic report, released August 1, 2026, covering a July 29 snapshot

What we calculated ourselves (and labeled as ours everywhere it appears):

• All dollar installment amounts, from the official award figures and percentages
• The more-than-36,600-award gap between issued awards and funded student accounts, from the state's own snapshot
• Every installment, proration, technology-cap, and tuition-gap dollar example on this page

What we could not verify, and are not going to pretend we did:

• The exact day of any individual mid-August funding batch. The state has published "mid-August" and no more.
• Any single family's account, personal deadline, or award amount.
• Whether every family confirmed by July 31 will be funded on the published mid-August schedule. That date had not arrived when this page was verified.

Primary sources: official TEFA program page · official funding schedule · Odyssey timeline · Texas Education Code, Chapter 29 · 34 TAC §§16.401-16.410 · 2026-27 annual report

Found something that changed? Send us the official source through our corrections page. We update the verified date on this page only after we recheck the sources ourselves — not when we fix a typo.

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Frequently asked questions about TEFA disbursement

When is the next TEFA payment date? For private school families already funded, the next scheduled release is October 1, 2026, followed by February 1, 2027. Families whose schools confirmed enrollment by July 31 may still be waiting on their first payment, scheduled by mid-August.

How much is the first TEFA payment for private school? 25% of your actual award. On the standard $10,474 award for 2026-27, that's $2,618.50.

Do homeschool families get all $2,000 at once? Yes. The homeschool and "other" award is paid in a single installment, not split into quarters.

Why can I see an award amount but not use the money? If the wallet still shows $0, check opt-in, learning-setting selection, private school enrollment verification, account review, and the applicable funding batch. If funds are visible but tuition cannot be paid, check whether the school entered tuition, whether you confirmed it, and whether you submitted the payment.

Does confirming tuition send money to my school? No. Confirming approves the amount. You still have to submit the payment yourself once funds are available.

Can TEFA pay me back for something I bought myself? No. There are no reimbursements for purchases made outside the program marketplace, and you can't withdraw cash from the account.

What happens if my school confirmed enrollment late? Confirmation by July 31 puts your first 25% on the mid-August schedule. Waitlist families follow the individual deadline in their award notice and may face proration.

What does 75% proration mean in dollars? On a $10,474 award, 75% is $7,855.50 — a reduction of $2,618.50. On a $2,000 homeschool award, it's $1,500.

Is the final payment February 1 or April 1, 2027? February 1, 2027 is the program's published date for 2026-27. April 1 is the statutory outside date; the rule says full funding is due by then or as soon afterward as appropriated funds become available. It is not a separate payment.

Will unused TEFA funds expire at the end of the year? Funds can carry forward while your child stays eligible and in the program. They do not convert to cash, and remaining money returns to the program fund when the account closes after pending approved payments are completed.

Does a TEFA award guarantee my child a seat at a private school? No. Funding and admission are completely separate. Participating private schools keep control of their admissions and enrollment standards, subject to other applicable law.

Does an "Eligible" status mean I'm getting funded? No. Odyssey says “Eligible” means the student qualifies under the guidelines but is currently on the waitlist. “Approved” comes after an award and opt-in; the account becomes usable after funding is issued.

Who do I contact — my school, Odyssey, or the Comptroller? Enrollment verification and tuition entry are your school's job. Portal and account issues go to Odyssey support. To appeal an outcome, contact Odyssey support within 30 calendar days or use the official mail option; the Comptroller issues the final decision.

Can I switch participating private schools after funds have been issued? The public guidance reviewed for this page does not publish a general mid-year transfer workflow between participating private schools. It does say the private school versus homeschool/other setting is locked after funding, so contact Odyssey before withdrawing from or changing schools.

Do I have to reapply next year to keep my funding? Participants in good standing aren't required to resubmit a full application each year, but families must confirm they want the child to continue. Watch for that notice and keep your contact information current.

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Still not sure which path is right for your family?

Take our free 60-second school choice matching quiz.

Pick the row that sounds most like your family.

If TEFA turns out to be the wrong shape for your situation — and for some families the timing genuinely is — you deserve to know that before school starts, not after.

More Texas TEFA resources:

• Official Texas TEFA program and parent portal
• Official TEFA approved-expense guide
• School-choice provider directory and official state portals

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