Controller announces record interest in TEFA program following inaugural application period

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) recently closed the inaugural application window for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), shattering expectations with more than 274,000 applications for the program’s first year. 

The period closes following a two-month window for families to participate in the state’s landmark school choice program. TEFA enables families to utilize 85% of the statewide average state and local expenditure per student, providing more education options and opportunities. Supported by a $1 billion fund, qualifying parents may use those awards of up to $30,000 to enroll children in schools outside the public school system. 

The state saw enormous success for the program’s first year, setting the national record for first-year signups for similar school choice programs. Highlights from the application pool include: 

• 43,000 student applications on the program’s first day. 
• Tens of thousands of applications in the final days before the March 31 deadline. 
• Almost 75% of applications come from low- or middle-income families. 
• Roughly 30,000 applications qualify for the first priority tier – low- or middle-income students with disabilities. 
• 79,000 applications qualifying for the second priority tier – students in low-income households. 

The CPA expects year-one funding to be expended within the second priority tier. The remaining funds will be allocated through a lottery system within the second tier, alongside the establishment of a waitlist order for remaining students. 

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