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What changed

22 dated rules and deadlines, 22 checked against a primary source. Newest first.

  1. Sep 1, 2027 · Deadline · TX

    $1 billion cap on 2025-27 TEFA spending expires Sep 1, 2027

    'Notwithstanding any other law, for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2025, the amount spent for purposes of the program may not exceed $1 billion. This subsection expires September 1, 2027.' From then on the amount is what the Legislature appropriates for the biennium (§29.3521).

    The 2025-27 cap ends; 2027-29 funding is set by appropriation.

    Tex. Educ. Code §29.3521(c-1) · SB 2 (89th Legislature), enrolled text — Educ. Code §29.3521 · verified Oct 8, 2026

  2. Jul 12, 2027 · Deadline · TX

    Litigation: Bayaan Academy v. Hancock, 4:26-cv-01960 (S.D. Tex.) — motion to dismiss pending; trial set Jul 12, 2027

    Islamic schools and parents sued over their exclusion from the program. On March 17, 2026 the court granted a temporary restraining order in part, and the application deadline was extended to March 31, 2026. Cherkaoui v. Paxton (4:26-cv-01675) was consolidated into this case the same day. On June 18, 2026 the plaintiffs filed a notice passing the preliminary-injunction hearing, and the court cancelled the hearing on June 21. The state's motion to dismiss (June 26, 2026) is pending. The June 12, 2026 scheduling order sets a jury trial for July 12, 2027; on October 2, 2026 the parties filed an agreed motion to modify that schedule, so the trial date may change.

    Jury trial setting from the June 12, 2026 scheduling order (Judge Bennett). An agreed motion to change the schedule was filed on October 2, 2026.

    CourtListener RECAP copy of the S.D. Tex. docket (read Oct 8, 2026) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  3. Feb 1, 2027 · Deadline · TX

    Final 2026-27 installment — Feb 1, 2027

    The remaining 50% of the 2026-27 private-school award is released on February 1, 2027 to students still enrolled at a participating school.

    A payment date for enrolled private-school students. For a student brought off the waitlist during the year, the funding table lists January 15 as the confirmation date for this February 1 payment.

    Funding timelines and installments (Jun 4, 2026) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  4. Jan 15, 2027 · Deadline · TX

    2027-28 award amount: set by Jan 15, 2027

    The private-school award is '85 percent of the estimated statewide average amount of state and local funding per student in average daily attendance'. The commissioner must 'make the determination not later than January 15 preceding the school year', so the 2027-28 amount is due by January 15, 2027. The 2026-27 amount was $10,474.

    Latest date for the 2027-28 per-student amount (Educ. Code §29.361(c)(1)).

    Tex. Educ. Code §29.361(a)(1), (c)(1) · SB 2 (89th Legislature), enrolled text — Educ. Code §29.361 · verified Oct 8, 2026

  5. Jan 12, 2027 · Deadline · TX

    90th Texas Legislature: Jan 12 – May 31, 2027 — decides 2027-29 TEFA funding

    The regular session that sets the 2028-29 budget (and any change to award amounts or eligibility) opens January 12, 2027 and ends May 31, 2027. As of Oct 8, 2026 the Comptroller's site gives no dates for the 2027-28 application window.

    Regular session opens; TEFA appropriation decided in the session.

    Texas Legislative Reference Library — session dates · verified Oct 8, 2026

  6. Jan 1, 2027 · Effective · TX

    2027-28 priority order: siblings → new applicants → returners from public/charter

    After year one, applicants are prioritized in this order: siblings of participating children; new eligible applicants; prior participants who left the program to enroll in a public or charter school.

    Tex. Educ. Code §29.356(b)(1) (order), §29.356(c) (siblings); 34 TAC §16.403(f) · educationfreedom.texas.gov/families — year 2 priority · verified Oct 8, 2026

  7. Oct 1, 2026 · Deadline · TX

    Installments 2026-27: 25% Jul 1 · 25% Oct 1 · 50% Feb 1

    Private-school awards are paid 25% on July 1, 25% on October 1 and the remaining 50% on February 1, provided the student stays enrolled at a participating school. Homeschool/other students receive the full $2,000 in one installment: on July 1 if they opted in by June 15, or by mid-August if they opted in by July 31.

    Second installment (25%) for private-school students.

    Funding timelines and installments (Jun 4, 2026) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  8. Sep 15, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Sep 15, 2026: last day to confirm for a full 2026-27 award

    Students had to confirm enrollment in a participating private school, or opt in as homeschool/other, by September 15 to receive the full award. Students taken off the waitlist after July 15 may have their funding prorated by the date they confirm.

    Funding timelines and installments (Jun 4, 2026) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  9. Sep 9, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Funding request for 2028-29: $2,301,625,000 (Comptroller LAR, Aug 2026)

    The Comptroller's Legislative Appropriations Request asks for $2,075,625,000 base for 2028-29 plus $226,000,000 exceptional items. As the law requires, it also states the cost of three groups: $916 million to continue the current participants, $980 million for the 106,127 children on the waitlist and an estimated $82 million for eligible siblings (Community Impact reports these as amounts per year). Community Impact reports that the base request "would not fully cover the waitlist and interest list". Interest list: over 44,000. A hearing on the request was held Sep 9, 2026.

    Comptroller LAR Publication 96-2058 (Aug 2026), via Community Impact (Sep 8, 2026) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  10. Aug 28, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Program size: 274,000+ applications · over 109,000 funded (Aug 28, 2026) · about 110,000 funded and 106,000+ waitlisted (Sep 2026)

    Comptroller releases: 42,600+ first-round notices (Apr 22), ~96,000 recipients (May 4), 102,000+ awarded and nearly 145,000 waitlisted (Jun 10), nearly 73,000 funded July 1 (Jun 30), 85,000 confirmed and 120,000+ waiting (Aug 3), 101,600 funded and 100,000+ still waitlisted (Aug 13). Update: TEFA reported more than 109,000 funded participants on August 28, 2026. The Comptroller budget request reports about 110,000 funded and more than 106,000 waitlisted (Community Impact, September 8, 2026: https://communityimpact.com/central-austin/texas-legislature/comptroller-asks-lawmakers-to-double-texas-education-freedom-account-funding-to-2b/).

    TEFA update Aug 28, 2026; Comptroller budget request via Community Impact Sep 8, 2026 · verified Oct 8, 2026

  11. Jul 1, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Award: private school student — $10,474 for 2026-27

    Each participating private-school student receives $10,474 for the 2026-27 school year, paid into the family's account and spent through the Odyssey marketplace.

    Tex. Educ. Code ch. 29, subch. J (SB 2, 2025); 34 TAC §16.407 · educationfreedom.texas.gov — home (award amounts) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  12. Jul 1, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Award: student with a disability (IEP on file) — up to $30,000

    A student with a disability who has an individualized education program on file may receive up to $30,000 per year for 2026-27.

    Tex. Educ. Code ch. 29, subch. J; 34 TAC §16.407 · educationfreedom.texas.gov — home (award amounts) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  13. Jul 1, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Award: homeschool and other eligible nonpublic students — up to $2,000

    Homeschool and other eligible nonpublic students receive up to $2,000 per year, paid in one installment.

    educationfreedom.texas.gov — home (award amounts) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  14. Jul 1, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Installments 2026-27: 25% Jul 1 · 25% Oct 1 · 50% Feb 1

    Private-school awards are paid 25% on July 1, 25% on October 1 and the remaining 50% on February 1, provided the student stays enrolled at a participating school. Homeschool/other students receive the full $2,000 in one installment: on July 1 if they opted in by June 15, or by mid-August if they opted in by July 31.

    Funding timelines and installments (Jun 4, 2026) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  15. Jun 18, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Litigation: Bayaan Academy v. Hancock, 4:26-cv-01960 (S.D. Tex.) — motion to dismiss pending; trial set Jul 12, 2027

    Islamic schools and parents sued over their exclusion from the program. On March 17, 2026 the court granted a temporary restraining order in part, and the application deadline was extended to March 31, 2026. Cherkaoui v. Paxton (4:26-cv-01675) was consolidated into this case the same day. On June 18, 2026 the plaintiffs filed a notice passing the preliminary-injunction hearing, and the court cancelled the hearing on June 21. The state's motion to dismiss (June 26, 2026) is pending. The June 12, 2026 scheduling order sets a jury trial for July 12, 2027; on October 2, 2026 the parties filed an agreed motion to modify that schedule, so the trial date may change.

    CourtListener RECAP copy of the S.D. Tex. docket (read Oct 8, 2026) · verified Oct 8, 2026

  16. Feb 4, 2026 · Effective · TX

    2026-27 application window: Feb 4 – Mar 31, 2026 (closed)

    The first application period ran February 4 to March 17, 2026 and was extended to March 31, 2026 by a federal temporary restraining order. 274,000+ students applied.

    34 TAC §16.403 · educationfreedom.texas.gov — home; Comptroller release Mar 17, 2026 · verified Oct 8, 2026

  17. Feb 4, 2026 · Effective · TX

    Priority tiers (year 1): T1 disability + ≤500% FPL · T2 ≤200% FPL · T3 200–500% FPL · T4 ≥500% FPL (20% cap)

    Tier 1: children with a disability in households at or below 500% of the federal poverty level. Tier 2: households at or below 200% FPL. Tier 3: 200–500% FPL. Tier 4: at or above 500% FPL, with priority for children enrolled in a Texas public or charter school for at least 90% of the prior year; Tier 4 funding may not exceed 20% of the program fund.

    Tex. Educ. Code §29.356(b) (order), §29.3521(d) (20% cap); 34 TAC §16.403(f) · educationfreedom.texas.gov/families — priority tiers · verified Oct 8, 2026

  18. Dec 15, 2025 · Effective · TX

    Continuing families: notice of intent during the application period

    A participant in good standing stays in the program, but the family must file a notice of intent to continue during the application period (34 TAC §16.403(d)). Families do not re-apply from scratch.

    34 TAC §16.403(d) · Texas Register, Dec 12, 2025 — adopted 34 TAC §§16.401–16.410 · verified Oct 8, 2026

  19. Dec 9, 2025 · Effective · TX

    School participation: TEPSAC-recognized or TEA accreditation · 2 years operating · norm-referenced test · located in Texas; rolling applications since Dec 9, 2025

    A private school must be accredited by a body recognized by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission or by TEA, have operated a campus for at least two years, administer a nationally norm-referenced assessment, and be located in Texas (virtual schools: an office in Texas). A provider of a pre-K or kindergarten program joins on another rule: it must be located in Texas, be licensed by and in good standing with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and meet one of five further conditions listed on the official Schools page. Schools apply through Odyssey's school portal on a rolling basis.

    Tex. Educ. Code §29.358; 34 TAC §16.404 · educationfreedom.texas.gov/schools — participation requirements · verified Oct 8, 2026

TEFA Schools is an independent guide. It quotes the Texas Comptroller's published rules and participating-schools list with the date checked. It is not affiliated with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts or Odyssey, it does not decide eligibility or participation, and it is not legal or financial advice. Rules feed the tools on this site; when a date changes here, the tools change too.