Quick answer

For families already in TEFA, three dates are left in 2026-27: November 2, 2026 (Odyssey's deadline for Public School Enrollment Appeals), January 15, 2027 (a late award confirmed after this date drops to 50%), and February 1, 2027 (the final 50% payment for private school students). The waitlist is still moving: the Comptroller kept making awards after August 8, and more than 100,000 students were still waiting in August 2026. Returning families do not reapply. As of October 7, 2026, the Comptroller has not announced 2027-28 application dates, renewal steps or amounts.

What TEFA dates are still ahead in 2026-27?

These are the dates left this school year, according to the Texas Comptroller, Odyssey and state law. Most only affect some families.

Odyssey says funding dates "are subject to change based on guidance from the Texas Comptroller".

The spring appeal deadlines for ineligibility, award and waitlist decisions closed between May 23 and June 12, 2026. If you get a new decision you disagree with, the state's appeal rules give you 30 days from the date of the notice. Contact Odyssey Support at help.tx@withodyssey.com or 737-379-2362, and Odyssey opens the appeal if it is warranted. You can also appeal by mail to the Comptroller at P.O. Box 13407, Austin, TX 78711-3407. An appeal cannot add information you did not submit during the application window (see Odyssey's appeals article).

When does TEFA money arrive, and what if your child was awarded late?

It depends on your child's setting. Homeschool and other families get the whole $2,000 at once. Private school families get the award in three parts, as long as the child stays enrolled in a participating private school.

State law only requires the last payment by April 1, so the program is paying ahead of the legal deadline this year. An award amount on your dashboard does not mean the money can be spent yet. Odyssey can only fund an account once your child's continued eligibility, and for private school the enrollment, has been confirmed.

Late awards from the waitlist are prorated. You have four weeks from the award date to opt in and confirm enrollment, and the share you get depends on when you finish, according to the Comptroller's funding timeline:

The Comptroller has not published the exact payment date for families who confirm between September 15 and January 15. It says later awards are funded "as soon as practicable". For how the amounts are set, see TEFA eligibility, income limits and account amounts.

Is the TEFA waitlist still moving?

Yes, but slowly. Awards reached Tier 3 in August 2026: nearly 15,000 the week of August 11 and nearly 4,500 more the week of August 28. The Comptroller says it "will continue to issue new awards to students on the waitlist until all available funding has been allocated to participating students." Almost 50,000 students had been awarded from the waitlist by late August 2026, according to the Comptroller.

More than 100,000 students were still on the waitlist in August 2026, according to the Comptroller. Here is how the number has moved:

116,574 students were taking part as of October 1, 2026. New awards depend on money freeing up. That happens in four ways:

• An awarded family opts out, and its money goes back into the pool.
• A private school family switches to homeschool or other, which lowers the award from $10,474 to $2,000 and frees the difference.
• Appeals are resolved, which releases money the Comptroller held back to cover them.
• An awarded family misses the deadline to opt in or choose a school. Odyssey lists this one.

The Comptroller has not said when 2026-27 awards will stop, and a waitlist position does not guarantee an award.

How does the waitlist order work, and what are your chances?

Awards go by priority tier first, then lottery position, and all eligible children in a household are awarded together. The lottery was run the week of April 27, 2026, "in consultation with an independent agency". The tiers for 2026-27 were set by state law, and the Annual Demographic Report counted the eligible applicants in each:

Tier 4 covers both 4(a) and 4(b). A child with a disability in a household above 500% FPL is placed in Tier 4, not Tier 1. Income here means your federal adjusted gross income. Awards in August were going to Tier 3, so if your child is in Tier 4 or Tier 5, every remaining Tier 3 child is ahead of you. The state does not publish odds.

You do not need to contact Odyssey for a new position estimate. Odyssey says it shares updated position ranges as the list changes, on no set schedule. Nothing is needed to stay on the list, and your child can stay in public school while you wait. A waitlisted child shows as "Eligible" with no funding amount. If an award comes by email and text, be ready to choose a school or homeschool straight away.

Does a TEFA waitlist spot carry over to 2027-28?

No. If your child is not awarded in 2026-27, the Comptroller says "you will need to reapply during a future TEFA application cycle." Odyssey says the same.

Whether waitlisted families will be funded in 2027-28 is not known as of October 7, 2026. It depends on how much money the 90th Legislature provides. In its August 2026 budget request, the Comptroller listed $980 million a year as the cost of funding the 106,127 children on the waitlist, $916 million a year to continue current participants and about $82 million for eligible siblings.

Being on the list still counts. The Comptroller must report waitlisted students to the Legislature, so being on it "may help the program serve more students in future years". The order also changes from year 2. New applicants are grouped first as siblings of children already in the program, then new eligible applicants, then former participants who left for a public or charter school. The tiers then apply within each group.

Do returning TEFA families have to reapply for 2027-28?

No. State law and the Comptroller's Families page both say participants in good standing continue and only need to confirm they want to continue. The program rules add that a continuing parent gives notice in a Comptroller-approved format during the application period. Then, "to the extent there are available positions", the child is admitted for the next year before new applications are approved. Here is where each renewal question stands:

What does "good standing" mean for TEFA?

The program rules define it in 34 TAC 16.401(10): a parent or child is in good standing "by complying with all applicable program requirements and applicable law." In practice, these five things keep your account in good standing:

• Keep your child out of public school enrollment. Odyssey checks with TEA on or before October 1 and February 1. A student found enrolled in a public or charter school is removed, and the money goes back to the state.
• Spend only on approved expenses through the marketplace. There are no cash withdrawals and no reimbursement. Items bought with TEFA money may not be sold, and you cannot pay a relative within the third degree by blood or marriage.
• Make sure test results reach Odyssey if your child is at a private school in grades 3 to 12. The school gives a nationally norm-referenced test or STAAR each year, and the results must reach Odyssey by June 30. If you give permission, the school can send them for you. Homeschool students have no testing requirement.
• Tell Odyssey within 30 days of a big change, such as your child enrolling in public school, graduating or becoming ineligible.
• Fix any problem within 30 days of a suspension notice. More on this below.

What happens to unused TEFA money at the end of the year?

It carries forward. According to the program rules, money left at the end of the program year (July 1 to June 30) rolls over if all three of these are true:

1. Your child is still eligible for the program.
2. You have given notice that your child will continue.
3. The Comptroller has not declared your child ineligible.

The balance belongs to that one child and cannot be moved to a brother or sister. If your child leaves the program, the account closes once pending payments clear and the balance goes back to the state. Opting out also returns unused money to the state. Private school families can pay some costs early: the Comptroller allows 2026-27 funds to be used for 2027-28 tuition, and if your child then leaves the program, the school must return those advance payments to the state.

A late award or a carried balance goes furthest on something your child uses every week. Senate Bill 2 lists "fees for services provided by a private tutor or teaching service" as an approved expense. State law caps only technology, at 10% of the year's account amount, so tutoring has no separate limit beyond your child's balance. Tutero is an approved TEFA vendor in the Odyssey marketplace. See how to pay for tutoring with TEFA.

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What ends TEFA eligibility?

State law lists four ways a child's eligibility ends, and the Comptroller's Families page adds moving out of Texas:

• Your child graduates from high school.
• Your child is no longer eligible to attend a Texas public school or pre-K.
• Your child enrolls in a public or charter school in a way that counts toward state funding.
• The Comptroller declares your child ineligible.
• Your family moves out of Texas. Odyssey says you must opt out of the program in your Odyssey account within 30 days of the date your child becomes ineligible.

If you move within Texas, update your address under Account Info in Odyssey. For a child with extra IEP funding, the amount is tied to your school district of residence, so ask Odyssey whether a move changes it.

Missing a rule does not end things straight away. When a participant fails a program requirement, the account is suspended: payments pause, but your child's school attendance does not. In the portal, a paused account can show as "Approved - On Hold". You get written notice by mail and email, and 30 days to fix the problem. The Comptroller then reinstates the account, conditionally reinstates it, or closes it. Only a permanent closure can be appealed. Misused money can be recovered from the parent or the vendor, and evidence of fraud is referred to the local county or district attorney.

What do we know about TEFA 2027-28 so far?

As of October 7, 2026, no 2027-28 application window has been announced, and the program site offers only a 2027-28 Interest List. Months quoted on other websites do not come from the Comptroller. Five things are confirmed in official sources:

• An interest list is open. More than 44,000 children's parents had joined it by August 2026, according to the Comptroller's budget request.
• TEA sets the base amount by January 15, 2027. The 2027-28 private school amount follows from that number. For 2026-27 it was $10,474, and state law sets the homeschool amount at $2,000.
• The $1 billion cap ends August 31, 2027.
• The 90th Legislature decides the money. The Comptroller has asked for $1,037,812,500 a year for the program, plus a $113 million a year exceptional item.
• Returning families confirm during the application period. So renewal will likely line up with the 2027-28 window. The format and dates are not out yet.

Whether families can switch from homeschool to private school, or add a new IEP, for 2027-28 is also unannounced. The Comptroller's budget request expects up to 4,200 children to switch to a participating private school and nearly 15,000 to get a new or updated IEP in the next two-year budget, but no rule says how either would work.

How can you get ready for 2027-28 now?

You cannot apply or renew yet, but you can be ready when the window opens:

1. Join the interest list on the TEFA Families page so you hear about dates first.
2. Keep your tax return handy. In 2026-27 the state required the Form 1040 that claims your child as a dependent. Pay stubs, W-2s and benefit letters were not accepted.
3. Get your child's IEP on file with TEA if your child has a disability. In 2026-27, the higher private school amount needed a current Texas IEP on file by the end of the application period. See TEFA for students with disabilities.
4. Expect to confirm private school tuition again before the 2027-28 school year.
5. Watch the official site. New dates will appear on educationfreedom.texas.gov and in emails from the Comptroller and Odyssey.

Bottom line

For 2026-27, the dates left are November 2 for Public School Enrollment Appeals, January 15 for the 75% and 50% late-award steps, February 1 for the final private school payment, and June 30 for the end of the program year. Waitlist places do not carry over, and returning families do not reapply. Everything about 2027-28 waits on the Comptroller and the Legislature, so join the interest list and watch educationfreedom.texas.gov.

Related guides: TEFA eligibility, income limits and account amounts, TEFA for homeschool and private school families and TEFA FAQ for Texas parents.

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