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Quick answer
TEFA can pay for approved education expenses from approved vendors, bought in the Odyssey marketplace or paid to a participating private school as tuition. According to the Texas Comptroller, that covers private school tuition and fees, textbooks and curriculum, required uniforms, private tutoring, academic tests, educational therapies not covered by insurance or benefits, online courses, transportation to approved providers, private school meals, and technology up to 10% of the year’s account amount. For 2026-27, a homeschooled child’s account gets $2,000 at once, and a private school child’s account gets $10,474 in three payments. TEFA cannot pay for before and after school care, fundraising, payments to relatives, cash withdrawals or anything bought outside the marketplace.
What can TEFA funds be used for?
TEFA funds can be used for ten kinds of education expenses, set out in Senate Bill 2 and the Comptroller’s rules (34 Texas Administrative Code 16.406). The money must be spent with an approved provider or vendor:
- Tuition and fees at a participating private school, a higher education provider, an online course or program, or a TEA-approved industry-based credential program.
- Textbooks and instructional materials, printed or digital.
- Uniforms required by the private school, college or program your child attends.
- Public school classes or services that do not count your child in average daily attendance.
- Academic assessments, such as test and exam fees.
- Private tutoring, from a private tutor or teaching service.
- Educational therapies, only for the part that Medicaid, CHIP, other government benefits, private insurance or a public school do not cover.
- Transportation by a commercial fee-for-service provider to and from an approved provider or vendor.
- Computer hardware, software and other devices required by a provider or vendor, or prescribed by a physician, up to 10% of the year’s account amount.
- Breakfast or lunch provided by a private school during the school day.
Online and out-of-state programs count if the provider applies and is approved, and career and technical education is eligible too. The Comptroller’s approved expenses list is the official plain-English version.
What can and can’t TEFA pay for?
Most approved expenses have no limit beyond your child’s balance. A few have caps, set either by state law or by Odyssey’s marketplace rules, and some costs are never covered. This table uses the statute, the Comptroller’s guidance and Odyssey’s TEFA purchase restrictions (updated October 5, 2026):
| Expense | Covered? | Limits and notes | Whose rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private school tuition and fees | Yes | Participating private schools only. Some school fees are excluded (see below). | State law |
| Required school uniforms | Yes | Required items such as PE uniforms, shirts, pants, skirts, blazers, ties and belts. Not jewelry or letterman jackets. | Comptroller |
| Private school breakfast or lunch | Yes | Paid through the school, or bought from an approved meal provider in the marketplace whose listing names your school. | State law; marketplace route set by Odyssey |
| Textbooks, curriculum and instructional materials | Yes | Printed or digital. | State law |
| Private tutoring or a teaching service | Yes | No separate cap beyond your child’s balance. Approved vendors only. | State law |
| Educational therapies (for example speech, occupational, physical or behavioral) | Yes, partly | Only the part not covered by Medicaid, CHIP, other government benefits, private insurance or a public school. | State law |
| Online courses, college courses and industry-based credential programs | Yes | From approved providers, including approved out-of-state providers. Credential programs must be TEA-approved. | State law |
| Academic assessments and test fees | Yes | Listed in the marketplace under Test and Exam Fees. | State law |
| Public school classes or services | Some | Only those that do not count your child in average daily attendance. | State law |
| Transportation | Some | A commercial fee-for-service provider, to and from an approved provider or vendor. | State law |
| Computers, tablets, software and other tech | Yes, capped | All tech together: up to 10% of the year’s account amount. | State law |
| 3D printers | Yes, capped | One per year, inside the 10% tech limit. | Odyssey |
| Musical instruments | Yes, capped | $1,200 price cap. | Odyssey |
| Before or after school care | No | Not an eligible school fee. | Comptroller |
| Capital campaigns, fundraising, parent organization dues | No | Not eligible school fees. | Comptroller |
| Late payment or late pickup fees | No | Listed as ineligible in the tuition and fee guidelines Odyssey publishes for schools. | Odyssey |
| Paying a relative | No | Anyone related to your child within the third degree by blood or marriage. | State law |
| Cash withdrawals or reimbursement | No | All spending goes through the marketplace. TEFA has no reimbursement. | State law |
| Reselling items bought with TEFA | No | Items bought with TEFA money may not be sold. | State law |
On relatives, a payment to a company is treated differently, unless the company is a sole proprietorship or partnership of that relative. According to the Comptroller, families will not be reimbursed for purchases made outside the TEFA marketplace. Misused money can be recovered from the parent or the vendor, and the Comptroller asks anyone with concerns about fraud to email tefa.watchdog@cpa.texas.gov.
How is TEFA different for homeschool and private school families?
The amount, the payment schedule and the testing rule all differ. Here are the main differences for 2026-27, according to the Texas Comptroller and Odyssey:
| Homeschool or other | Participating private school | |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly amount | $2,000 | $10,474 |
| Child with a current Texas IEP | $2,000 (no extra IEP money) | $10,474 plus the district’s IEP amount |
| How it is paid | All at once | 25% July 1 (or mid-August), 25% October 1, 2026, 50% February 1, 2027 |
| Yearly test | None | Grades 3 to 12, a nationally norm-referenced test or STAAR |
| Main use | Curriculum, tutoring, online classes, therapies and other marketplace items | Tuition and school fees first, then marketplace items with what is left |
| Technology limit | 10% of the award, so $200 | 10% of the award |
| Status in Odyssey | Enrollment may stay at Pending, which is normal | The school verifies enrollment and enters tuition |
| Participants (August 2026) | More than 42,000 | About 67,000 |
The participant counts come from the Comptroller’s August 2026 budget request to the Legislature. The private school amount is 85% of the statewide average state and local funding per student, as calculated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). For a private school child with a current Texas IEP on file with TEA, your child’s TEFA account can hold up to $30,000 a year, made up of the base plus what your school district would get under the IEP, and the Comptroller says “most students will receive less than the maximum”. Our guide to TEFA for students with disabilities explains that amount.
A private school child must stay enrolled in a participating private school to receive each later installment. State law only requires the final payment by April 1, so February 1 is ahead of the legal deadline, and Odyssey says funding dates can change. The 2027-28 amount has not been set, and TEA must set the figure behind it by January 15, 2027.
How does TEFA work for homeschool families?
A homeschooled child gets $2,000 a year, paid in one installment. State law caps the amount for home-schooled students at $2,000, and the Comptroller applies it to every child in the homeschool/other setting, which means any non-public setting other than a participating private school. A child with a disability in this setting also gets $2,000, because the extra IEP funding is only for private school. In 2026-27 the money came on July 1 for families who opted in by June 15, in mid-August for families who opted in by July 31, and “as soon as practicable” for later awards. A few points trip families up:
- Pending is normal. If you chose homeschool, your enrollment status in Odyssey may stay at Pending. Odyssey says no action is needed.
- Public school enrollment ends funding. Your child cannot be enrolled in a public or charter school while in TEFA, and students found enrolled are removed. School district classes that do not count your child in attendance are an approved expense.
- Your homeschool rights stay the same. The Comptroller told homeschool applicants in its March 12, 2026 message that TEFA “does not affect your legal rights as a homeschool family”. It said it will not question your educational philosophy, pace or grade placement, religious or moral instruction, or choice of extracurriculars, enrichment or therapies.
- Grade placement is flexible. Your child’s grade in the program does not have to match their age.
- Unused money carries forward. Money left at the end of the year carries forward if your child stays in the program, so you do not need to spend all $2,000 by June 30.
What can homeschool families buy with TEFA?
Any approved expense from an approved vendor in the Odyssey marketplace. Common choices include:
- Curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials
- Private tutoring or a teaching service
- Online classes and online learning programs, including approved out-of-state programs
- Test and exam fees
- Educational therapies not covered by insurance or benefits
- Fine arts and PE instruction, which have their own marketplace category
- Career and technical education, and transportation to approved providers
- Computers and software your homeschool program requires, up to $200 a year
Do TEFA students have to take a test?
Homeschool students do not. Private school students in grades 3 to 12 take a test every year. The Comptroller told homeschool applicants their child “would not have to report any standardized test results to the state”, and the program rules put the yearly test duty on private school students only.
Participating private schools give TEFA students in grades 3 to 12 a nationally norm-referenced test or STAAR. You are responsible for making sure the results reach Odyssey by the end of the program year, June 30, and with your permission the school can send them for you. Approved tests include STAAR, ACT, SAT, PSAT, CLT, i-Ready, TerraNova, Iowa, Stanford 10, NWEA MAP, Star and IXL Diagnostics. Options for students with special needs include Woodcock-Johnson, KTEA, WIAT-II, PIAT, BRIGANCE and STAAR Alternate 2. See Odyssey’s full list of approved tests.
A homeschooling family may also choose a participating private school, including an accredited online school, which brings the higher private school amount. The trade-off is the yearly test.
Which private school costs can TEFA pay?
Tuition, plus school fees that apply to every student as a condition of enrollment or are tied directly to instruction. This table follows the Comptroller’s tuition and fee guidelines:
| TEFA can pay | TEFA cannot pay |
|---|---|
| Tuition, enrollment and registration fees | Before or after school care, or other non-educational supervision |
| Book, curriculum, materials, supply and technology fees | Capital campaigns or fundraising |
| School activities and athletics tied to instruction | Parent organization membership fees |
| Tutoring, therapies or coursework provided by the school | Late payment or late pickup fees (Odyssey’s version of the guidelines) |
| Required uniforms and school-day breakfast or lunch | Jewelry and letterman jackets |
| Mandatory facility and security fees, graduation, transportation and assessment fees |
How the school charges you matters. In Odyssey, a school can request six fee types through the portal: enrollment, registration, lunch or meals, educational services (classes or tutoring), academic assessments, and transportation. Other items, such as uniforms, may be sold by the school as a marketplace vendor instead, so ask your school how it will charge for anything else.
If your uniform vendor sells TEFA uniform credits, buy only credits you will use in full, because leftover credit cannot be kept or refunded, according to the Comptroller’s uniform guidance. Schools may not charge a TEFA student more because of the award. Sibling, employee and parishioner discounts still apply, though a school may weigh the award when deciding financial aid.
How do I pay private school tuition and fees with TEFA?
Through your child’s Wallet in the Odyssey Parent Portal. The school sets the amounts, and you confirm them and send the payments:
- Get your child admitted. TEFA does not guarantee admission, and selecting a school in Odyssey does not enroll your child. Complete the school’s own admission process. The state and Odyssey are not part of your contract with the school.
- Let the school verify enrollment. The school confirms your child in Odyssey and enters the year’s tuition and fees.
- Confirm or deny the amount. If it is right, select Confirm. If it is wrong, select Deny and the school can correct it. Confirming does not send any money, according to Odyssey.
- Send tuition payments. In the Wallet, the Tuition section has a Make a Payment button. You choose each quarter how much goes to tuition and how much stays for the marketplace.
- Handle school fees. Fees the school requests show as School Requested Fees on your dashboard. Select Confirm, then Pay, or Dismiss if you are paying another way. Fee confirmations are non-refundable.
- Do it again next year. Odyssey clears tuition and fee amounts at the end of each school year, so your school enters them again, and you confirm them again.
You can also pay ahead. The Comptroller allows eligible expenses to be paid in advance, including using 2026-27 funds for 2027-28 tuition. If your child leaves the program, the school must return advance payments to the state. If tuition costs more than the award, you pay the difference.
Can I change schools or switch to homeschool during the year?
Yes, you can change approved schools at any time. Here is how it works, according to Odyssey’s tuition refund policy:
- Update the portal. Select the new school, or Homeschool, in the Odyssey Parent Portal. Odyssey then redirects future payments.
- Unused tuition goes back to your child’s wallet. For tuition already paid for time your child will not attend, the old school returns it through Odyssey. The money never comes to you directly.
- Some fees stay with the school. The school can keep registration and enrollment fees.
- Overpayments roll forward. If you overpaid while your child stays at the same school, it is settled against the next payment.
Switching settings is stricter. In 2026-27, the setting locked when applications closed. Families could move from private school down to homeschool/other, which drops the award to $2,000, but could not move up. Whether that changes for 2027-28 has not been announced. The Comptroller’s August 2026 budget request expects up to 4,200 children to switch from homeschool/other to a participating private school in the next two years, but no rule yet says how. Our key dates, waitlist and renewal guide tracks announcements.
How do I find a participating private school?
Search the Comptroller’s Participating School List, which had 2,766 schools as of October 5, 2026, or use the TEFA finder tool. Under the Comptroller’s rules, a participating private school must:
- Be accredited by an organization recognized by TEPSAC or TEA.
- Have operated a campus for at least two school years, in Texas or elsewhere.
- Give the yearly norm-referenced test to TEFA students in grades 3 to 12.
- Be located in Texas. Virtual schools need a Texas office.
If your child has an IEP, state law requires this notice: a private school is not subject to federal and state special education laws in the same way as a public school. Ask each school how it supports students with your child’s needs before you enroll.
What is the 10% technology limit?
State law caps one kind of spending: technology, at 10% of the year’s account amount. All tech bought with TEFA shares that limit, so for a homeschool student’s $2,000 it is $200 a year. Under the Comptroller’s rules, devices must be required by a provider or vendor, or prescribed by a physician. Odyssey counts laptops, tablets, desktops, monitors, webcams, printers, headphones, cameras, calculators, internet hotspots, software and computer accessories toward the limit, and also limits 3D printers to one per year. Restricted items show a notice on the product page, and a purchase over the limit may not be approved, so add up a laptop and software together before you check out.
Can TEFA pay for tutoring and therapy?
Yes to both, with one difference. Tutoring is covered with no separate cap beyond your child’s balance. Educational therapies are covered only for the part that insurance, Medicaid, CHIP, other benefits or a public school do not pay.
Senate Bill 2 lists “fees for services provided by a private tutor or teaching service” as an approved expense, in both settings. Private school students can use what is left after tuition for tutoring, therapies or online learning, and tutoring provided by the school can also be paid as a school fee. Under the Comptroller’s Educator Credential Policy, the lead educator must be a current or retired employee of an accredited school or college, or hold a relevant credential, and anyone who works with your child must pass a TEFA fingerprint background check. Our guide on how to use your TEFA funds in Odyssey to pay for tutoring walks through buying lessons.
For therapy, the Comptroller’s rules define educational therapies as treatment by or at the direction of a licensed physician or licensed therapist to address your child’s academic performance. The marketplace has separate categories for Behavioral, Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy.
Texas Education Freedom Accounts
Use your TEFA funds for 1-on-1 tutoring
- Approved TEFA vendor
- The same teacher every week
- A plan built from your child’s schoolwork
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How do I check if something is covered before I buy?
If it is listed in the TEFA marketplace, the Comptroller has already reviewed the vendor and the offering. To check anything else:
- Search the marketplace. Use the Search bar or browse the categories, and read the listing’s vendor, description, and return and cancellation policy.
- Watch the limits. Add up technology purchases against the 10% limit, and remember Odyssey’s $1,200 instrument cap.
- Ask for it to be added. If a product or vendor you want is missing, email Odyssey to request it, or ask the vendor to apply.
- Ask the officials. Odyssey answers account and purchase questions at help.tx@withodyssey.com or 737-379-2362. The Comptroller answers program questions at educationfreedom@cpa.texas.gov.
At checkout, a purchase is approved only if it is an approved expense from a vendor in good standing and does not go over your child’s balance.
Bottom line
TEFA pays for tuition, curriculum, tutoring, tests, therapies not covered elsewhere, online programs and more, as long as you buy from an approved vendor in the Odyssey marketplace. For 2026-27, a homeschooled child gets $2,000 at once with no testing, and a private school child gets $10,474 in three installments with a yearly test in grades 3 to 12. State law caps only technology, at 10%, and there is no reimbursement for purchases made anywhere else.
How this guide was written
Written by Tutero’s Texas team. Tutero is an approved TEFA vendor. We check our guides against the Texas Comptroller’s official TEFA rules and program documents, and the Odyssey help center. Rules can change, so confirm details in your TEFA account before you buy.
Related guides: How to use your TEFA funds in Odyssey to pay for tutoring, TEFA eligibility, income limits and account amounts and TEFA for students with disabilities.
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“With her teacher Lori, she’s focused. She never wants to miss a lesson.”
JillMom of Emma, 6th gradeQuick answer
TEFA can pay for approved education expenses from approved vendors, bought in the Odyssey marketplace or paid to a participating private school as tuition. According to the Texas Comptroller, that covers private school tuition and fees, textbooks and curriculum, required uniforms, private tutoring, academic tests, educational therapies not covered by insurance or benefits, online courses, transportation to approved providers, private school meals, and technology up to 10% of the year’s account amount. For 2026-27, a homeschooled child’s account gets $2,000 at once, and a private school child’s account gets $10,474 in three payments. TEFA cannot pay for before and after school care, fundraising, payments to relatives, cash withdrawals or anything bought outside the marketplace.
What can TEFA funds be used for?
TEFA funds can be used for ten kinds of education expenses, set out in Senate Bill 2 and the Comptroller’s rules (34 Texas Administrative Code 16.406). The money must be spent with an approved provider or vendor:
- Tuition and fees at a participating private school, a higher education provider, an online course or program, or a TEA-approved industry-based credential program.
- Textbooks and instructional materials, printed or digital.
- Uniforms required by the private school, college or program your child attends.
- Public school classes or services that do not count your child in average daily attendance.
- Academic assessments, such as test and exam fees.
- Private tutoring, from a private tutor or teaching service.
- Educational therapies, only for the part that Medicaid, CHIP, other government benefits, private insurance or a public school do not cover.
- Transportation by a commercial fee-for-service provider to and from an approved provider or vendor.
- Computer hardware, software and other devices required by a provider or vendor, or prescribed by a physician, up to 10% of the year’s account amount.
- Breakfast or lunch provided by a private school during the school day.
Online and out-of-state programs count if the provider applies and is approved, and career and technical education is eligible too. The Comptroller’s approved expenses list is the official plain-English version.
What can and can’t TEFA pay for?
Most approved expenses have no limit beyond your child’s balance. A few have caps, set either by state law or by Odyssey’s marketplace rules, and some costs are never covered. This table uses the statute, the Comptroller’s guidance and Odyssey’s TEFA purchase restrictions (updated October 5, 2026):
| Expense | Covered? | Limits and notes | Whose rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private school tuition and fees | Yes | Participating private schools only. Some school fees are excluded (see below). | State law |
| Required school uniforms | Yes | Required items such as PE uniforms, shirts, pants, skirts, blazers, ties and belts. Not jewelry or letterman jackets. | Comptroller |
| Private school breakfast or lunch | Yes | Paid through the school, or bought from an approved meal provider in the marketplace whose listing names your school. | State law; marketplace route set by Odyssey |
| Textbooks, curriculum and instructional materials | Yes | Printed or digital. | State law |
| Private tutoring or a teaching service | Yes | No separate cap beyond your child’s balance. Approved vendors only. | State law |
| Educational therapies (for example speech, occupational, physical or behavioral) | Yes, partly | Only the part not covered by Medicaid, CHIP, other government benefits, private insurance or a public school. | State law |
| Online courses, college courses and industry-based credential programs | Yes | From approved providers, including approved out-of-state providers. Credential programs must be TEA-approved. | State law |
| Academic assessments and test fees | Yes | Listed in the marketplace under Test and Exam Fees. | State law |
| Public school classes or services | Some | Only those that do not count your child in average daily attendance. | State law |
| Transportation | Some | A commercial fee-for-service provider, to and from an approved provider or vendor. | State law |
| Computers, tablets, software and other tech | Yes, capped | All tech together: up to 10% of the year’s account amount. | State law |
| 3D printers | Yes, capped | One per year, inside the 10% tech limit. | Odyssey |
| Musical instruments | Yes, capped | $1,200 price cap. | Odyssey |
| Before or after school care | No | Not an eligible school fee. | Comptroller |
| Capital campaigns, fundraising, parent organization dues | No | Not eligible school fees. | Comptroller |
| Late payment or late pickup fees | No | Listed as ineligible in the tuition and fee guidelines Odyssey publishes for schools. | Odyssey |
| Paying a relative | No | Anyone related to your child within the third degree by blood or marriage. | State law |
| Cash withdrawals or reimbursement | No | All spending goes through the marketplace. TEFA has no reimbursement. | State law |
| Reselling items bought with TEFA | No | Items bought with TEFA money may not be sold. | State law |
On relatives, a payment to a company is treated differently, unless the company is a sole proprietorship or partnership of that relative. According to the Comptroller, families will not be reimbursed for purchases made outside the TEFA marketplace. Misused money can be recovered from the parent or the vendor, and the Comptroller asks anyone with concerns about fraud to email tefa.watchdog@cpa.texas.gov.
How is TEFA different for homeschool and private school families?
The amount, the payment schedule and the testing rule all differ. Here are the main differences for 2026-27, according to the Texas Comptroller and Odyssey:
| Homeschool or other | Participating private school | |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly amount | $2,000 | $10,474 |
| Child with a current Texas IEP | $2,000 (no extra IEP money) | $10,474 plus the district’s IEP amount |
| How it is paid | All at once | 25% July 1 (or mid-August), 25% October 1, 2026, 50% February 1, 2027 |
| Yearly test | None | Grades 3 to 12, a nationally norm-referenced test or STAAR |
| Main use | Curriculum, tutoring, online classes, therapies and other marketplace items | Tuition and school fees first, then marketplace items with what is left |
| Technology limit | 10% of the award, so $200 | 10% of the award |
| Status in Odyssey | Enrollment may stay at Pending, which is normal | The school verifies enrollment and enters tuition |
| Participants (August 2026) | More than 42,000 | About 67,000 |
The participant counts come from the Comptroller’s August 2026 budget request to the Legislature. The private school amount is 85% of the statewide average state and local funding per student, as calculated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). For a private school child with a current Texas IEP on file with TEA, your child’s TEFA account can hold up to $30,000 a year, made up of the base plus what your school district would get under the IEP, and the Comptroller says “most students will receive less than the maximum”. Our guide to TEFA for students with disabilities explains that amount.
A private school child must stay enrolled in a participating private school to receive each later installment. State law only requires the final payment by April 1, so February 1 is ahead of the legal deadline, and Odyssey says funding dates can change. The 2027-28 amount has not been set, and TEA must set the figure behind it by January 15, 2027.
How does TEFA work for homeschool families?
A homeschooled child gets $2,000 a year, paid in one installment. State law caps the amount for home-schooled students at $2,000, and the Comptroller applies it to every child in the homeschool/other setting, which means any non-public setting other than a participating private school. A child with a disability in this setting also gets $2,000, because the extra IEP funding is only for private school. In 2026-27 the money came on July 1 for families who opted in by June 15, in mid-August for families who opted in by July 31, and “as soon as practicable” for later awards. A few points trip families up:
- Pending is normal. If you chose homeschool, your enrollment status in Odyssey may stay at Pending. Odyssey says no action is needed.
- Public school enrollment ends funding. Your child cannot be enrolled in a public or charter school while in TEFA, and students found enrolled are removed. School district classes that do not count your child in attendance are an approved expense.
- Your homeschool rights stay the same. The Comptroller told homeschool applicants in its March 12, 2026 message that TEFA “does not affect your legal rights as a homeschool family”. It said it will not question your educational philosophy, pace or grade placement, religious or moral instruction, or choice of extracurriculars, enrichment or therapies.
- Grade placement is flexible. Your child’s grade in the program does not have to match their age.
- Unused money carries forward. Money left at the end of the year carries forward if your child stays in the program, so you do not need to spend all $2,000 by June 30.
What can homeschool families buy with TEFA?
Any approved expense from an approved vendor in the Odyssey marketplace. Common choices include:
- Curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials
- Private tutoring or a teaching service
- Online classes and online learning programs, including approved out-of-state programs
- Test and exam fees
- Educational therapies not covered by insurance or benefits
- Fine arts and PE instruction, which have their own marketplace category
- Career and technical education, and transportation to approved providers
- Computers and software your homeschool program requires, up to $200 a year
Do TEFA students have to take a test?
Homeschool students do not. Private school students in grades 3 to 12 take a test every year. The Comptroller told homeschool applicants their child “would not have to report any standardized test results to the state”, and the program rules put the yearly test duty on private school students only.
Participating private schools give TEFA students in grades 3 to 12 a nationally norm-referenced test or STAAR. You are responsible for making sure the results reach Odyssey by the end of the program year, June 30, and with your permission the school can send them for you. Approved tests include STAAR, ACT, SAT, PSAT, CLT, i-Ready, TerraNova, Iowa, Stanford 10, NWEA MAP, Star and IXL Diagnostics. Options for students with special needs include Woodcock-Johnson, KTEA, WIAT-II, PIAT, BRIGANCE and STAAR Alternate 2. See Odyssey’s full list of approved tests.
A homeschooling family may also choose a participating private school, including an accredited online school, which brings the higher private school amount. The trade-off is the yearly test.
Which private school costs can TEFA pay?
Tuition, plus school fees that apply to every student as a condition of enrollment or are tied directly to instruction. This table follows the Comptroller’s tuition and fee guidelines:
| TEFA can pay | TEFA cannot pay |
|---|---|
| Tuition, enrollment and registration fees | Before or after school care, or other non-educational supervision |
| Book, curriculum, materials, supply and technology fees | Capital campaigns or fundraising |
| School activities and athletics tied to instruction | Parent organization membership fees |
| Tutoring, therapies or coursework provided by the school | Late payment or late pickup fees (Odyssey’s version of the guidelines) |
| Required uniforms and school-day breakfast or lunch | Jewelry and letterman jackets |
| Mandatory facility and security fees, graduation, transportation and assessment fees |
How the school charges you matters. In Odyssey, a school can request six fee types through the portal: enrollment, registration, lunch or meals, educational services (classes or tutoring), academic assessments, and transportation. Other items, such as uniforms, may be sold by the school as a marketplace vendor instead, so ask your school how it will charge for anything else.
If your uniform vendor sells TEFA uniform credits, buy only credits you will use in full, because leftover credit cannot be kept or refunded, according to the Comptroller’s uniform guidance. Schools may not charge a TEFA student more because of the award. Sibling, employee and parishioner discounts still apply, though a school may weigh the award when deciding financial aid.
How do I pay private school tuition and fees with TEFA?
Through your child’s Wallet in the Odyssey Parent Portal. The school sets the amounts, and you confirm them and send the payments:
- Get your child admitted. TEFA does not guarantee admission, and selecting a school in Odyssey does not enroll your child. Complete the school’s own admission process. The state and Odyssey are not part of your contract with the school.
- Let the school verify enrollment. The school confirms your child in Odyssey and enters the year’s tuition and fees.
- Confirm or deny the amount. If it is right, select Confirm. If it is wrong, select Deny and the school can correct it. Confirming does not send any money, according to Odyssey.
- Send tuition payments. In the Wallet, the Tuition section has a Make a Payment button. You choose each quarter how much goes to tuition and how much stays for the marketplace.
- Handle school fees. Fees the school requests show as School Requested Fees on your dashboard. Select Confirm, then Pay, or Dismiss if you are paying another way. Fee confirmations are non-refundable.
- Do it again next year. Odyssey clears tuition and fee amounts at the end of each school year, so your school enters them again, and you confirm them again.
You can also pay ahead. The Comptroller allows eligible expenses to be paid in advance, including using 2026-27 funds for 2027-28 tuition. If your child leaves the program, the school must return advance payments to the state. If tuition costs more than the award, you pay the difference.
Can I change schools or switch to homeschool during the year?
Yes, you can change approved schools at any time. Here is how it works, according to Odyssey’s tuition refund policy:
- Update the portal. Select the new school, or Homeschool, in the Odyssey Parent Portal. Odyssey then redirects future payments.
- Unused tuition goes back to your child’s wallet. For tuition already paid for time your child will not attend, the old school returns it through Odyssey. The money never comes to you directly.
- Some fees stay with the school. The school can keep registration and enrollment fees.
- Overpayments roll forward. If you overpaid while your child stays at the same school, it is settled against the next payment.
Switching settings is stricter. In 2026-27, the setting locked when applications closed. Families could move from private school down to homeschool/other, which drops the award to $2,000, but could not move up. Whether that changes for 2027-28 has not been announced. The Comptroller’s August 2026 budget request expects up to 4,200 children to switch from homeschool/other to a participating private school in the next two years, but no rule yet says how. Our key dates, waitlist and renewal guide tracks announcements.
How do I find a participating private school?
Search the Comptroller’s Participating School List, which had 2,766 schools as of October 5, 2026, or use the TEFA finder tool. Under the Comptroller’s rules, a participating private school must:
- Be accredited by an organization recognized by TEPSAC or TEA.
- Have operated a campus for at least two school years, in Texas or elsewhere.
- Give the yearly norm-referenced test to TEFA students in grades 3 to 12.
- Be located in Texas. Virtual schools need a Texas office.
If your child has an IEP, state law requires this notice: a private school is not subject to federal and state special education laws in the same way as a public school. Ask each school how it supports students with your child’s needs before you enroll.
What is the 10% technology limit?
State law caps one kind of spending: technology, at 10% of the year’s account amount. All tech bought with TEFA shares that limit, so for a homeschool student’s $2,000 it is $200 a year. Under the Comptroller’s rules, devices must be required by a provider or vendor, or prescribed by a physician. Odyssey counts laptops, tablets, desktops, monitors, webcams, printers, headphones, cameras, calculators, internet hotspots, software and computer accessories toward the limit, and also limits 3D printers to one per year. Restricted items show a notice on the product page, and a purchase over the limit may not be approved, so add up a laptop and software together before you check out.
Can TEFA pay for tutoring and therapy?
Yes to both, with one difference. Tutoring is covered with no separate cap beyond your child’s balance. Educational therapies are covered only for the part that insurance, Medicaid, CHIP, other benefits or a public school do not pay.
Senate Bill 2 lists “fees for services provided by a private tutor or teaching service” as an approved expense, in both settings. Private school students can use what is left after tuition for tutoring, therapies or online learning, and tutoring provided by the school can also be paid as a school fee. Under the Comptroller’s Educator Credential Policy, the lead educator must be a current or retired employee of an accredited school or college, or hold a relevant credential, and anyone who works with your child must pass a TEFA fingerprint background check. Our guide on how to use your TEFA funds in Odyssey to pay for tutoring walks through buying lessons.
For therapy, the Comptroller’s rules define educational therapies as treatment by or at the direction of a licensed physician or licensed therapist to address your child’s academic performance. The marketplace has separate categories for Behavioral, Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy.
Texas Education Freedom Accounts
Use your TEFA funds for 1-on-1 tutoring
- Approved TEFA vendor
- The same teacher every week
- A plan built from your child’s schoolwork
★★★★★4.9 from 250 Google reviews$0out of pocket, paid from your TEFA account
How do I check if something is covered before I buy?
If it is listed in the TEFA marketplace, the Comptroller has already reviewed the vendor and the offering. To check anything else:
- Search the marketplace. Use the Search bar or browse the categories, and read the listing’s vendor, description, and return and cancellation policy.
- Watch the limits. Add up technology purchases against the 10% limit, and remember Odyssey’s $1,200 instrument cap.
- Ask for it to be added. If a product or vendor you want is missing, email Odyssey to request it, or ask the vendor to apply.
- Ask the officials. Odyssey answers account and purchase questions at help.tx@withodyssey.com or 737-379-2362. The Comptroller answers program questions at educationfreedom@cpa.texas.gov.
At checkout, a purchase is approved only if it is an approved expense from a vendor in good standing and does not go over your child’s balance.
Bottom line
TEFA pays for tuition, curriculum, tutoring, tests, therapies not covered elsewhere, online programs and more, as long as you buy from an approved vendor in the Odyssey marketplace. For 2026-27, a homeschooled child gets $2,000 at once with no testing, and a private school child gets $10,474 in three installments with a yearly test in grades 3 to 12. State law caps only technology, at 10%, and there is no reimbursement for purchases made anywhere else.
How this guide was written
Written by Tutero’s Texas team. Tutero is an approved TEFA vendor. We check our guides against the Texas Comptroller’s official TEFA rules and program documents, and the Odyssey help center. Rules can change, so confirm details in your TEFA account before you buy.
Related guides: How to use your TEFA funds in Odyssey to pay for tutoring, TEFA eligibility, income limits and account amounts and TEFA for students with disabilities.
Your next step
See how families use TEFA for tutoring
Expert teachers, 1-on-1 and online, paid from your TEFA account with $0 out of pocket. How TEFA tutoring works.
Or keep reading: How to pay for tutoring with TEFA →
“With her teacher Lori, she’s focused. She never wants to miss a lesson.”
JillMom of Emma, 6th grade
Quick answer
TEFA can pay for approved education expenses from approved vendors, bought in the Odyssey marketplace or paid to a participating private school as tuition. According to the Texas Comptroller, that covers private school tuition and fees, textbooks and curriculum, required uniforms, private tutoring, academic tests, educational therapies not covered by insurance or benefits, online courses, transportation to approved providers, private school meals, and technology up to 10% of the year’s account amount. For 2026-27, a homeschooled child’s account gets $2,000 at once, and a private school child’s account gets $10,474 in three payments. TEFA cannot pay for before and after school care, fundraising, payments to relatives, cash withdrawals or anything bought outside the marketplace.
What can TEFA funds be used for?
TEFA funds can be used for ten kinds of education expenses, set out in Senate Bill 2 and the Comptroller’s rules (34 Texas Administrative Code 16.406). The money must be spent with an approved provider or vendor:
- Tuition and fees at a participating private school, a higher education provider, an online course or program, or a TEA-approved industry-based credential program.
- Textbooks and instructional materials, printed or digital.
- Uniforms required by the private school, college or program your child attends.
- Public school classes or services that do not count your child in average daily attendance.
- Academic assessments, such as test and exam fees.
- Private tutoring, from a private tutor or teaching service.
- Educational therapies, only for the part that Medicaid, CHIP, other government benefits, private insurance or a public school do not cover.
- Transportation by a commercial fee-for-service provider to and from an approved provider or vendor.
- Computer hardware, software and other devices required by a provider or vendor, or prescribed by a physician, up to 10% of the year’s account amount.
- Breakfast or lunch provided by a private school during the school day.
Online and out-of-state programs count if the provider applies and is approved, and career and technical education is eligible too. The Comptroller’s approved expenses list is the official plain-English version.
What can and can’t TEFA pay for?
Most approved expenses have no limit beyond your child’s balance. A few have caps, set either by state law or by Odyssey’s marketplace rules, and some costs are never covered. This table uses the statute, the Comptroller’s guidance and Odyssey’s TEFA purchase restrictions (updated October 5, 2026):
| Expense | Covered? | Limits and notes | Whose rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private school tuition and fees | Yes | Participating private schools only. Some school fees are excluded (see below). | State law |
| Required school uniforms | Yes | Required items such as PE uniforms, shirts, pants, skirts, blazers, ties and belts. Not jewelry or letterman jackets. | Comptroller |
| Private school breakfast or lunch | Yes | Paid through the school, or bought from an approved meal provider in the marketplace whose listing names your school. | State law; marketplace route set by Odyssey |
| Textbooks, curriculum and instructional materials | Yes | Printed or digital. | State law |
| Private tutoring or a teaching service | Yes | No separate cap beyond your child’s balance. Approved vendors only. | State law |
| Educational therapies (for example speech, occupational, physical or behavioral) | Yes, partly | Only the part not covered by Medicaid, CHIP, other government benefits, private insurance or a public school. | State law |
| Online courses, college courses and industry-based credential programs | Yes | From approved providers, including approved out-of-state providers. Credential programs must be TEA-approved. | State law |
| Academic assessments and test fees | Yes | Listed in the marketplace under Test and Exam Fees. | State law |
| Public school classes or services | Some | Only those that do not count your child in average daily attendance. | State law |
| Transportation | Some | A commercial fee-for-service provider, to and from an approved provider or vendor. | State law |
| Computers, tablets, software and other tech | Yes, capped | All tech together: up to 10% of the year’s account amount. | State law |
| 3D printers | Yes, capped | One per year, inside the 10% tech limit. | Odyssey |
| Musical instruments | Yes, capped | $1,200 price cap. | Odyssey |
| Before or after school care | No | Not an eligible school fee. | Comptroller |
| Capital campaigns, fundraising, parent organization dues | No | Not eligible school fees. | Comptroller |
| Late payment or late pickup fees | No | Listed as ineligible in the tuition and fee guidelines Odyssey publishes for schools. | Odyssey |
| Paying a relative | No | Anyone related to your child within the third degree by blood or marriage. | State law |
| Cash withdrawals or reimbursement | No | All spending goes through the marketplace. TEFA has no reimbursement. | State law |
| Reselling items bought with TEFA | No | Items bought with TEFA money may not be sold. | State law |
On relatives, a payment to a company is treated differently, unless the company is a sole proprietorship or partnership of that relative. According to the Comptroller, families will not be reimbursed for purchases made outside the TEFA marketplace. Misused money can be recovered from the parent or the vendor, and the Comptroller asks anyone with concerns about fraud to email tefa.watchdog@cpa.texas.gov.
How is TEFA different for homeschool and private school families?
The amount, the payment schedule and the testing rule all differ. Here are the main differences for 2026-27, according to the Texas Comptroller and Odyssey:
| Homeschool or other | Participating private school | |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly amount | $2,000 | $10,474 |
| Child with a current Texas IEP | $2,000 (no extra IEP money) | $10,474 plus the district’s IEP amount |
| How it is paid | All at once | 25% July 1 (or mid-August), 25% October 1, 2026, 50% February 1, 2027 |
| Yearly test | None | Grades 3 to 12, a nationally norm-referenced test or STAAR |
| Main use | Curriculum, tutoring, online classes, therapies and other marketplace items | Tuition and school fees first, then marketplace items with what is left |
| Technology limit | 10% of the award, so $200 | 10% of the award |
| Status in Odyssey | Enrollment may stay at Pending, which is normal | The school verifies enrollment and enters tuition |
| Participants (August 2026) | More than 42,000 | About 67,000 |
The participant counts come from the Comptroller’s August 2026 budget request to the Legislature. The private school amount is 85% of the statewide average state and local funding per student, as calculated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). For a private school child with a current Texas IEP on file with TEA, your child’s TEFA account can hold up to $30,000 a year, made up of the base plus what your school district would get under the IEP, and the Comptroller says “most students will receive less than the maximum”. Our guide to TEFA for students with disabilities explains that amount.
A private school child must stay enrolled in a participating private school to receive each later installment. State law only requires the final payment by April 1, so February 1 is ahead of the legal deadline, and Odyssey says funding dates can change. The 2027-28 amount has not been set, and TEA must set the figure behind it by January 15, 2027.
How does TEFA work for homeschool families?
A homeschooled child gets $2,000 a year, paid in one installment. State law caps the amount for home-schooled students at $2,000, and the Comptroller applies it to every child in the homeschool/other setting, which means any non-public setting other than a participating private school. A child with a disability in this setting also gets $2,000, because the extra IEP funding is only for private school. In 2026-27 the money came on July 1 for families who opted in by June 15, in mid-August for families who opted in by July 31, and “as soon as practicable” for later awards. A few points trip families up:
- Pending is normal. If you chose homeschool, your enrollment status in Odyssey may stay at Pending. Odyssey says no action is needed.
- Public school enrollment ends funding. Your child cannot be enrolled in a public or charter school while in TEFA, and students found enrolled are removed. School district classes that do not count your child in attendance are an approved expense.
- Your homeschool rights stay the same. The Comptroller told homeschool applicants in its March 12, 2026 message that TEFA “does not affect your legal rights as a homeschool family”. It said it will not question your educational philosophy, pace or grade placement, religious or moral instruction, or choice of extracurriculars, enrichment or therapies.
- Grade placement is flexible. Your child’s grade in the program does not have to match their age.
- Unused money carries forward. Money left at the end of the year carries forward if your child stays in the program, so you do not need to spend all $2,000 by June 30.
What can homeschool families buy with TEFA?
Any approved expense from an approved vendor in the Odyssey marketplace. Common choices include:
- Curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials
- Private tutoring or a teaching service
- Online classes and online learning programs, including approved out-of-state programs
- Test and exam fees
- Educational therapies not covered by insurance or benefits
- Fine arts and PE instruction, which have their own marketplace category
- Career and technical education, and transportation to approved providers
- Computers and software your homeschool program requires, up to $200 a year
Do TEFA students have to take a test?
Homeschool students do not. Private school students in grades 3 to 12 take a test every year. The Comptroller told homeschool applicants their child “would not have to report any standardized test results to the state”, and the program rules put the yearly test duty on private school students only.
Participating private schools give TEFA students in grades 3 to 12 a nationally norm-referenced test or STAAR. You are responsible for making sure the results reach Odyssey by the end of the program year, June 30, and with your permission the school can send them for you. Approved tests include STAAR, ACT, SAT, PSAT, CLT, i-Ready, TerraNova, Iowa, Stanford 10, NWEA MAP, Star and IXL Diagnostics. Options for students with special needs include Woodcock-Johnson, KTEA, WIAT-II, PIAT, BRIGANCE and STAAR Alternate 2. See Odyssey’s full list of approved tests.
A homeschooling family may also choose a participating private school, including an accredited online school, which brings the higher private school amount. The trade-off is the yearly test.
Which private school costs can TEFA pay?
Tuition, plus school fees that apply to every student as a condition of enrollment or are tied directly to instruction. This table follows the Comptroller’s tuition and fee guidelines:
| TEFA can pay | TEFA cannot pay |
|---|---|
| Tuition, enrollment and registration fees | Before or after school care, or other non-educational supervision |
| Book, curriculum, materials, supply and technology fees | Capital campaigns or fundraising |
| School activities and athletics tied to instruction | Parent organization membership fees |
| Tutoring, therapies or coursework provided by the school | Late payment or late pickup fees (Odyssey’s version of the guidelines) |
| Required uniforms and school-day breakfast or lunch | Jewelry and letterman jackets |
| Mandatory facility and security fees, graduation, transportation and assessment fees |
How the school charges you matters. In Odyssey, a school can request six fee types through the portal: enrollment, registration, lunch or meals, educational services (classes or tutoring), academic assessments, and transportation. Other items, such as uniforms, may be sold by the school as a marketplace vendor instead, so ask your school how it will charge for anything else.
If your uniform vendor sells TEFA uniform credits, buy only credits you will use in full, because leftover credit cannot be kept or refunded, according to the Comptroller’s uniform guidance. Schools may not charge a TEFA student more because of the award. Sibling, employee and parishioner discounts still apply, though a school may weigh the award when deciding financial aid.
How do I pay private school tuition and fees with TEFA?
Through your child’s Wallet in the Odyssey Parent Portal. The school sets the amounts, and you confirm them and send the payments:
- Get your child admitted. TEFA does not guarantee admission, and selecting a school in Odyssey does not enroll your child. Complete the school’s own admission process. The state and Odyssey are not part of your contract with the school.
- Let the school verify enrollment. The school confirms your child in Odyssey and enters the year’s tuition and fees.
- Confirm or deny the amount. If it is right, select Confirm. If it is wrong, select Deny and the school can correct it. Confirming does not send any money, according to Odyssey.
- Send tuition payments. In the Wallet, the Tuition section has a Make a Payment button. You choose each quarter how much goes to tuition and how much stays for the marketplace.
- Handle school fees. Fees the school requests show as School Requested Fees on your dashboard. Select Confirm, then Pay, or Dismiss if you are paying another way. Fee confirmations are non-refundable.
- Do it again next year. Odyssey clears tuition and fee amounts at the end of each school year, so your school enters them again, and you confirm them again.
You can also pay ahead. The Comptroller allows eligible expenses to be paid in advance, including using 2026-27 funds for 2027-28 tuition. If your child leaves the program, the school must return advance payments to the state. If tuition costs more than the award, you pay the difference.
Can I change schools or switch to homeschool during the year?
Yes, you can change approved schools at any time. Here is how it works, according to Odyssey’s tuition refund policy:
- Update the portal. Select the new school, or Homeschool, in the Odyssey Parent Portal. Odyssey then redirects future payments.
- Unused tuition goes back to your child’s wallet. For tuition already paid for time your child will not attend, the old school returns it through Odyssey. The money never comes to you directly.
- Some fees stay with the school. The school can keep registration and enrollment fees.
- Overpayments roll forward. If you overpaid while your child stays at the same school, it is settled against the next payment.
Switching settings is stricter. In 2026-27, the setting locked when applications closed. Families could move from private school down to homeschool/other, which drops the award to $2,000, but could not move up. Whether that changes for 2027-28 has not been announced. The Comptroller’s August 2026 budget request expects up to 4,200 children to switch from homeschool/other to a participating private school in the next two years, but no rule yet says how. Our key dates, waitlist and renewal guide tracks announcements.
How do I find a participating private school?
Search the Comptroller’s Participating School List, which had 2,766 schools as of October 5, 2026, or use the TEFA finder tool. Under the Comptroller’s rules, a participating private school must:
- Be accredited by an organization recognized by TEPSAC or TEA.
- Have operated a campus for at least two school years, in Texas or elsewhere.
- Give the yearly norm-referenced test to TEFA students in grades 3 to 12.
- Be located in Texas. Virtual schools need a Texas office.
If your child has an IEP, state law requires this notice: a private school is not subject to federal and state special education laws in the same way as a public school. Ask each school how it supports students with your child’s needs before you enroll.
What is the 10% technology limit?
State law caps one kind of spending: technology, at 10% of the year’s account amount. All tech bought with TEFA shares that limit, so for a homeschool student’s $2,000 it is $200 a year. Under the Comptroller’s rules, devices must be required by a provider or vendor, or prescribed by a physician. Odyssey counts laptops, tablets, desktops, monitors, webcams, printers, headphones, cameras, calculators, internet hotspots, software and computer accessories toward the limit, and also limits 3D printers to one per year. Restricted items show a notice on the product page, and a purchase over the limit may not be approved, so add up a laptop and software together before you check out.
Can TEFA pay for tutoring and therapy?
Yes to both, with one difference. Tutoring is covered with no separate cap beyond your child’s balance. Educational therapies are covered only for the part that insurance, Medicaid, CHIP, other benefits or a public school do not pay.
Senate Bill 2 lists “fees for services provided by a private tutor or teaching service” as an approved expense, in both settings. Private school students can use what is left after tuition for tutoring, therapies or online learning, and tutoring provided by the school can also be paid as a school fee. Under the Comptroller’s Educator Credential Policy, the lead educator must be a current or retired employee of an accredited school or college, or hold a relevant credential, and anyone who works with your child must pass a TEFA fingerprint background check. Our guide on how to use your TEFA funds in Odyssey to pay for tutoring walks through buying lessons.
For therapy, the Comptroller’s rules define educational therapies as treatment by or at the direction of a licensed physician or licensed therapist to address your child’s academic performance. The marketplace has separate categories for Behavioral, Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy.
Texas Education Freedom Accounts
Use your TEFA funds for 1-on-1 tutoring
- Approved TEFA vendor
- The same teacher every week
- A plan built from your child’s schoolwork
★★★★★4.9 from 250 Google reviews$0out of pocket, paid from your TEFA account
How do I check if something is covered before I buy?
If it is listed in the TEFA marketplace, the Comptroller has already reviewed the vendor and the offering. To check anything else:
- Search the marketplace. Use the Search bar or browse the categories, and read the listing’s vendor, description, and return and cancellation policy.
- Watch the limits. Add up technology purchases against the 10% limit, and remember Odyssey’s $1,200 instrument cap.
- Ask for it to be added. If a product or vendor you want is missing, email Odyssey to request it, or ask the vendor to apply.
- Ask the officials. Odyssey answers account and purchase questions at help.tx@withodyssey.com or 737-379-2362. The Comptroller answers program questions at educationfreedom@cpa.texas.gov.
At checkout, a purchase is approved only if it is an approved expense from a vendor in good standing and does not go over your child’s balance.
Bottom line
TEFA pays for tuition, curriculum, tutoring, tests, therapies not covered elsewhere, online programs and more, as long as you buy from an approved vendor in the Odyssey marketplace. For 2026-27, a homeschooled child gets $2,000 at once with no testing, and a private school child gets $10,474 in three installments with a yearly test in grades 3 to 12. State law caps only technology, at 10%, and there is no reimbursement for purchases made anywhere else.
How this guide was written
Written by Tutero’s Texas team. Tutero is an approved TEFA vendor. We check our guides against the Texas Comptroller’s official TEFA rules and program documents, and the Odyssey help center. Rules can change, so confirm details in your TEFA account before you buy.
Related guides: How to use your TEFA funds in Odyssey to pay for tutoring, TEFA eligibility, income limits and account amounts and TEFA for students with disabilities.
Your next step
See how families use TEFA for tutoring
Expert teachers, 1-on-1 and online, paid from your TEFA account with $0 out of pocket. How TEFA tutoring works.
Or keep reading: How to pay for tutoring with TEFA →
“With her teacher Lori, she’s focused. She never wants to miss a lesson.”
JillMom of Emma, 6th grade.svg)
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TEFA can pay for private school tuition and fees, textbooks and curriculum, required uniforms, private tutoring, academic tests, educational therapies not covered by benefits, online courses, transportation to approved providers, private school meals, and technology up to 10% of the year’s account amount. Every purchase must be from an approved vendor in the Odyssey marketplace.
Homeschool families can spend their $2,000 on any approved expense, such as curriculum, tutoring, online classes, test fees and therapies not covered elsewhere. Technology is limited to 10% of the account amount, which is $200 a year. Homeschool students are not required to take a standardized test.
TEFA pays $10,474 per student for 2026-27 at a participating private school, in three installments ending February 1, 2027. For a private school child with a current Texas IEP, your child’s TEFA account can hold up to $30,000 a year, though the Comptroller says most students receive less.
Yes, within the 10% technology limit in state law. Laptops, tablets, monitors, software and other tech share one cap of 10% of your child’s account amount for the year. The Comptroller’s rules say devices must be required by a provider or prescribed by a physician, and Odyssey says a purchase over the limit may not be approved.
Yes, for educational therapies, but only the part not covered by Medicaid, CHIP, other government benefits, private insurance or a public school. The marketplace has categories for Behavioral, Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy.
Yes. Select the new school in the Odyssey Parent Portal and Odyssey redirects future payments. The old school returns unused tuition to your child’s wallet through Odyssey and can keep registration and enrollment fees.
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