Homeschool reimbursement and benefits in Texas

The Texas Education Freedom Account awards homeschoolers $2,000 a year; 2026-27 applications closed March 31, 2026. Oversubscribed awards use priority groups and lotteries.

By Andrew Garber, founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed August 25, 2026.

Who qualifies

1. A Texas resident applies

   The applying parent, guardian, or legally authorized person must live in Texas.

2. Citizen or lawfully present

   The child must be a U.S. citizen or lawfully present.

3. School-age in Texas

   Eligible for a Texas district school, open-enrollment charter, or public pre-K.

4. Not enrolled in public school

   Apply as homeschool or other students; public-school, public pre-K, and public-kindergarten enrollment do not qualify on this route.

Awards by student

Homeschool, paid July 1

$2,000

Private school, 2026-27

$10,474

Private school, certain disabilities

Up to $30,000

Money you do not spend rolls over to the next school year while your child stays in the program.

From applying to keeping it

1. Feb 4 to Mar 31, 2026

   Apply

   Apply through Odyssey using a 2024 or 2025 Form 1040; pay stubs and W-2s were not accepted.

2. After March 31

   Priority and lottery

   If oversubscribed: children with disabilities at or below 500% of federal poverty level first, then income groups, with lotteries within groups.

3. Within 30 days

   Appeal a denial

   Appeal within 30 days of an ineligibility notice; decisions are final.

4. July 1, 2026

   Funds arrive

   Homeschool: full $2,000 at once. Private school: July, October, and February deposits.

5. Each year

   Stay in the program

   Good-standing participants confirm continuation; new families join the 2027-28 interest list.

What it pays for

Covered

• Textbooks and instructional materials
• Online courses and programs from approved providers
• Private tutoring
• Academic assessments
• Educational therapies not covered by Medicaid or other benefits
• Transportation to approved providers

Not covered

• Payments to a family member
• Providers that have not been accepted into the program
• Computers and software above the 10% limit

It is not a cash rebate to your family.

Families at or above 500% of the federal poverty level form the last priority group, and that group can receive at most 20% of the program's funding.

Good to know

• The money is not paid to your family

  The $2,000 sits in an account you spend through the program's marketplace, which pays approved providers. It is not a cash rebate, and it cannot pay a family member.

• Computers are capped at 10% of the award

  Computer hardware and software count, but only up to 10% of the money deposited that year: $200 of a $2,000 award.

Who to contact

The Texas Comptroller runs the program, and Odyssey handles applications, the parent portal, and purchases.

Contact TEFA

Local help in Texas

The local programs we have checked across the state cover college and dual credit, grants and scholarships, transportation, library resources, other services, recreation, and school services. Each local program sets its own rules for who qualifies. Search your ZIP code to see the ones that serve your address.

Search your ZIP code

The state's homeschool rules

You do not have to file a homeschool notice to the state.

• Subjects: Instruction in Texas must include reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship.
• Testing: No routine annual homeschool standardized test is required. UIL participation and public-school transfer can have separate testing requirements.
• Records: Texas does not require homeschool records, but keeping them is recommended.
• Teachers: Texas does not require homeschool parents to hold a teaching certificate.

Read the Texas homeschooling guide