Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced on May 4 that more than 53,000 additional students will receive Texas Education Freedom Accounts for the 2026-27 school year. This expansion increases access to the state’s first statewide school choice program in its inaugural year.
The announcement is significant as it demonstrates growing demand and participation in educational options for families across Texas. The new awards will be distributed from May 4 through May 6. Families who are selected will receive email notifications and can view updated status information, including funding amounts, in the program portal.
This week’s recipients are Tier 2 applicants, which includes students from households with incomes at or below twice the federal poverty level—$66,000 per year for a family of four. “Texas families have waited a long time for school choice, and the response to TEFA shows just how much this opportunity means to parents across our state,” Hancock said. “This first year is groundbreaking for Texas. More students will now have access to an education path that fits their needs, and the Comptroller’s office is working carefully to launch this program the right way and serve families well.”
Previously, more than 42,600 Tier 1 applicants—students with a disability and their siblings—were awarded accounts through the program. An updated fact sheet provides details on all students given awards so far.
Families who receive TEFA awards must confirm enrollment in a participating private school by July 15 or select homeschool or other options (which provides $2,000 in funding), or opt out of the program entirely. As some families make selections or resolve appeals, additional funds may become available for waitlisted students.
Due to high demand among Tier 2 applicants exceeding available funding, state law required that awards be determined by random lottery. Odyssey conducted this lottery using a process evaluated by data scientists from the Comptroller’s office; representatives from both the State Auditor’s Office and Ernst & Young observed proceedings.
All eligible applicants were included in this process using random number generation to assign sequential positions; siblings were grouped together based on household priority tier and position number. Awards were given until funds ran out; extra money was set aside specifically for appeals cases within thirty days of notification.
Hancock said these steps ensure fairness as well as transparency during implementation of this new initiative.
