Texas has funded Education Freedom Accounts for 85,344 students ahead of the 2026-27 school year after receiving approximately 274,000 applications, according to the state’s first annual demographic report.
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines released the report Saturday, the same day he was sworn in as the state’s chief financial officer. The figures represent a July 29 snapshot, and participation will continue to rise as additional families receive awards and confirm enrollment.
Record demand during inaugural year
More than 248,000 students qualified for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, commonly known as TEFA. The report showed that the program had issued more than 122,000 awards and funded 85,344 student accounts as of July 29.
Some families had received awards but had not yet confirmed their children’s participation. The comptroller’s office plans to update the figures before the 90th Texas Legislature convenes.
“Parents from every walk of life are demanding the power to direct their children’s education,” Huffines said in a statement provided to The Dallas Express. “Giving all parents the power to choose the right education for their child encourages schools to compete and deliver better results for all students. The initial success of this program speaks for itself.”
More than 121,000 eligible students remained on the program’s year-one waiting list as officials continued issuing awards and funding accounts. The report described it as the country’s largest school choice waiting list, further demonstrating the level of demand for education freedom in Texas.
The comptroller’s office said the funded total makes TEFA the country’s third-largest education savings account system and the largest Day One program of its kind in U.S. history.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, TEFA received more than 100,000 applications less than two weeks after the application period opened in February.
Senate Bill 2 established TEFA with $1 billion in taxpayer money. Participating private-school students generally receive $10,474 for the 2026-27 school year. Eligible private-school students with individualized education programs may receive up to $30,000, while homeschooled and other qualifying students receive $2,000.
Low-income families lead participation
Approximately 80% of funded students, representing about 68,000 children, live in households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Under the 2026 guidelines, that equals $66,000 annually for a family of four. Another 17,300 funded students live in households earning between 201% and 500% of the federal poverty level. Fewer than 30 participants came from households above 500%, and those children received awards alongside eligible siblings as required by state law.
Nearly one in four participating students has a qualifying disability. The report identified 20,700 funded students with disabilities in the program’s highest-priority tier.
North Texas families account for thousands of participants. Parent-reported district data include 2,645 students from Dallas ISD, 1,764 from Fort Worth ISD, 1,140 from Plano ISD, 1,021 from Garland ISD and 888 from Arlington ISD.
“No Texas child should be trapped in a failing school or forced to attend a school that is unable to provide the services they need to address disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or auditory processing disorders. I am committed to improving and growing this program so every Texas child can have the opportunity to reach their dreams,” Huffines said.
Families interested in participating during future application periods can join the interest list through the official TEFA website.
Provided by Dallas Express
