(The Center Square) – Texas’ first school choice program launched on Wednesday with 20,000 students having applied by noon.
The program application process opened at 9 a.m. on Wednesday at EducationFreedom.Texas.Gov.
Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced the successful launch of Texas’ new Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program stating that nearly 8,000 applications were filed in the first hour. By noon, more than 20,000 students had applied “for the largest yar-one school choice initiative in the nation.”
The comptroller’s office is managing the program.
“Today marks an exciting new chapter for Texas families,” Hancock said. “The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program is about one simple idea: Every child deserves an education that fits their unique needs. By opening the application process, we’re putting parents in the driver’s seat and giving them more flexibility to choose the learning environment where their child can thrive.”
The program becomes effective in the 2026–27 school year and provides taxpayer-funded ESA grants of $10,000 to roughly 100,000 students through a pilot program created by a new law. ESA funds will be made available to eligible parents to send their child to a school of their choice, for private school tuition, educational expenses for homeschoolers, tutoring, career and technical education programs, among other expenses.
In the first 10 days of receiving educator applications, Hancock said roughly 600 private schools and prekindergarten providers and more than 200 education service providers, including tutors, had applied statewide. That number has since surpassed 1,400 and grows daily, The Center Square reported.
“With Texas Education Freedom Accounts, more parents can choose the learning environment that’s best for their child and more students will be able to reach their unique potential,” Gov. Greg Abbott said, lauding the program. “I encourage Texas families to apply for the program which puts parents in the driver’s seat of their child’s education. This program puts Texas on the pathway to become the No. 1 state for education.”
“Governor Abbott’s unwavering leadership made this moment possible for Texas families,” Hancock added. Hancock voted for the bill that established the program and dedicated $1 billion for it when he was a state senator. Abbott appointed him to the comptroller position last year; he’s running for the position in the March primary election.
For more than 20 years, both Republicans and Democrats in the Texas House opposed a taxpayer-funded subsidy to allow families to send their child to a private school of their choice, arguing funds would be taken away from public schools and that taxpayer money should not fund private school education.
The Texas Senate repeatedly passed a bill creating ESAs for several legislative sessions but it always died in the Republican-controlled House – until last year.
The tide turned in 2024 after Abbott campaigned for 16 House Republican candidates who challenged incumbents who opposed a bill he championed in 2023. Another five Republicans who opposed the bill didn’t run for reelection. Abbott’s endorsed Republican challengers won their primaries and runoff elections, vowing to vote for the state’s first ESA program, which they did.
The tide also turned after the Texas House elected a new speaker, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, who vowed that the ESA bill would pass the House, which it did last April. Burrows also traveled with Abbott statewide promoting the bill, pledging multiple times on social media that it would pass, The Center Square reported.
The Comptroller’s office has published an application checklist, a detailed guide and a video walk-through for families seeking to apply.
“Our office is moving at business speed to deliver a user-friendly experience for every family who wants to participate,” Hancock said. “We are committed to implementing this program responsibly and transparently so families across Texas can take full advantage of the opportunities ahead.”
Eligibility is based on economic need, not based on who applies first.
Applications are prioritized by economic thresholds with disabled and low-income students at the top of the prioritization list. A lottery system will be used if applications exceed available funding.
The application process ends March 17. The first award notifications are expected to be announced in early April.
