Texas school choice program rollout begins

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(The Center Square) – The Texas Comptroller’s Office, which manages Texas’ new Education Savings Account program, has begun rolling out the program under Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock. 

Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature created the state’s first ESA program, which Hancock says has been formally named the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program.

The program, which becomes effective in the 2026–27 school year, provides taxpayer-funded ESA grants of $10,000 to roughly 100,000 students through a pilot program the legislature passed this year. The program makes funds available to eligible parents to send their child to a school of their choice. Funds may be used for private school tuition, educational expenses for homeschoolers, tutoring, career and technical education programs, among other expenses. 

“We’re moving quickly to launch this program, keeping the end goal in sight every step of the way – giving parents the freedom to choose the best educational path for their children to reach their God-given potential,” Hancock said. “This is about empowering families, expanding opportunity and making sure every child can learn in the environment that works best for them.

“It’s an exciting new chapter for education in Texas – designed to put parents in the driver’s seat. Texas is taking a bold step to expand educational opportunities.” 

The comptroller’s office announced that it has selected Odyssey as the certified educational assistance organization to assist with administering the program. Odyssey will support parents, schools, service providers and state administrators, the comptroller’s office said. It will roll out a portal and provide customer support, assisting with the application process and tuition payments.  

The online portal will provide information about the application process, access to the application, a search engine for eligible schools and service providers, and a centralized process to pay for eligible education expenses.  

Applications are expected to open in early 2026. 

Parents or legal guardians will have the opportunity to apply for TEFA on behalf of children who are U.S. citizens or legal residents, the comptroller’s office states. However, the Texas Constitution does not prevent public school education or taxpayer money from funding or providing education for children who are in the country illegally. 

The comptroller’s office states that children who are “eligible to attend a Texas public school, open-enrollment charter school or pre-K program” may apply. 

Odyssey CEO Joseph Connor says the company has “successfully served hundreds of thousands of students across the nation, we are ready to deliver a user-friendly and trustworthy platform that can ensure a seamless rollout.”

It says it has successfully managed school choice programs in Iowa, Georgia, Louisiana, Utah and Wyoming. “Its mobile-first platform will provide each approved TEFA recipient with a secure digital wallet featuring real-time balances and transaction details, offering access to an e-commerce marketplace where parents can shop on behalf of multiple students,” the comptroller’s office explains.  

TEFA is also providing updates about service providers and vendors, outreach to parents, students and private and charter schools. 

Millions of dollars in additional resources have also been provided to organizations assisting parents in Texas interested in participating in the new ESA program, The Center Square reported.