Texas is extending school vouchers to 53,000 more students, but high demand means many families are still waitlisted.
AUSTIN, Texas — More than 53,000 additional students across Texas will receive school vouchers through the state’s new Texas Education Freedom Accounts program for the 2026–27 school year, expanding access in its inaugural year, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced Monday that notifications for the latest round of school voucher awards will be sent between May 4 and May 6. Families will receive email alerts and can check funding amounts and application status through the program’s online portal.
The newly awarded vouchers go to Tier 2 applicants — students from households earning at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, or about $66,000 annually 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.”
This latest round of school voucher awards builds on more than 42,600 Tier 1 students — children with disabilities and their siblings — who have already been approved.
A fact sheet released by the state shows students receiving vouchers are selecting a range of educational settings, including private schools as well as homeschool or other options, which receive $2,000 in funding.
The fact sheet also shows that many of the students awarded vouchers were not previously enrolled in public schools. Of the 51,181 applications in this group, 32% of students had prior public school experience, while 68% previously attended private school or were homeschooled.
Families who receive school vouchers must decide by July 15 whether to enroll in a participating private school, choose a homeschool or other option, or opt out of the program.
State officials say additional school voucher funding could become available for waitlisted students as families decline awards, resolve appeals or change their selections.
Because demand for Tier 2 vouchers exceeded available funding, awards were distributed through a randomized lottery, as required by state law. Each applicant was assigned a sequential position using a random number generator, with siblings grouped under the highest-priority applicant in their household.
The Comptroller’s office said the lottery was conducted by Odyssey and observed by agency leadership, the State Auditor’s Office and advisers from Ernst & Young.
Parents have 30 days from notification to appeal decisions related to voucher funding, eligibility or priority status.