Texas’ new school voucher initiative, officially known as the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, has drawn massive interest from families across the state.
So far, more than 244,132 families have applied and over 2,200 schools have signed up to participate, with private schools being a central part of the voucher ecosystem.
“Crossing the 200,000-student mark shows just how strongly Texas families are responding to the opportunity for more educational freedom,” Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock said. “Our team has worked to stand up a program that is transparent, accountable and focused on student success.”
But while the number of applicants indicates high demand, early data suggest that the majority are not currently enrolled in public schools.
According to data obtained by the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency (TXCVT) from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, application data for the voucher program show that as of March 4, 60,605 (out of 5.5 million students) Texas public and charter school families had submitted applications for the state’s voucher program.
This means that approximately 1% of public school families in Texas have applied.
The data also highlights a significant difference between voucher applicants and Texas public school population:
- Nearly 50% of voucher applications indicate white students, when the most recent data from the Texas Education Agency’s Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) shows that 24% of Texas public school students are white.
- 75% come from families not enrolled in public schools, including private school students, homeschooled students, and students never enrolled in school.
“These numbers tell a clear story: Texas families trust and rely on their neighborhood public schools. Texas public schools educate students of every race, income level, ability, and background, while the latest voucher application data shows that applicants largely come from families not enrolled in public school and not representative of the diversity of local public schools.”
Dee Carney, Director of the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency
“These numbers tell a clear story: Texas families trust and rely on their neighborhood public schools,” said Dee Carney, Director of the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency. “Texas public schools educate students of every race, income level, ability, and background, while the latest voucher application data shows that applicants largely come from families not enrolled in public school and not representative of the diversity of local public schools.”
The $1 billion program, created under Senate Bill 2 during the 2025 Texas legislative session, allows families to use public funds to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, or other approved educational services.
Currently, TEFA funding has already surpassed the $1 billion approved by state lawmakers.
“The TEFA program receiving more than 100,000 applications in less than two weeks proves that families overwhelmingly want school choice,” said Governor Greg Abbott, who has long been a proponent of school vouchers. “Through this program, families will receive funds to send their children to a school that is the best fit for them…Texas families are now more in control of their child’s academic success, regardless of their location or income.”
The program
Families selected for the program will receive roughly $10,474 per child annually to cover private school tuition or other approved education expenses. Students with disabilities could receive up to $30,000, while homeschool families can receive smaller stipends, typically around $2,000.
Because applications exceed available funding, the state plans to allocate vouchers through a priority system and lottery, prioritizing students with disabilities and those from low- and middle-income households.
A 2024 survey from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs and Texas Southern University shows Black adults were more likely to agree with arguments against school vouchers, but still supported them. Per the survey, 70% of Black adults support creating a school voucher program available to all Texas families, and 72% support vouchers targeted specifically to low-income households.
At the same time, many Black families expressed concerns that vouchers could divert funding from already-struggling public schools or provide limited accountability for how public money is used.
Record-breaking demand across Texas
The Texas Comptroller’s office opened the application portal in early February 2026, triggering a wave of interest from parents. Within the first day alone, more than 42,000 students applied, setting a national record for the launch of a new school choice program.
Demand continued to surge in the following weeks. State officials reported more than 130,000 applications midway through the six-week application window, with numbers continuing to climb toward the March deadline.
By mid-March, the number of applicants had surpassed 200,000 statewide.
But not every family that applies will participate in the program. Roughly 90,000 to 100,000 students are expected to get into the program in the first year.
TEFA extended its deadline after a judge in Houston issued a court order related to the prevention of Islamic schools from participating. Four Muslim parents and three private schools sued Texas leaders, claiming Islamic private schools were excluded from participating in the voucher program. The new deadline is March 31, 2026. Over 244,000 Texans have applied as of the deadline extension announcement.
After applications close, the Comptroller’s office will allocate funding to eligible families through a lottery that prioritizes students with disabilities and students in low- and middle-income families:
- Students with disabilities from families at or below 500% of the federal poverty level (around $160,000 for a family of four)
- Families at or below 200% of the poverty level (about $64,300 for a family of four)
- Families between 200% and 500% of the poverty level (~$64,300-$160,000)
- Families earning above 500% of poverty, capped at 20% of the program’s budget (roughly $156,000 – $160,000)
The office will then report the waitlist to the Texas Legislature to determine funding for upcoming years.
“We’re expecting to sell out in year one,” Hancock said. “We are also laying a strong foundation for school choice in Texas to flourish for years to come.”
Many applicants already attend private or homeschool programs
One of the most notable findings from early data is that a large share of applicants are not currently enrolled in public schools.
Analyses of application data show that roughly 75% of applicants come from families whose children are already in private schools, are homeschooled, or have not yet entered public school.
Only about 25% of applicants are students currently attending public schools, according to TXCVT.
Houston and other metro areas lead the application
Large urban areas are producing the most applicants for the new voucher program.
Houston, in particular, has emerged as a major hub of interest, with more than 38,000 applications coming from the region and 678 schools participating.
Within the region, Houston ISD alone accounts for more than 11,00 applicants, with neighboring districts such as Fort Bend ISD also seeing over 7,000 families apply.
Other cities are also reporting significant interest. In the San Antonio region, for example, more than 23,000 applications have been submitted, according to local reports. In the Austin education service region, the number of applicants is over 18,000 and over 8,000 in Dallas.
