Texas' new school voucher program is drawing far more applications than it can fund, and most of the students seeking the money are already in private schools, according to state data.
The Texas Education Freedom Accounts, or TEFA, is a $1 billion program that gives families taxpayer money to help pay for private school tuition and other education costs. Applications opened on February 4 and run through March 17 for the 2026–27 school year.
In a little more than a month, more than 160,000 Texas families applied, far surpassing the 90,000-student cap set for the program's first year. Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock has said he expects TEFA to hit its limit quickly because of the strong interest, according to CBS News.
State data show that 79% of TEFA applicants are students who already attend private schools. Lawmakers who pushed for the program, including Governor Greg Abbott, had promoted vouchers as a way to help public school and homeschooled students move into private education options.
The new numbers suggest the first wave of funding will mostly subsidize families who have already left the public system, rather than driving a large, immediate shift out of public schools.
The law requires the Comptroller's Office to use a lottery and a priority system if applications exceed the available spots. Students with disabilities from lower-income families are placed first in line, followed by other low- and middle-income students.
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About 11% of all applicants, roughly 18,000 students, are children with disabilities from households at or below 500% of the federal poverty level. Overall, just 35% of applicants come from families earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level, meaning most applicants are from higher-income households, KSAT reported.
Families approved for TEFA can receive up to about $10,474 per year for education expenses, with higher amounts available for some students with disabilities. The money can be used for private school tuition, textbooks, tutoring, therapies, and other approved educational services.
More than 1,400 private schools across Texas have signed up to take part in the program so far, from pre-K through high school.
Public school advocates warn that the vouchers could still harm districts over time because state funding in Texas follows the student. Groups like Raise Your Hand Texas argue that any dollars shifted into vouchers reduce money available for teacher pay, tutoring, and other services in traditional public schools.
However, because most current applicants are already in private school, some analysts say the first-year impact on public school budgets may be smaller than originally feared, at least until more public school students begin to move, as per Raise Your Hand Texas.
