An Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) provides parents of students in non-public Texas schools a publicly-funded, government-authorized savings account with restricted, but multiple, uses for their children’s education. The TEFA program will be administered on behalf of the State by a Certified Educational Assistance Organization (CEAO), selected by the Comptroller.

Link: TEFA for Families

According to the TEFA information page, the state’s family application portal opened on February 4, 2026, and closed on March 31, 2026. Families will be notified of their award in early April. Here are key elements of the program based on information currently published by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts:

• Texas Education Agency (TEA) currently estimates that the students who qualify will receive $10,474.
• Students with documented disabilities who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) on file with their school district may receive up to $30,000.
• Participation by families is optional, and acceptance into TEFA does not guarantee admission to Shelton.

Shelton’s admissions criteria, curriculum and high-quality multisensory instruction will not change as a result of TEFA participation.

• February 2, 2026 — TEA’s APEX-ESA IEP upload system opens for school districts
• February 4, 2026 — TEFA family application portal opens
• March 31, 2026 — TEFA family application portal closes; APEX-ESA upload deadline for school districts
• By the end of April — Families will be notified of their award
• Beginning May 11, 2026 — Participating parents will be able to log into their Odyssey portal to accept their TEFA funds and make their final school selection.
• June 1, 2026 — Parents must confirm enrollment at a TEFA-participating private school.
• July 15, 2026 — Final deadline for students without a confirmed placement by June 1 to select a private school.
• 2026–27 school year — Funds may first be used for approved educational expenses

Link: www.educationfreedom.texas.gov/#approved-expenses

The TEFA family application portal opened on February 4, 2026, and closed on March 31, 2026. Applications will be submitted online at EducationFreedom.Texas.Gov. 

Here is the link to the TEFA application assistance video for families, along with the link to a parent application guide on the comptroller’s website.

aUnder rules outlined by the Texas Comptroller’s Office of Public Accounts, families seeking the enhanced disability award (up to $30,000) must provide documentation issued by a Texas public school district:

• To qualify for the supplemental disability award, a child must have a district-issued Individualized Education Program (IEP) on file with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) before the application period ends and meet the income requirements.
• Private psychoeducational evaluations — including those many Shelton students already hold — do not meet TEFA’s documentation requirements for supplemental disability-based awards. Review the Texas Private Schools Association Q&A at this link.
• Shelton does not upload IEPs or any testing to TEA. TEA’s guidance directs Texas public school districts (school systems) to upload IEP documentation when required. Families should work directly with their local public school district regarding evaluations, IEP development and TEA submission. Learn more at this link.
• New — TEFA documentation update: On Jan. 26, 2026, the Texas Private Schools Association reported that the Texas Comptroller and the Texas Education Agency have clarified that additional TEFA funding requires an IEP dated from the 2023–24, 2024–25 or 2025–26 school years and issued by a Texas public school district or charter school. For prioritization only (not increased funding), an IEP of any date, an FIIE, an out-of-state IEP or a completed disability priority form will suffice. The disability form must be completed by a licensed professional and is available here, with instructions here and here.
• Questions may be directed to disabilityform.tefa@cpa.texas.gov
• Families should carefully review their child’s full evaluation report and the TEFA Disability Certification form instructions to ensure all applicable disability categories are accurately identified. Students may qualify under more than one category, including ADHD under Other Health Impairment, emotional disabilities such as anxiety or depression, or speech and language impairments.

• If you are submitting a Disability Certification Form to Shelton for a Shelton teacher’s signature, the form must first be completed and signed by the licensed professional who is documenting or diagnosing the disability. The Disability Certification form must be submitted to Shelton by March 27.

  Once completed, please send the form to the appropriate Shelton TEFA contact:

  • Lower School: Tobin Womble, twomble@shelton.org

  • Middle School: Dyana Payne, dpayne@shelton.org

  • Upper School: Terri Wilson, tewilson@shelton.org  

Requests for Shelton teachers to complete Teacher Evaluation Forms should also be sent to the appropriate Shelton TEFA contact listed above, rather than directly to individual teachers. The Teacher Evaluation Form must be submitted to Shelton by March 27.

We encourage families who believe their child may qualify for disability-based funding to begin the process of securing the necessary documentation from their local public school district. 

The Texas Private Schools Association offers tips for parents of students with disabilities at this link. 

Link: www.accessible-educationtx.com/post/tefa-school-voucher-final-rules-what-parents-of-children-with-disabilities-need-to-know

APEX-ESA is a Texas Education Association (TEA) system used by Texas public school districts to upload IEP documentation for families applying for TEFA. TEA uses this information to communicate disability-related funding entitlement to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Learn more at this link.

According to the TEFA information page, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts will oversee the TEFA program. Odyssey was selected as the certified educational assistance organization that will help with administration of the program under the Comptroller’s oversight.

For a student enrolled in an eligible school, the standard award is estimated at $10,474. A child with disabilities will be given up to $30,000, and home-schooled participants will receive $2,000.

Link: www.educationfreedom.texas.gov/

Families are responsible for paying any remaining balance to Shelton using Shelton’s regular payment methods and schedules.

No. TEFA may reduce a family’s out-of-pocket tuition cost, but it will not cover the full cost of a Shelton education.

No. Shelton's admissions criteria, curriculum and multisensory instructional model remain unchanged. 

TEFA eligibility does not guarantee admission to Shelton. 

TEFA award notifications will be sent directly to families by Odyssey through the TEFA portal, not by Shelton. Notifications are expected to begin in early April, though it may take several days for all families to receive their messages. Families will learn their total award amount at that time.

Based on current information from TEFA, TEFA funds are scheduled to be distributed as follows:

• July 1, 2026: 25%

• Oct. 1, 2026: 25%

• April 1, 2027: Remaining balance

Payments will go directly from the parent’s TEFA account to Shelton through the TEFA system.

Parents who receive an “ineligible status” notification on their TEFA application should contact Odyssey directly for assistance.

Odyssey Contact Information:
Email: help.tx@withodyssey.com
Phone: 737-379-2362

• Visit the TEFA website and sign up for family updates.
• The Texas Private Schools Association (TPSA) also offers information and resources:
  • TPSA: Question and Answer page 
  • TPSA: A Guide to TEFA
  • TPSA: How to Get an IEP for Your Child
     

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• For program questions, contact the Texas Comptroller’s office at educationfreedome@cpa.texas.gov
• For questions on your application or eligibility, contact the Odyssey support line at 737-379-2362 or help.tx@withodyssey.com
• Questions about the TEFA disability form may be directed to disabilityform.tefa@cpa.texas.gov
• For questions about Shelton and TEFA, enter questions at this link.
• For questions about Shelton tuition assistance, email dliese@shelton.org
   
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