TEXAS — Applications for Texas’ statewide school voucher program will open Wednesday, allowing eligible families to use public funds for private school tuition and other education-related expenses beginning in the 2026–2027 school year.
The program, created under Senate Bill 2, establishes Texas Education Freedom Accounts that provide families with $10,474 per student annually for approved educational costs. Students with disabilities enrolled in approved private schools or prekindergarten or kindergarten programs may qualify for up to $30,000.
Approved expenses include private school tuition, textbooks, tutoring services, and certain transportation costs. To qualify, students must be U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country and eligible to attend a Texas public school, charter school, or pre-K program. Parents must reside in Texas.
State officials said any student may apply, but a lottery will be used if demand exceeds available funding. Priority will go first to students with disabilities from families earning up to about $240,000 annually for a household of four. Students from lower-income households earning about $60,000 will follow, then families earning up to $240,000. Higher-income families will receive funding only if money remains.
Applications will close March 17, and families will begin receiving funding notifications in early April. At least 25% of approved funds will be deposited into participant accounts starting in July, followed by 50% in October. The remaining funds are scheduled for release by April 2027. More than 1,600 schools across the state are eligible to participate in the program.
The voucher initiative was a major issue during the 2025 legislative session. Public school advocates and several rural lawmakers opposed the measure, arguing it could redirect taxpayer funding from public schools. Hundreds of opponents testified at a Texas House hearing and organized protests during the legislative process.
Supporters, including Gov. Greg Abbott, said the program expands parental choice and increases family control over education decisions. Abbott made school choice a priority during the 2025 session and signed the measure into law in May 2025 after previous efforts to pass similar legislation failed.
