Texas School Choice · Magnolia, TX
Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) at Our Little Red Schoolhouse – Tamina
TEFA is Texas’s education savings account program. It gives approved families state funds to spend on private school tuition — including accredited private kindergarten. Here is exactly how it works, who qualifies, and what it means for families in Magnolia, Conroe, and The Woodlands.
The short version
For the 2026–27 school year, TEFA provides $10,474 per child toward tuition at an approved private school, and up to $30,000 for a student with a qualifying disability. Kindergarten and older students qualify under broad eligibility rules. Prekindergarten students must meet much narrower criteria.
The 2026–27 application window closed on March 31, 2026. A window for the next school year has not yet been announced by the Texas Comptroller.
How much does TEFA pay?
Award amounts are set by the state, not by the school. For the 2026–27 school year the Texas Comptroller published these figures:
Funds are released in three installments rather than all at once: 25% on July 1, 25% on October 1, and the remaining 50% on February 1.
Can I use TEFA for private kindergarten?
Yes. Kindergarten students qualify under TEFA’s general eligibility rules — a child must be a U.S. citizen or lawfully present, and eligible to attend a Texas school district or open-enrollment charter school. There is no additional category test at kindergarten, unlike prekindergarten.
This matters at Our Little Red Schoolhouse – Tamina because we are Middle States accredited. That accreditation qualifies us as an accredited private school for the purposes of Texas compulsory attendance, so families can choose us for kindergarten instead of their zoned public school — in full Spanish immersion, with the same teachers and curriculum your child already knows.
Provider status: [[VERIFY — confirm and replace this line]] Contact us and we will confirm our current TEFA provider status and which programs it covers for your child.
Does TEFA cover preschool or prekindergarten?
Sometimes, but the rules are much narrower than for kindergarten. A prekindergarten student must be 3 to 5 years old as of September 1 of the school year and meet at least one of the state’s qualifying categories. Meeting the age requirement alone is not enough.
A prekindergarten child qualifies if they:
- Are from a household that meets National School Lunch Program income requirements, or qualify through SNAP or TANF
- Are unable to speak and understand English well enough to fully participate in an English-language classroom
- Have a parent or legal guardian currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces
- Have a parent who is missing in action, or was injured or killed while serving on active duty
- Are currently in foster care in Texas, or were previously in foster care
- Are experiencing homelessness, regardless of where the family is temporarily living
- Have a parent recognized as a Star of Texas Award recipient
- Are the child of a classroom teacher at a Texas public primary or secondary school
Participation in Early Childhood Special Education is not on its own an eligibility criterion for prekindergarten TEFA funding.
If your child does not meet one of these categories, they are not eligible for TEFA at the prekindergarten level — but they may become eligible once they reach kindergarten.
Does being eligible mean I get the money?
Not automatically. Demand has exceeded available funding, so the state awards accounts by priority tier, and allocates by random lottery within a tier when that tier is oversubscribed. Applications are ranked in this order:
| Priority | Who it covers |
|---|---|
| 1 | Children with a qualifying disability, in a household at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level |
| 2 | Children in a household at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level |
| 3 | Children in a household between 200% and 500% of the Federal Poverty Level |
| 4 | Children in a household at or above 500% of the Federal Poverty Level |
We would rather you hear this plainly: many Magnolia and Woodlands families fall into tier 3 or tier 4, which means applying is worthwhile but an award is not guaranteed. In the program’s first year the state received far more applications than it could fund and maintains a waitlist, from which additional families are funded as awards are declined.
When can I apply for TEFA?
The application window for the 2026–27 school year ran from February 4 to March 31, 2026 and is now closed. The Texas Comptroller has not yet announced dates for the following school year. Based on the first cycle, an early-in-the-year window is the reasonable expectation.
The program is administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, with Odyssey serving as the certified educational assistance organization that handles applications and payments. Applications are submitted to the state, not to the school.
Want to be ready for the next window?
Tell us your child’s age and we’ll let you know when the next TEFA application period opens, confirm which of our programs the funds can be applied to, and show you the classroom while you’re deciding.
TEFA questions Magnolia parents ask
Is TEFA the same thing as a school voucher?
Functionally similar, but structured as an education savings account. Rather than a coupon handed to a school, the state funds an account in the child’s name that families spend on approved education expenses, including private school tuition. Texas calls it a Texas Education Freedom Account.
Can TEFA pay for daycare or infant care?
No. TEFA funds education for students eligible to attend a Texas school district or an eligible prekindergarten program. Infant, toddler, and general childcare are outside the program. Our infant and toddler programs are private-pay.
Do I apply through the school?
No. Families apply directly to the state through Odyssey, the certified educational assistance organization appointed by the Texas Comptroller. We can help you understand the process and confirm our provider status, but the application and the award decision are the state’s.
Does my child have to leave public school to use TEFA?
A TEFA award for private school tuition is for a student attending an approved private school. Because we hold Middle States accreditation, kindergarten here satisfies Texas compulsory attendance requirements as an accredited private school.
My child is three. Should I apply?
Only if they meet one of the eight prekindergarten categories listed above — income, English learner, active-duty military, foster care, homelessness, Star of Texas, or teacher’s child. If not, wait until kindergarten, when the broad eligibility rules apply instead.
Can TEFA be combined with other assistance?
Rules on combining TEFA with other public assistance are set by the state and can change. Ask us about your specific situation and we will point you to the current state guidance rather than guess.