SAN ANTONIO – Today is the last day to enroll your child in the state’s new private school voucher program after a judge ordered an extension.
So far, more than 257,000 students have applied for the program to receive vouchers worth $10,000 per child. The Texas Education Freedom Accounts help cover private school tuition or specialized education services, including the homeschool option. The application window closes tonight at 11:59 p.m.
The program is transforming how students across the state access tailored learning options. According to the state comptroller’s office, less than half of applicants are likely to be accepted. Applications will be prioritized through a need- and income-based lottery system, with the highest priority given to students with disabilities and lower-income families.
For this year, the program is capped at $1 billion. Some local charter schools are grateful to welcome new students.
Sister Bernadette Mota of St. John Bosco School said, “There’s a lot of excitement in the air right now, because this is giving us a great opportunity to have young people who otherwise couldn’t afford a Catholic education to receive that gift.”
The number of students remaining on the program’s waitlist could influence how much state lawmakers choose to spend on education savings accounts when they return to the Capitol in 2027.