Texas has awarded the first round of school vouchers to over 42,000 students as part of its new education program prioritizing low- and middle-income families and students with disabilities.
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More than 42,000 students have received the first round of awards under the state’s new voucher program.
In a Thursday news release, Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock said more than 42,600 students will receive notices this week under the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, including all students in the program’s top priority tier. That includes students with qualifying disabilities in households at or below 500 percent of the federal poverty level, as well as their siblings.
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“The Legislature made low- and middle-income students with disabilities the first priority for the first year of school choice here in Texas, and that is exactly where this process starts,” Hancock said. “These awards put tens of thousands of Texas families one step closer to the educational path that works best for their children.”
Demographics breakdown of award recipients
A fact sheet based on Priority Tier 1 applications shows that 51 percent of recipients are below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, while 49 percent fall between 200 and 500 percent of the federal poverty level.
In the first round, 63 percent of applicants are students with documented disabilities, while 37 percent are siblings of students with disabilities.
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More than half—53 percent—of applicants were attending public school prior to applying. Meanwhile, 74 percent said they plan to use the funds for private schooling, while 26 percent said they will use them for homeschooling or other educational options.
Texas has awarded the first round of school vouchers to over 42,000 students as part of its new education program prioritizing low- and middle-income families and students with disabilities.
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Nearly half of the applicants, 42 percent, were white. Twenty-five percent were Hispanic, 16 percent were Black, 12 percent were multiracial, four percent were Asian or Pacific Islander and one percent were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
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Houston ISD ranks highest for total applications
More than 270,000 applications have been submitted statewide, according to application insights from Hancock’s office. Of the total submitted applications, 12,267 come from the Houston Independent School District—the district with the highest number of applications across the Lone Star State.
In the Priority Tier 1 applications, Houston ISD also ranks top for the number of applications: 1,558. Following Houston is Dallas ISD with 1,113 applications, Northside ISD-San Antonio with 1,139 applications and Fort Bend ISD with 1,048 applications.
Students, educators and policy makers rally for school choice at the Texas Capitol on Friday advocating a voucher plan where parents could choose to remove children from low-performing public schools into better charter schools. The Texas Comptroller has released a list of student demographics for those awarded in the Priority Tier 1.
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Several other Houston-area districts ranked high on the list of application totals, including Cypress-Fairbanks ISD with 914 applications, Katy ISD with 809 applications and Conroe ISD with 742 applications.
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What’s next?
Hancock said additional families will receive TEFA award notifications in the coming weeks.
The comptroller’s office will conduct a lottery using an independent agency the week of April 27 to determine which students in the second tier—lower-income households—will receive award notifications for the 2026-2027 school year.
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“The lottery also will assign waitlist positions to the remaining students in tier 2 and below,” the release reads. “Students who receive awards will have until July 15 to confirm enrollment in a participating private school, select homeschool/other (which qualifies them for $2,000 in funding) or opt out of the program.”
If awarded and students opt out, funding will become available for students moving off the waitlist.