Texas Education Freedom Accounts

Yesterday’s announcement of nearly 15,000 additional TEFA awards brought up several common questions. Here are some quick answers:

𝟏. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭?
So far, more than 45,000 students have received awards since the waitlist was first created. All students still on the waitlist have moved up that number of spots from their original positions. Odyssey will notify all waitlisted families of their updated waitlist positions over the next week.

𝟐. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬?
Our goal is to accommodate as many students as possible in Year 1 while giving families reasonable time to make educational decisions and confirm enrollment for the coming school year.

𝟑. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬?
The program will continue issuing awards to students on the waitlist until all available funding has been allocated to participating students. Waitlisted families who receive an award will have four weeks from the date of their award to opt in and confirm enrollment.

𝟒. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫?
Our ability to serve students in future years depends on funding decisions made by the Texas Legislature. Students who do not participate this year will need to reapply in future years.

Learn more and read the full update:

Nearly 15,000 Additional TEFA Awards Issued to Tier 3 Students The Comptroller’s office has awarded almost 15,000 additional Texas Education Freedom Accounts to students who were initially placed on the waitlist.

We've funded almost 15,000 additional waitlisted students! Log in to your parent portal to check for an updated status and award notification.

𝟏. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐄𝐅𝐀 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐱 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝?
Yes, purchases of most school supplies, clothing, footwear, and backpacks sold for less than $100 are exempt from state sales tax when purchased during the Texas Sales Tax Holiday.
https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-490/

𝟐. 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐢𝐧, 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝?
After you opt in, select a school, and the school confirms your participation, your account will be funded in our next scheduled batch. We're funding accounts every couple of weeks, and sooner when possible.

𝟑. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞?
We have worked with Odyssey to source laptops under $200, and in some cases they have secured only-in-Texas pricing to make affordable laptops accessible to participating families. However, laptops under $200 are in high demand, so the vendors may run out of stock. Odyssey and the Comptroller's office are working with vendors to find additional opportunities for the low-cost laptops.

𝟒. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐝𝐲𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭?
Every email platform manages its own spam filters. To ensure a sender's messages bypass the junk folder, you must add them to the Safe Senders list, Contacts, or create a bypass filter in that specific platform. The steps vary by provider:
• 𝐆𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥: Open the sender's email, click the three dots in the top right of the message, and click "Add [Name] to Contacts." You can also set up a rule by going to Settings, selecting "Filters and Blocked Addresses", and creating a rule to "Never send it to spam".
• 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 (𝐖𝐞𝐛): Go to Settings > Mail > Junk email. Under "Safe senders and domains," click "Add" and enter the email address or domain.
• 𝐘𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐥: Open the email and hover over the sender's name to click "Add to contacts."

𝟏. 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩! 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐭-𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝟕/𝟏𝟓, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐝𝐨?
Unfortunately, your private school award amount has expired, and your account has moved to the Homeschool/Other award amount, which is $2,000. If you still want to accept the TEFA award at this amount you must opt in by July 31st, or the award will fully expire.

𝟐. 𝐀𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐝𝐨?
First, contact Odyssey at [email protected] and let them know what you’re looking for. While we cannot guarantee that a particular item will be added, the team will review the request and work to source it for the Marketplace. Then, if you know a vendor that sells the item or service you need, please reach out to them directly and invite them to apply to participate in the Marketplace.

𝟑. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐈 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐝𝐲𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐈’𝐦 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬?
You can change schools at any time through the dropdown menu in your parent portal. Please note that you will not be able to spend money on the marketplace or pay tuition until your new school confirms your participation.

We’re proud to partner with dedicated TEFA Marketplace vendors who are helping families access high-quality educational products and services across Texas.

Thank you to our vendors for supporting students, empowering parents, and expanding educational opportunities through the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program.

💬Read what one of our marketplace vendors had to say about their experience participating in TEFA.

How to Opt In to the TEFA Program

If your student was awarded a TEFA account prior to June 22, you must complete the opt-in process in your Odyssey Parent Portal to claim your award by midnight, tonight.

Follow these simple steps:

1️⃣ Log in to your Odyssey Parent Portal.
2️⃣ In the Announcements section, find the message about confirming participation.
3️⃣ Click "Confirm Participation."
4️⃣ Review the students listed and make sure the information is correct.
5️⃣ Check the required acknowledgment boxes and click "Continue."
6️⃣ Review your selections one final time and click "Confirm."

Once completed, your student's status will change from "Approved, Awaiting Opt-In" to "Approved."

👇 See the graphic below for a visual of the Announcements Section.

📢Important TEFA Award Update📢

If you requested Odyssey to change your award from a private school ($10,474 or more) to a homeschool/other ($2,000), Odyssey is actively processing those requests.

You will not lose your $2,000 homeschool/other award if your account has not yet been updated and you are unable to opt in today.

For families who were awarded before June 22 and plan to use their full private school award ($10,474 or more), action is required TODAY. To claim your award, log in to your Odyssey parent portal, opt in, and select your participating private school.

For assistance, please contact Odyssey Support at [email protected]

🚨If you have a TEFA award, this Wednesday is the last day to claim it!

Log in to the Odyssey platform ASAP to select your child’s school AND opt in for next school year.

Don’t let your award expire because you missed a step!🚨

𝟏. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥?
If you were awarded before June 22, you have until Wednesday, July 15 to confirm your school. Please do this ASAP!

𝟐. 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩! 𝐌𝐲 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝! 𝐖𝐡𝐲?
You didn’t do anything wrong! The Office of the Comptroller and Odyssey are not cancelling orders. If your order was cancelled, it was likely due to a stock issue or a price change. You can reorder the item now!

𝟑. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐈 𝐛𝐮𝐲 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐩, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞?
TEFA technology purchases are capped at 10% of student’s funding award. For Homeschool/Other parents, that cap is $200. The cap is in the law, so we cannot make changes or exceptions.

𝟒. 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐄𝐅𝐀 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠?
Thanks for checking! No, you cannot. Students who receive state funding to attend district, charter or virtual schools are not eligible for TEFA and should notify Odyssey ASAP.

𝟓. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥/𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭?
Yes, but there’s a caveat! The Texas Legislature determines our budget, so whether your student can get increased funding depends on the funding approved for the program.