Written by TEFA parents for TEFA parents. Not affiliated with the Texas Comptroller or Odyssey.
Welcome! If you’re a Texas parent navigating TEFA, you know how overwhelming it can be to find the information you actually need. We’re navigating it too, with both a homeschool student and a private school student in the program. After getting tired of searching Odyssey, official websites, and a dozen Facebook groups just to piece everything together, we decided to create a simpler way. Here, we’ll share updates, resources, vendors, and tips we wish we had from the start, all in one place!
Here’s what matters this week:
If you were awarded but have not confirmed yet: finish private-school enrollment or homeschool opt-in by Sept. 15 or funding is prorated to 75%.
If you are already funded and enrolled in private school: check the portal on Oct. 1 for the second 25% of funding.
OFFICIAL UPDATES
The Aug. 28 release added nearly 4,500 Tier 3 awards and set a Sept. 15 confirmation clock for the full funding amount.
Over 118,000 active awards; more than 109,000 already funded.
Source: Aug. 28 Comptroller release
IN THE NEWS
Comptroller requests doubling Texas school voucher program to $2 billion, adding $1 billion in base TEFA funding plus $226 million for current families in the 2028–29 budget request.
THE WAITLIST
Nearly 50,000 students have come off the waitlist since the first awards and more will continue as families opt-out or switch to homeschool.
The latest from our Texas TEFA Parents Community (Unofficial) Facebook Group:
Quick tips
Odyssey support can confirm your current waitlist range. See Odyssey contact info at the bottom of this email.
Log in and refresh your account frequently if your original waitlist position was around 50,000. You may see an update in the portal before you receive an official award email.
2027–28 dates are not posted and this year’s waitlist does not roll forward. Join the official 2027-28 interest list.
ONLINE OPTIONS
Tutoring: Growing Ready Learners supports PK-5th grade students with reading, math, handwriting, and homeschool support. Sessions are led by Texas-certified teachers, both online and in-person. Find Growing Ready Learners in the Odyssey marketplace to view packages and book a session.
Know a great online resource other TEFA parents should hear about? Tell us about it and we may feature it in an upcoming issue.
HOMESCHOOL
Planner: We’ve been using this Well Planned Gal spread to keep everything in one place: lessons, checklists, grades, our to-do list, and dinner plans. The extra space and weekend blocks actually fit how our week runs, so it stays realistic instead of turning into another thing we have to keep up with.
Dual-credit classes: A Facebook group for TEFA families working on one problem: getting dual-credit tuition actually paid through TEFA. Join to help bring dual-credit institutions to the marketplace.
LOCAL · SAN ANTONIO
Starting next week we’ll highlight local vendors our kids love, then feature a different part of Texas each issue. Send us your favorite schools, therapists, tutors, and classes from around the state.
TEFA RULES
This week: Purchase restrictions
Shared 10% tech cap — one bucket for the year, not 10% per item: headphones, cameras, laptops, tablets, desktops, monitors, webcams, printers, computer accessories, calculators, internet hot spots, software.
Also: 3D printers — 1 per year and inside that 10% cap.
Not in the tech bucket: musical instruments, $1,000 cap.
A $10,474 private-school award has about $1,047 total for all tech items. A $2,000 homeschool award has $200.
AWARD TABLE
Homeschool — $2,000, paid all at once after opt-in.
Private school base: $10,474, in three installments — July 1 (25%), Oct. 1 (25%), Feb. 1 (50%).
Qualifying disability — up to $30,000, same three installments. The number follows the IEP / district calc.
Amounts can vary. Confirm the number in your portal.
ODYSSEY SUPPORT
📞 Phone: 737-379-2362
✉️ Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: support.withodyssey.com
🕒 Hours: Mon–Fri 9am–9pm; Sat–Sun 11am–5pm
TWO ASKS
Forward this to one other TEFA parent before Sept. 15.
Reply to this email with things you want to see in future issues.
See you next week!
-Alison & Ryan