Texas adopts rules, announces application dates for Education Freedom Accounts

Texas is one step closer to launching its Education Freedom Accounts, the state’s new $1 billion school choice program, adopting final rules and setting an application date for families in early 2026. 

The comptroller’s office announced the adoption of the final rules last week, which govern how the $10,000 scholarships – or up to $30,000 for special needs students and $2,000 for homeschoolers – will be distributed. 

Families of students with disabilities will receive priority, followed by those earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level, or $64,300 for a family of four. 

The rules also state that accredited private schools may participate in the program if they have operated a campus “for at least two years, whether in Texas or outside the state, and administer a nationally norm-referenced assessment” for grades 3-12, according to the comptroller’s office. 

The Legislature approved school choice this spring, and the state plans to issue its first scholarships by fall 2026. 

Eligible accredited private schools and vendors can apply to join the program starting Dec. 9, and families can apply starting Feb. 4, 2026. The timing is “well in advance of the 2026-27 school year,” the office said. 

“These administrative rules, like the program itself, put Texas parents in the driver’s seat,” said acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock. “We are executing the letter of the law as passed by the Legislature, and we’re doing it with families and students at the center of every decision. Education freedom accounts are about opening doors, expanding opportunities and giving each Texas child the chance to succeed in the environment that fits them best.” 

The program is estimated to serve about 90,000 students its first year, making it the largest day-one school choice program in the nation. Other states such as Tennessee and Idaho are rolling out new or expanded school choice programs, although there are legal challenges in several states. 

Nationally, 18 states have broad or universal school choice, while 35 states and Washington, D.C., have some sort of school choice program. More than 1.3 million students used such programs this year, with the number expected to rise in 2026. A federal school choice tax credit is slated for 2027, though states must opt in for their students to receive scholarships.