Texas expected to open school choice applications by Jan. 1

Texans hoping to take advantage of the state’s new school choice program can expect to submit applications “by the first of the year,” acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock said this week.

“We’re trying to get this implemented at the speed of business,” Hancock told reporters Tuesday. “We have a lot of steps going on literally within the next few days. It’s key that we get this thing moving very fast.”

The Legislature approved a $1 billion education savings account program this spring. When it launches next year, it will be the largest day-one school choice program in the nation.

The program’s debut, along with new ones in states such as Tennessee, will help reach a significant milestone: By fall 2026, more than half of U.S. students will be eligible to apply for a school choice scholarship.

In total, 35 states and the District of Columbia offer school choice programs, which vary widely in scope. A federal program, passed in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will take effect in 2027.

Texas’ ESA will grant families about $7,500 per student, just 85% of what the state spends per public school student.

Meanwhile, families with special-needs students can receive up to $30,000 annually, while homeschool students are capped at $2,000 a year.

Low-income and special-needs students will receive priority, and there is a proposed limit on what percentage of ESA money high-income families can receive.

The money can be spent on a wide range of approved educational expenses, including private school tuition, textbooks, uniforms, tutoring, therapies, transportation, technology and school meals.

Hancock didn’t say how long the application window would remain open, the Houston Chronicle reports, but there could be strong demand. With more than 5 million public school students in the state, the $1 billion budget is enough to fund about 100,000 scholarships. The program is expected to grow in future years to include more students.

Hancock also announced Mary Katharine Stout as program director, the Chronicle reported. She is a former vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which advocated for school choice, and previously served as budget director for former Republican Gov. Rick Perry.