Join the interest list
Applications for 2026–27 ran February 4 to March 17, 2026. Families can sign up for updates on the 2027–28 application period.
Coming soon to Texas TEFA
Once at Home: coming soon to the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program
Teach your child to read with fully scripted, one-to-one lessons in just 15 minutes a day. Once is coming soon to the TEFA marketplace. Get notified when Texas families can use TEFA funds for Once.
Texas TEFA status
Once is coming soon to Texas TEFA.
$2,000 a year for homeschoolInstructional materials qualify
Reading instruction for Texas families
A complete reading plan without another subject to prep
Once tells you what to teach, what to say, and what comes next. You lead one focused lesson a day while Once provides the sequence and support.
Scripted curriculum
200+ ready-to-go lessons remove lesson-planning guesswork.
15 minutes a day
Short sessions fit around the rest of your family’s learning schedule.
Instructional coaching
Get guidance from a dedicated coach when you need support.
A clear path to reading
From letter sounds to connected stories
Each stage builds on the one before it, so you always know what to teach next.
1. Learn letter sounds
Build the foundation with focused, explicit practice connecting letters and sounds.
2. Blend sounds into words
Help your child combine sounds from left to right to read their first words.
3. Read connected stories
Build accuracy and fluency through one ongoing narrative with recurring characters.
How TEFA works
Apply, get selected, then shop the marketplace
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts administers Texas Education Freedom Accounts, with Odyssey handling applications, accounts, and purchases. Once is coming soon to the TEFA marketplace.
Review the Comptroller’s TEFA families page and Parent Application Guide.
Choose a setting and get selected
Your educational setting, private school or homeschool, sets the award amount. If applications exceed funding, a lottery by priority group decides placement.
Spend in the TEFA marketplace
Accepted families use funds for approved expenses through the program marketplace. Once will appear there when it becomes available.
TEFA details for 2026–27
What Texas families should know
The Texas Legislature created TEFA in 2025 through Senate Bill 2 with $1 billion in funding, and 2026–27 is its first school year.
$2,000 for homeschool students
Homeschool and other nonpublic students receive $2,000 a year. Private school students receive $10,474, and students with an IEP may receive up to $30,000.
Pre-K and kindergarten can qualify
Children eligible for a public school’s kindergarten program can apply. Three- and four-year-olds must meet Texas’s free pre-K criteria, such as income or English learner status.
Tutoring and materials are approved
Approved expenses include textbooks and other instructional materials, private tutoring, and academic assessments. Unused funds roll over while the child stays in the program.
Sources: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts TEFA program page, families page, and Parent Application Guide. Program rules can change.
Questions from Texas families
Texas TEFA and Once FAQs
What are Texas Education Freedom Accounts?
Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) are education savings accounts created by Senate Bill 2, which the Texas Legislature passed in 2025 with $1 billion in funding. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts administers the program and selected Odyssey to help families apply, manage accounts, and make approved purchases. Families who choose a private school or homeschool can use funds for approved education expenses through the program marketplace.
Is Once available through Texas Education Freedom Accounts?
Once is coming soon to the TEFA marketplace. Until then, TEFA funds can’t be used for Once at Home. Leave your details on this page and we’ll let you know when Texas families can use TEFA funds for Once.
Who is eligible for a TEFA account?
Children are eligible if they are U.S. citizens or lawfully present, live in Texas, and are eligible to attend a Texas public school or open-enrollment charter school, or its pre-K or kindergarten program. Three- and four-year-olds must meet Texas’s free pre-K eligibility criteria, which are narrower than the K–12 criteria. A child can’t receive TEFA funds while enrolled in a public or charter school.
Can homeschool families use TEFA?
Yes. Children who are homeschooled or in another nonpublic setting receive $2,000 a year. Families choose an educational setting on the application, and that choice locks when the application period ends.
How much is a TEFA account for 2026–27?
Children at a participating accredited private school receive $10,474. Private school students with an IEP on file with the Texas Education Agency may receive up to $30,000. Homeschool and other students receive $2,000. Funds left at the end of the school year roll over while the child stays in the program.
What can TEFA funds pay for?
Approved expenses include private school tuition and fees, textbooks and other instructional materials, private tutoring, academic assessments, educational therapies, and computer hardware or software up to 10 percent of the year’s award. Funds can’t be used to pay a family member.
When can I apply?
The 2026–27 application period ran from February 4 to March 17, 2026, and is closed. Families can join the program’s interest list for updates on the 2027–28 application period. Participants in good standing don’t need to reapply each year.
How much does Once at Home cost?
Once at Home costs $49 per month and is free until your child reads their first three-letter word, with no credit card needed. You can start today while TEFA availability is pending.
Start reading today
Begin 15 focused minutes a day now
Once at Home is free until your child reads their first three-letter word, with no credit card needed.
Get notified
Hear when Once is available through Texas TEFA
Leave your name and email, and we’ll let you know when Texas families can use TEFA funds for Once at Home. You can also send us a question.