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What can I buy with my TEFA funds?

The state has a list of 1,993 approved vendors. This page covers what the account will pay for, and two common rules for purchasing tech and instruments.

Updated: October 12, 2026. Every rule links to its source.

Download the two-page PDF

On the finder today

2,187 vendors are on the state's list today, 965 of them online. Search them by ZIP.

The counts in this guide are from the date in its sources. The finder is refreshed weekly from the state's list, checked October 26, 2026.

What TEFA pays for

✓Curriculum, workbooks, textbooks

✗Anything bought outside the Odyssey marketplace (TEFA will not pay you back)

✓Tutoring, if the tutor holds a credential the state accepts

✗Therapy your insurance, Medicaid, or CHIP already covers

✓Speech, OT, behavioral, physical therapy (when not covered above)

✗Tech beyond the 10% bucket (see below)

✓Music lessons, and instruments up to $1,200 each

✗Uniforms, unless a school or course requires them

✓Online classes, test prep, one assessment a year

✗Public or charter school enrollment mid-year (it ends the account)

The three numbers to know

Tech: one $200 bucket

10% of your award, all devices combined

Laptops, tablets, headphones, printers, calculators, hot spots, and software all come from one bucket. On a $2,000 award it's $200 for the whole year, with tax and shipping counted, so a $185 tablet is already over once tax is added.

Instruments: $1,200 each

Separate from the tech bucket

The account will buy a keyboard, guitar, or violin up to $1,200 per instrument. Some stores only list the instrument in a bundle with lessons.

Homeschool: $2,000, one payment

Paid in full after you opt in

Whatever you don't spend rolls into next year as long as you stay in the program.

Before you order, ask the vendor: "Is this exact product approved for TEFA?" A vendor can be approved while a specific item isn't, so asking first helps your order go through.

If it's your first time

Follow these three steps. Families who order this way report the smoothest orders.

1. Buy in this order

The year's curriculum first. It's usually the largest purchase and matters the most for your kid.
Tutoring or therapy second. These are services and are straightforward since there is nothing to ship.
Tech in a single order at the end. Keep it under $180 so tax doesn't push it over the limit.

2. The four limits to keep in mind while ordering

Limit	What it means for your order
Tech: 10% of the award	For homeschooling, it's $200 on a $2,000 award, tax and shipping count.
Instruments: $1,200 each	Instruments are separate from the other limits.
Tutors: a credential the state accepts	A teaching license, a degree, or a certification such as Orton-Gillingham. Ask which one before you book.
Therapy: not covered by insurance	TEFA covers therapy only when Medicaid, CHIP, or your insurance doesn't.

3. Order through the marketplace

Search the state's finder (finder.educationfreedom.texas.gov) by type and city. Out-of-state vendors are fine as long as they are on the list.
Open the vendor in Odyssey and find the exact item. Make sure the vendor AND the item are both approved.
Order in Odyssey, never on the vendor's own site. TEFA will pay the vendor directly.

If an order doesn't go through, it's usually one of five things:
1. Tax pushing the total over the $200 limit. Try to stay under $180.
2. The item isn't approved yet.
3. It went out of stock. Reorder in a few days or from another listed vendor.
4. The instrument was ordered without the lessons. Make sure it doesn't come only in a bundle.
5. The wallet wasn't loaded, or the account is on the wrong setting. Check both in the portal first.

Sources: educationfreedom.texas.gov/families (approved expenses, 10% technology limit, award amounts); support.withodyssey.com (instrument cap, $1,200 since October 2026; therapy coverage, purchases through the platform, no refunds to parents); educationfreedom.texas.gov (educator credential policy, July 7, 2026); finder.educationfreedom.texas.gov counts Sept 16, 2026; 2,578 posts from the two largest Texas TEFA parent groups on Facebook, March 16 to Sept 19, 2026.