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You can buy a laptop with your TEFA voucher.

Tech is one of the most asked-about purchases in the TEFA parent groups. Here's what the state allows and what fits under the limit.

Updated: September 22, 2026. Every rule links to its source.

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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.

The rule

10% of your award

$200 on a $2,000 homeschool award

The state's approved-expense list caps "computer hardware and software" at 10% of the account for the year.

One shared bucket

Everything with a plug counts

Odyssey's list covers laptops, tablets, monitors, headphones, webcams, printers, accessories, calculators, hot spots, and software, all from the same $200.

Tax and shipping count

Parents report: $185 + tax = cancelled

The marketplace checks the order total against the bucket, and at 8.25% tax a $185 tablet comes to $200.26. Stay under $180 for any single device, and lower if shipping is charged.

What actually fits under $180

ItemTypical marketplace priceFits?Notes
Chromebook, 11 to 14 inch, new$150 to $250SomeFilter by price under $175 before tax. Refurbished models often list lower.
Basic Android tablet, 8 to 10 inch$80 to $180YesThe tech order that most often goes through.
iPad$300+NoOver the bucket on any award under $3,000.
Kids' headphones (wired or wireless)$20 to $60YesThey come out of the same $200 as the device.
Inkjet printer$60 to $150Yes, if it's your only deviceParents report repeated cancellations on printers, so ask the vendor whether the exact model is approved first.
Curriculum software, annual license$30 to $150YesSoftware counts against the bucket. A curriculum's online program usually doesn't, but ask how it's tagged.
Before you order tech, make sure the total with tax is under $180, you've checked the wallet's tech balance, and the vendor has confirmed the exact model is approved.

Placing a tech order

One order, one device per child, under $180.

1. Check the tech line in the wallet

  1. Open the wallet, not the award letter. The tech limit has its own line, and anything you bought this year has already come out of it.
  2. Siblings have separate limits. Two kids at $2,000 each means $200 each, not $400 toward one laptop. Each child's account is separate.

2. Filter under $180

  1. In Odyssey, filter by price under $175 before tax. Refurbished models often list lower.
  2. Message the vendor through the marketplace: "Is this exact model approved for TEFA?" A listed store selling an unapproved model is the second most common reason for a cancellation.

3. Try to buy the tech in a single order

  1. Device first, accessories only if there's room. A $175 tablet leaves $25, so the headphones wait for next year's limit.
  2. Software counts against the limit if it's tagged as software. A curriculum's online program usually isn't, so ask the vendor how it's tagged.

4. If it's your only device and you want a printer

Printers fit at $60 to $150, but parents report repeated cancellations on them. Ask the vendor whether the exact model is approved before you order.

Five checks before a tech order:
1. Include tax. A $185 tablet at 8.25% is $200.26, so stay under $180.
2. Check what's left. Headphones in August come out of the same $200 as a laptop in September.
3. Confirm the model. An approved store can still carry a model that isn't approved.
4. Check stock. The marketplace cancels instead of backordering, so reorder in a few days if it's out.
5. One device per child. Each device comes out of that child's own limit.

Sources: educationfreedom.texas.gov/families (10% technology limit); support.withodyssey.com (technology category, purchases through the platform); 2,578 posts from the two largest Texas TEFA parent groups on Facebook, March 16 to Sept 19, 2026 (cancellation reports); marketplace price ranges Sept 17, 2026.

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