TEFA questions, answered
Short answers to the questions Texas families ask most about their TEFA funds. Every answer links to the state or Odyssey page it comes from.
- What can TEFA funds pay for?
- How much is the TEFA award for 2026-27?
- When do homeschool families get the funds?
- Can TEFA pay me back for something I bought myself?
- How much of the award can go to a laptop or tablet?
- Is there a limit on musical instruments?
- Who can TEFA pay as a tutor?
- Does TEFA pay for speech, occupational or behavioral therapy?
- Can I pay myself or a relative to teach my child?
- What happens to TEFA funds we don't spend this year?
- If a vendor is approved, is everything they sell approved?
- Do we have to reapply for next school year?
- Can a vendor give us a discount or a rebate?
- Where do I actually spend TEFA funds?
- Can I cancel an order in the Odyssey marketplace?
- Why can't I find a vendor from the state's list in the marketplace?
- I ordered a service in Odyssey. When will the vendor contact me?
- Why was my Odyssey order cancelled?
- How do I find TEFA vendors near me?
What can TEFA funds pay for?
Tuition and fees at a participating private school or for an online course or program, textbooks and other instructional materials, private tutoring and teaching services from a qualified lead educator, educational therapies that insurance, Medicaid or CHIP doesn't cover, academic assessments, computer hardware and software within a 10% limit, and fee-for-service transportation to an approved provider.
Sources: TEFA families page, approved expenses; Odyssey: eligible educational expenses
How much is the TEFA award for 2026-27?
$2,000 per homeschool student, paid in one installment. $10,474 per private-school student, or up to $30,000 for a student with a qualifying IEP, paid 25% on July 1, 25% on October 1 and 50% on February 1.
Sources: TEFA families page, approved expenses; Special education funding, 2026-27 (PDF); TEFA funding timelines and installments
When do homeschool families get the funds?
Families who opted in by June 15 got the full $2,000 in one payment on July 1. Families who opted in or confirmed by July 31 were funded in mid-August. Later confirmation can be prorated, and families confirming by January 15 are funded in the February 1 round.
Sources: TEFA funding timelines and installments; Odyssey: TEFA funding timeline; Odyssey: TEFA timeline
Can TEFA pay me back for something I bought myself?
No. TEFA funds are spent inside the Odyssey marketplace, and TEFA can't pay you back for something you paid for yourself. Order through Odyssey so TEFA pays the vendor directly.
Sources: Odyssey TEFA help center
How much of the award can go to a laptop or tablet?
All tech shares one limit: 10% of the student's award for the year, which is $200 on the $2,000 homeschool amount. That covers laptops, tablets, desktops, monitors, printers, headphones, cameras, calculators, hot spots and software together. A 3D printer is limited to one a year.
Sources: Odyssey: purchase restrictions for TEFA (updated Oct 2026)
Is there a limit on musical instruments?
Yes. Each instrument is capped at $1,200. Odyssey raised the cap from $1,000 in October 2026.
Sources: Odyssey: purchase restrictions for TEFA (updated Oct 2026)
Who can TEFA pay as a tutor?
The person teaching your child has to qualify as the lead educator: a current or retired employee of an accredited school, or someone with a credential the state lists, such as a teaching license from Texas or another state, a school district teaching permit, a method certification like Orton-Gillingham, a bachelor's or higher degree, or a professional license related to what they teach. Everyone working with your child also needs a fingerprint background check.
Does TEFA pay for speech, occupational or behavioral therapy?
Yes, when insurance, Medicaid or CHIP doesn't cover it. Ask the provider what proof they need from you before the first session.
Sources: Odyssey: eligible educational expenses; TEFA families page, approved expenses
Can I pay myself or a relative to teach my child?
No. The rules bar paying a parent or a close relative as the vendor, even if they teach.
What happens to TEFA funds we don't spend this year?
They carry forward to the next year while the account stays open (Texas Education Code 29.361).
If a vendor is approved, is everything they sell approved?
No. Approval is for the vendor, and each item is checked when you order. Before you count on a product, make sure that exact item is in the vendor's Odyssey marketplace listing.
Sources: Odyssey TEFA help center; TEFA families page, approved expenses
Do we have to reapply for next school year?
Families already in the program don't reapply. State law says the Comptroller can't make a participant in good standing reapply each year, and continuing families confirm they want to continue. The state hasn't published the 2027-28 application dates or amounts yet. It runs an interest list for updates.
Sources: Texas Education Code ch. 29, subch. J; TEFA families page, approved expenses; 2027-28 interest list
Can a vendor give us a discount or a rebate?
A discount that's open to every family is fine. State law bars vendors and schools from rebating, refunding or sharing TEFA funds with a family.
Where do I actually spend TEFA funds?
In Odyssey. Log in, open your child's Wallet and tap Shop Marketplace, then search a vendor's name or browse the categories, add the item to your cart, pick your child and check out. Private-school tuition works differently: the school enters its tuition in Odyssey and you confirm it.
Sources: Odyssey: how to shop in the marketplace (updated Sep 28, 2026); Odyssey: confirm the tuition and fees set by the school (updated Oct 9, 2026)
Can I cancel an order in the Odyssey marketplace?
No. Odyssey has a no-cancellation policy for products and services, so ask your questions before you order. Returns are only for damaged or incorrect items, reported with photos within five business days of delivery, and a refund can take up to six weeks to reach your account.
Sources: Odyssey: refunds, returns and cancellations (updated Oct 12, 2026)
Why can't I find a vendor from the state's list in the marketplace?
The state approves the vendor, and each offering is listed in the marketplace separately. An offering drops out of the marketplace when it's out of stock, and a vendor can hide one. Ask the vendor what their offering is called there and whether it's live.
Sources: Odyssey: offerings and stock (vendor help); Odyssey: hiding an offering (TEFA vendor help, updated Aug 19, 2026)
I ordered a service in Odyssey. When will the vendor contact me?
Odyssey says the vendor should email you within two business days of your order to set it up. Check your spam folder. An order with no status is still waiting for the vendor to accept it. If you hear nothing after a few business days, Odyssey says to write to Marketplace@withodyssey.com.
Sources: Odyssey: when you'll hear from a service vendor; Odyssey: where to find your order status (updated Sep 6, 2026)
Why was my Odyssey order cancelled?
Odyssey says vendors most often cancel because the item was low or out of stock, and the funds go back to your account. An Amazon item whose price changes while it sits in your cart is cancelled automatically. If it keeps happening, try the same item from a different vendor.
Sources: Odyssey: why an order gets cancelled; Odyssey: where funds go when an order is cancelled
How do I find TEFA vendors near me?
Type your ZIP into the finder on this site to see vendors on the state's TEFA list sorted by distance, with online vendors kept in. The state also runs its own finder.
Sources: The state's TEFA finder
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