An informational guide to the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, your allotment, eligible spending categories, and how TeachSmart parent-facing educational services are designed to align with them.
The Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program — created by Senate Bill 2 in 2025 and backed by $1 billion in state funding — is the largest school choice initiative in U.S. history. It gives eligible Texas families state-funded accounts to spend on approved educational expenses outside the public school system.
Funds are administered through the Odyssey marketplace, a state-managed platform where families browse and purchase from approved vendors. Families can only spend their ESA funds with vendors who are registered and approved on Odyssey.
The program received 274,183 student applications for its first year against a capacity of roughly 90,000 students. Families who were approved are among the first to benefit from this historic program, with funds beginning to flow on July 1, 2026.
TeachSmart is working toward Odyssey vendor approval. In the meantime, families can enroll directly at standard pricing. This page is provided as an educational resource to help families understand the TEFA program.
ESA allotments are based on your child’s enrollment type. Siblings of approved students auto-qualify once one child is accepted.
For families who have chosen to homeschool their children. Funds can be spent on approved tutoring, curriculum, assessments, and educational services through Odyssey.
For qualifying students attending accredited private schools. TeachSmart services may complement in-school instruction with additional parent-guided support at home.
For students with qualifying disabilities who have an IEP on file. The IEP Progress Tracker in our Complete plan is designed to support documentation and progress tracking for these families.
Texas TEFA rules limit spending on computer hardware and software to 10% of a child’s annual allotment. TeachSmart services are structured as educational services — not software — and are designed to align with uncapped spending categories.
The technology cap applies to general-purpose computer hardware and software. For a homeschool family with a $2,000 allotment, only $200 can be spent here.
Educational services — tutoring, curriculum, assessments, and support — are designed to be completely uncapped. Families may apply their full allotment to these categories.
TeachSmart is structured as an educational services company — not a software product. Writing evaluation, curriculum planning, and academic assessment are the same services families would otherwise hire private tutors, curriculum consultants, and educational diagnosticians to provide. We are designed to align with tutoring, curriculum, assessment, and educational services categories — all intended to be uncapped under Texas TEFA rules. Families should confirm eligibility with their ESA program administrator.
This is how the Texas TEFA program is designed to work. TeachSmart is working toward Odyssey vendor approval — in the meantime, families can enroll directly.
Log into your Odyssey account and confirm your TEFA award notification and annual allotment amount.
Search the Odyssey Marketplace for approved educational vendors and services that match your child’s needs.
Choose your service or plan. Payment is deducted directly from your ESA wallet — no credit card needed.
Maintain organized records of all educational activities and expenses. TeachSmart helps you keep these in one place.
While we work toward Odyssey approval, you can enroll directly at standard pricing. Contact us to get started.
We’re happy to walk through ESA options with you. Contact us anytime — we’re real Texas educators, not a bot.
Where things stand in the TEFA program timeline and what to expect between now and when funds become available.
The application window for the 2026–27 program year closed March 31. Families who applied are now awaiting award notifications.
Approved families are receiving their TEFA award notifications now. Check your email and Odyssey account for confirmation.
Approved vendors are being added to the Odyssey Marketplace on a rolling basis. TeachSmart is pursuing vendor approval.
Approved families will be able to browse the Odyssey Marketplace and select their vendors ahead of the July 1 funding date.
At least 25% of each family’s approved annual allotment becomes available in their Odyssey account on July 1, 2026.
Remaining annual funds are disbursed in two additional tranches — giving families consistent access to their full allotment throughout the year.
Texas TEFA funds can be spent on a wide range of approved educational expenses. Here are the main categories and where TeachSmart is designed to fit.
Personalized educational coaching and evaluation in any academic subject. TeachSmart writing evaluation may align with this category.
Textbooks, workbooks, and curriculum programs. TeachSmart curriculum planning may align with this category.
Diagnostic evaluations and academic assessments. TeachSmart academic assessment may align with this category.
Broader educational services including documentation support. TeachSmart compliance reporting may align with this category.
Tracking and documentation support for students with IEPs. The IEP Progress Tracker may align with special education service categories.
Laptops, tablets, and general-purpose software. This category is subject to the 10% spending cap. TeachSmart is not designed to fall here.
Transportation to and from approved educational programs, co-ops, and activities.
Tuition and fees at qualifying accredited private schools. Available to private school ESA participants.
No. TeachSmart is available to any Texas family. If you have TEFA funds, TeachSmart services may qualify as eligible educational expenses. If you don’t have ESA funds, you can enroll directly and pay monthly with no contract.
TeachSmart is working toward approval as a vendor on the Texas TEFA Odyssey Marketplace. Once approved, families will be able to purchase TeachSmart plans directly from their ESA wallet through Odyssey. In the meantime, families can enroll directly at standard pricing. We’ll update this page as soon as our vendor status changes.
TeachSmart is designed and structured as an educational services company — providing writing evaluation, curriculum planning, and academic assessment — not as computer hardware or software. We are designed to align with uncapped educational service categories. Families should confirm eligibility with their ESA program administrator.
Absolutely. TeachSmart is available to any Texas homeschool family — ESA funds are not required. Enroll directly at standard pricing and pay monthly. The TEFA program is expected to expand in future years.
The IEP Progress Tracker in our Complete plan ($99/mo) is a parent-facing documentation and progress tracking tool. It helps you organize IEP goals, generate formatted weekly progress notes, and maintain organized, exportable records. It is not legal advice, therapy, or special education advocacy. TeachSmart does not provide legal, medical, therapeutic, diagnostic, or special education evaluation services. Families with contested IEPs should consult a licensed advocate or attorney.
Yes. Siblings of approved TEFA students automatically qualify for their own ESA accounts once one child in the family is accepted. Each child receives their own allotment. TeachSmart supports multiple children under one family account — all plans include up to 3 children, with additional children at $5.99/month each.
Enroll directly now — or watch a free live demo to see how TeachSmart works before you commit to anything.