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Aid & Texas vouchers

How to check whether a Texas private school accepts TEFA

Search the official Texas TEFA finder for the school and exact campus. Then ask the school to confirm participation for your child’s grade and year. School applications are rolling.

Reviewed 2026-09-08 · Which Private School editorial guide · How we work

Use the state finder

Search by school name and location. Match the address, campus, grade range, and website when available. Similar names and multi-campus systems make the address important. Save the date you checked because Texas says new participants are added regularly.

  • Full school name
  • Campus address
  • Grades at that campus
  • Matching website or contact

Know what approval requires

Texas says a participating private school must be in Texas, have operated a campus for at least two years, and hold recognized accreditation. It must also administer a nationally norm-referenced assessment to participating students in grades 3-12. Meeting these conditions does not equal approval; the school must apply and be accepted.

  • Accreditation alone does not prove participation
  • Eligibility to apply differs from current approval
  • Approval may occur after an earlier search

Confirm billing with the school

Ask whether the exact campus and grade accepts TEFA for the needed year. Request policies for deposits, due dates, fees, aid, and refunds. Schools control billing schedules and may consider TEFA when setting need-based aid.

  • Will this campus and grade accept TEFA?
  • When is the first payment due?
  • Which charges can TEFA pay?
  • Does TEFA change school aid?
  • What if funding is late?

Keep three decisions separate

School approval, child admission, and child funding are separate. For 2026-27, an awarded family identifies the participating school and the school confirms enrollment before funding is released. A finder listing does not mean the child is admitted, and admission does not mean the child has an award.

  • School appears in the finder
  • Child has an admission status
  • Child has an official award status
  • School confirms enrollment

Recheck before signing

A directory profile can become stale. Reopen the official finder near the contract date. If the school does not appear, ask the program and school instead of assuming approval is pending. Build a budget without unconfirmed funds.

  • Record the check date
  • Keep written billing answers
  • Use the official account amount
  • Recheck after a campus or year change
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