How Are Students Prioritized?

This article is intended for Texas parents to help them understand how students are prioritized for participation in the TEFA program.

If the number of eligible applicants exceeds available funding, available positions will be filled through a lottery process. Senate Bill 2 designates the following priority order:

Year 1

For the 2026-27 school year:

1. Children with a disability whose household income is at or below 500% of the federal poverty level (FPL).
2. Children from households with income at or below 200% of the FPL.
3. Children from households with income between 200% and 500% of the FPL.
4. Children from households at or above 500% of the FPL, prioritized by those who attended a Texas public or charter school for at least 90% of the prior school year 
   (this category may not exceed 20% of the amount of money appropriated from the program fund for the school year).

Note: If a child is accepted for participation during an application period, any eligible sibling of that child who applies during the same application period is also accepted for participation during that application period.  

The remaining eligible applicants that are not selected during the lottery will be put on a waitlist in the same priority order as above.

For the 2027-28 school year and beyond, applicants will first be prioritized in the following order and then will be prioritized within each group in the order stated above:

1. Siblings of participating children.
2. New eligible program applicants.
3. Prior program participants who ceased program participation due to enrollment in a public or charter school.