This article is intended to help Texas schools understand the eligibility requirements to participate in the TEFA Program.
To be eligible, a school must:
- Be located in Texas. A virtual campus must have an administrative office located in Texas if they do not have a physical campus where instruction is provided.
- Be accredited by an organization recognized by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission or another accreditor approved by the Texas Education Agency.
- Have operated a physical or virtual campus for at least two consecutive school years.
- Agree to follow program requirements established by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Schools must also annually administer and provide the results of an approved nationally norm-referenced or state-approved assessment to participating TEFA students in grades 3-12.
Please note that if your school is only offering Pre-K classes for the purposes of TEFA, only the following set of eligibility criteria applies:
To be eligible as a Pre-K Provider, you must:
- Be eligible to contract with a school district to offer Pre-K
- Be in good standing with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
- Have not had action taken against your provider’s license during the previous 24 months
Additionally, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- Your school is a Texas Rising Star Program with a three- or four-star rating
- Your school is a Texas School Ready participant
- Your school possesses an existing partnership with a school district to only offer Pre-K classes
- Your school has a valid accreditation from an agency approved by the Commissioner of Education
- Your school is accredited by an organization that is recognized by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission
Please review TEC 29.171 for additional information.