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The newly created ESA program in Texas is rolling out for families for the 2026/27 school year. Here's what you need to know.
Sarah Jordan
CMO, LearningSpring
Starting in fall 2026, Texas families will have access to the new Education Savings Account (ESA) Program signed into state law on May 3, 2025.
Every K-12 student in Texas qualifies for an ESA. This includes public, charter, private, homeschool, and even pre-K students eligible for district programs.
Most students will receive about $10,500 annually. Students with state-recognized disabilities may receive up to $30,000, while homeschoolers receive $2,000.
Funds can cover school tuition (if applicable) as well as general/public school expenses like textbooks, tutoring, educational therapies, transportation, school supplies, and certain technology—giving families more flexibility than vouchers, which usually apply only to tuition.
Unlike ESAs, vouchers typically pay tuition directly to a private school. Texas chose ESAs to give parents more spending control and to cover additional costs associated with attending school. This decision mirrors national trends where families prefer flexible accounts to one-size vouchers.
If applications exceed funding (about 90,000 accounts the first year), priority will go to siblings of current participants, students with disabilities, and lower-income families.
No. Texas joins 17 other states using a form of voucher, ESA, or tax-credit scholarships, where donors fund scholarships in exchange for tax breaks. Texas isn’t using this model yet, but the new federal bill, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act or known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” sets the stage for possible future hybrid approaches.\
While ESA application timing has been tentatively announced to start in the spring of 2026, more details will be announced closer to launch.
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