Families filed applications for more than 42,000 students on the opening day of submissions. The application period will close March 17.
Texas families can begin applying for private school vouchers Wednesday, the most significant step yet in a state program set to launch next school year.
Texans have until March 17 to apply for the program, which allows families to receive taxpayer dollars to send children to private school or educate them at home.
If the number of applicants exceeds the $1 billion lawmakers set aside for the program, the state will prioritize students based on family income and whether they have a disability — though neither guarantee access.
The program, overseen by the comptroller, Texas’ chief financial officer, will launch at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.
Families submitted applications for more than 42,000 students on Wednesday’s opening day, with the number rising to more than 46,000 by Thursday morning, according to the comptroller’s office. Roughly 80% of applicants who applied on the first day said they plan to attend a participating private school, with the remainder planning to home school.
The state can spend no more than $1 billion on the program during the current two-year budget cycle, which ends Aug. 31, 2027. It is unclear how much the program’s costs could rise — lawmakers will make that determination in future legislative sessions — but state budget experts predict the tab could escalate to roughly $4.8 billion by 2030.
Here’s what to know about the applications.
Most Texas families with school-age children can apply.
That includes students already attending private school or in home schooling. Families with children in a public school must plan to unenroll them if they want to participate. Parents must also submit proof of their child’s U.S. citizenship or evidence the child lawfully resides in the country.
If public demand for the program exceeds available funding, the state will prioritize the following applicants:
Source: Jaden Edison,
Photo Credit: Dana Altamirano reads “The Wild Robot” to fourth graders at West Avenue Elementary School in Waco, on April 5, 2024. Greta Díaz González Vázquez for The Texas Tribune
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