TEFA Parent Information Newsletter

Please know that this is a five week process and there are some glitches that TEA, the comptroller, and Odyssey are trying to work out. We have five weeks to get all this right. Here is the latest information:

• IEPs must be current as of last three years for extra funding.
• Parents are required to have Unique ID # (UID) for connecting your students application with their IEP from an ISD.
• If you have always been in private school and never public school, you do not have access to the look up ability that TEA has created for parents (see link below in resources). TEA is working on it to create that access. I will be updating this newsletter when that information is available. In the meantime, fill in 10 random digits in the UID# section of the application. You will be able to go back and modify your application any time during the five weeks until March 17th even if you submit it. Once the private school registered students IEP access is given for the look up tool, you will be able to go and add the number.
• If your child has ever been in public school, the question asking for the student's S# is for you.
• If you are unable to get an IEP before March 17th, you will need to use your FIIE, doctors diagnosis, old IEP, out of state IEP, or complete the Certification of Disability form provided as a download below which must be signed by a professional evaluator and a teacher or certified person at school to be eligible for priority one. These will need to be uploaded to the application.
• In the application, you should answer 'Yes' to the question, "Does your child qualify for special education services in a public school" if you have an IEP or diagnosis you are going to submit for priority 1.
• The Certification of disability form does allow for "other disability" option which qualifies ADHD as an other disability. This was a new decision that came with the Certification of Disability Form.
• You will also need on the application the diagnostic code from the IEP so it is recommended you have a copy of it handy. The diagnosis code is within the IEP but each school formats them differently so you will have to hunt a bit possibly.
• You will be asked what school you are enrolling at, but this enrollment does not have to be done at application time nor are you held to that school. You are only accountable to the school once enrollment verification is sent to the school. Again, you can change your application anytime before the 17th.

The Comptroller has released this week a Disability Certification Form that if signed by a qualified professional who can evaluate diagnosis documentation and sign form. Download the Comptrollers Disability Certification Form and read the instructions attached below. Information and documents are also available on the comptrollers TEFA website.

In a reversal of previously stated policy, the Texas Comptroller and Texas Education Agency have determined that for additional funding, IEPs from Texas school districts or charter schools must be dated either from the 2023-2024 school year, the 2024-2025 school year or the 2025-2026 school year.

For prioritization only, an IEP of any date, an FIIE, an IEP from a state other than Texas, or a completed disability form will suffice.

The disability form is to be completed by a licensed professional in order for a child to have priority in getting a TEFA award is downloadable above or can be found on the comptrollers website also linked in this newsletter. If you have any questions that are not answered in these documents, please contact disabilityform.tefa@cpa.texas.gov.

Even though you might not qualify for the 1st year criteria, you should apply anyway because every application is a request to legislation to increase funding the next year. The bill requires that funding be increased based on application demand. Many states have gone through the same process and are now funding every family no matter what their income level. Texas will be that state too if we send the message of the number of families who would like to participate through the application process. The application is easy and worth the time to help us grow this program in TEXAS!!

Parent Applications Open February 4th - March 17th

TEFA Funding Notifications to Parents - April 6th

Parents will Enroll In Private School After Funding Notification

School Must Confirm Enrollment in June

25% Payment July 1

50% Payment October 1

25% Payment April 1

1. Application is based on 2024 Tax Status.
2. Applications are not first come first serve.
3. All children in family should be on same application to link funding (one gets funded all get funded).
4. If children are on different parents taxes due to divorce or filing separately, each parent will need to complete an application for the child they claimed on their taxes and the sibling link funding will not be available to sibling in this case.
5. Preschool students could qualify for TEFA funds if they currently qualify for Texas Free Preschool Program. (Must qualify for one of the criteria listed below) Preschool qualification does not provide a higher priority but rather allows the preschool student to enter the priority as all other students through qualification.
6. Students with a qualifying disability for special education services can qualify for priority one and also additional funding up to $30,000 with an IEP from a public school. (IEP does NOT need to be current. Out of state IEPs can also be used but will need to be uploaded. Texas IEPs will not be required at the application.)
7. Students with a qualifying disability without an IEP can still qualify for first priority with a doctors diagnosis. A form will be required to be signed by a doctor. The state comptroller will be releasing a required form shortly.

1. School tuition (private school, online schools in TX, and homeschool)
2. Tutoring
3. Uniforms
4. School breakfast and lunch at private schools
5. Online education programs
6. Therapies for students with special needs
7. Textbooks or other instructional materials

In order to use TEFA funds, the vendor and school must be an approved recipient of TEFA funds.

Parents have the freedom to spend the funding on any of the above expenses. They can also choose to save a portion of the funding and hold it for the next year.

Parents will still be responsible for the tuition or expenses not covered at the school by the TEFA funding.

1. Those who receive funding will be guaranteed funding until 12th grade and will not have to apply again.
2. If a child is funded, all siblings on application with funded child will also be automatically funded.
3. Those who aren't funded will automatically go on a waiting list for funding potential for that same year.
4. Funding notifications will happen first to notify those who are funded and then those who aren't and will be on the waiting list.
5. Those who do not get funding in 1st year of program will have to reapply each year until they are funded.
6. TEFA funding distribution will be controlled by parents but will not be given to families to put into their bank, but will be allotted to them through a funding facilitation program. TEFA funding will not increase income of families.
7. Parents have the option to use the money for Tuition, Educational Resources from Approved Vendor, Tutoring, educational supports based on educational needs of students.
8. TEFA funding may not be used for Athletic fees/programs, field trips, but must be directly linked to educational needs.
9. If a family chooses to go back to public education at any time, they must notify Odyssey, who is the facilitator of the program.
10. If a family determines they cannot find a private school after funding and decides to go back to public school, a family on the wait list will then be funded.