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TEFA Tuition Refund Policy

This policy explains how tuition refunds work for TEFA students who withdraw, transfer from an approved TEFA school, or opt out of the TEFA program.

Important

  • TEFA funds must never be refunded directly to a parent. Refunding TEFA funds directly to a parent is against program rules and may put the school's participation in the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program at risk.

  • TEFA refunds apply to services that were not rendered. Schools may keep applicable registration and enrollment fees.

  • Any other contractual or financial obligations must be resolved directly between the family and the school.

Changing Schools During the Program Year

TEFA students may change approved schools at any time during the program year.

Once a student officially transfers, Odyssey can redirect future scholarship payments to the student's new approved school.

Parent Responsibilities for Enrollment Changes

If a student changes schools, the parent must select the new school in the Odyssey Parent Portal.

If the student is switching to homeschool, the parent must select Homeschool from the dropdown.

Refund Eligibility

A tuition refund may be needed when:

  • A student switches from a private school to homeschool.

  • A student transfers between eligible TEFA private schools.

  • A student unenrolls from the TEFA program.

Refunds apply only to TEFA funds associated with services that were not rendered. Schools may keep applicable registration and enrollment fees.

Note: Overpayments are not eligible for a refund when the student remains enrolled. The parent and school will need to work together to determine the appropriate amount for the student's next tuition payment based on the overpayment.

Refund Process

  1. The parent communicates their plans to the school so the school can begin the refund process.

  2. The school contacts Odyssey Support to request a tuition refund:

  3. Odyssey School Support collects the information needed to process the request, including:

    • School name

    • Student name

    • Refund amount

  4. The school returns the required TEFA funds for services that were not rendered to Odyssey. Applicable registration and enrollment fees may be retained by the school.

  5. Once Odyssey receives the required refund amount, the funds are returned to the student's Odyssey Wallet.

Important: Odyssey cannot process a tuition refund without direct coordination from the school. Families should not receive TEFA refund funds directly from the school.

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