This article is intended for Texas parents and program vendors to help them understand the approved eligible expenses for the TEFA Program according to TAC Rule Rule §16.406.
Parents of participating children may use TEFA funds for a variety of approved education-related expenses, including:
- Tuition and fees for a private school registered through Odyssey.
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Fees for:
- A dual-credit course at a higher education provider.
- An online educational course or program.
- A program that provides training for an industry-based credential approved by the Texas Education Agency.
- Textbooks and instructional materials required by a private school, higher education provider, or course in which the child is enrolled.
- Uniforms required by a private school, higher education provider, or course in which the child is enrolled.
- Fees for classes or other educational services provided by a school district or open-enrollment charter school if the classes or services do not qualify the child to be included in the school’s average daily attendance.
- Academic assessment-related costs.
- Tutoring services provided by a private tutor or teaching service; the tutor must have an active teaching certificate to participate.
- Fees for transportation provided by a fee-for-service transportation provider for the child to travel to and from a preapproved education service provider or vendor of educational products.
- Fees for the cost of breakfast or lunch provided by a private school to the child during the day.
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Fees for educational therapies or services provided by a practitioner or provider (only for fees that are not covered by any federal, state, or local government benefits, such as Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or by any private insurance that the child is enrolled in at the time of receiving the therapies or services).
- Common eligible therapies include, but aren’t limited to:
- Behavioral therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Physical therapy
- Common eligible therapies include, but aren’t limited to:
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Computer hardware, software, and other technology required by a private school in which a student is enrolled, or prescribed by a physician to facilitate the child’s education, and used primarily for educational purposes, not to exceed 10% of the annual amount credited to a student’s account.
- Services from approved education providers (may be online or out-of-state programs registered to do business in Texas).
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Other education-related expenses approved by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
All approved purchases and tuition payments will be completed through the Odyssey platform.