Home › What TEFA pays for
The account, explainedWhat a TEFA account pays for
Tuition is only the start. Below, line by line, is what a private-school, IEP or homeschool account may and may not buy, with notes on where El Paso families find approved providers. For 2026-27 the accounts hold $10,474, as much as $30,000 with an IEP, or $2,000 for homeschool.
Source. Summarized from the approved-expense list on the TEFA families page and the Comptroller's tuition and fee guidelines. Every payment runs through Odyssey, the state's platform; when you're unsure an item qualifies, ask the program before spending.
| Expense | Private school & IEP accounts | Homeschool / other ($2,000) | In El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private school tuition | Covered at a participating school, which has to charge you its regular published price. | Not on this tier. Enrolling at a participating school moves the child to the $10,474 account. | 28 K-12 schools in our El Paso directory appeared in the state finder on our latest check. |
| Required school fees | Covered: registration, books and supplies, technology and testing fees, uniforms sold by the school, and school-provided meals. | Doesn't apply. | At El Paso parish schools where tuition sits below the award, these fees are often what the leftover pays for. |
| Fees TEFA won't pay | Not covered: before- and after-care, building-fund or fundraising charges, and parent-group dues. | Not covered. | Workforce Solutions Borderplex's Child Care Services can help working parents pay for after-care. |
| Tutoring | Covered when the provider is approved and its lead educator meets the Comptroller's credential rules. | Covered under the same rules. | 11 approved tutoring providers list an El Paso-area address, from math centers to bilingual reading help, and many more work online. |
| Educational therapies | Covered when Medicaid, another public benefit or private insurance won't pay. | Covered on the same terms. | Among approved local providers, 5 offer speech therapy, 3 occupational or physical therapy and 4 behavioral or autism support; some offer services in Spanish and English. |
| Textbooks and curriculum | Covered. | Covered, and it's where most homeschool accounts go. | Spanish-language and dual-language materials can be bought from approved curriculum vendors. |
| Computers and software | Covered up to 10% of the year's deposit, or $1,047 on a full private-school award. | Covered up to 10%, which is $200. | The cap counts everything bought in the year together, not each purchase separately. |
| Online courses and programs | Covered from approved online providers. | Covered. | An online school with a Texas office can join TEFA as a participating school if it meets the other rules. |
| College courses and dual credit | Covered: tuition and fees at a higher-education provider. | Covered. | El Paso Community College lists dual credit at no cost to students under its agreements, so the account mainly matters for summer or evening sections, books and courses outside an agreement. UTEP is the local four-year option. |
| Industry credentials | Covered for training toward credentials on TEA's approved list. | Covered. | Healthcare, logistics and the skilled trades are common credential paths; compare TEA's approved list with what El Paso training providers actually offer. |
| Tests and assessments | Covered. | Covered. | The account can pay for the yearly norm-referenced test that homeschool families often arrange themselves. |
| Transportation | Covered to and from approved providers. | Covered. | 0 transportation providers with an El Paso address were approved when we checked. |
| Classes at a public school district | Covered for classes that don't count toward the district's attendance funding. | Covered. | Ask El Paso, Socorro or Ysleta ISD whether they sell individual courses to private and homeschool students. |
| Paying a family member | Not allowed. | Not allowed. | Refunds are credited to the account; a parent never receives cash. |
Odyssey handles the money
Schools are paid and purchases are made inside the state's platform. Families never receive cash, and providers outside the system can't be paid.
Only approved providers
Every school, tutor, therapist and vendor needs the Comptroller's approval first, and providers may apply whenever they're ready.
El Paso providers →Unspent money carries over
A year-end balance stays with the child for as long as the child stays in TEFA.
Want help planning how to spend your child's account?
An advisor matches your account to the expenses that apply and to approved El Paso providers.