Guides
How to Market to ESA Families
To market to ESA families, reach them before the state application closes, explain the program before you sell the school, show what the family pays after the award, and help with the state application without filing it for them. Demand is far larger than funding: more than 274,000 Texas students applied for the first year of Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), and 101,600 were funded (Texas Comptroller, 2026). Timing matters most in Texas, where a family's choice of private school locks when applications close.
more than 274,000
TEFA applicants
Texas Comptroller, 2026-27
101,600
funded
Texas Comptroller, August 13, 2026
more than 100,000
on the waitlist
Texas Comptroller, August 13, 2026
50%
of parents unsure whether their state has an ESA
EdChoice, 2026
Who are ESA families?
Mostly lower- and middle-income families, and mostly new to private school.
- Texas: nearly three-quarters of TEFA applicants came from low- or middle-income families (Texas Comptroller, April 2, 2026).
- Arizona: 59.5% of new universal ESA students in grades 1 to 12 in FY 2026 came straight from a public school (Arizona Department of Education).
- Nationally: 50% of parents are unsure whether their state has an ESA, and 65% say they would use one (EdChoice, Schooling in America 2026).
TEFA 2026-27 students.
Source: Texas Comptroller, April 2 and August 13, 2026.
View the data
| TEFA, 2026-27 | Students |
|---|---|
| Applied | More than 274,000 |
| Funded | 101,600 |
| On the waitlist | More than 100,000 |
Sources: Texas Comptroller, April 2 and August 13, 2026.
What this means. Most ESA families have never paid private school tuition, have never applied to a private school, and are not sure how the program works. Your marketing starts with the program, not your school.
What does a family need to hear before applying?
Five things, in this order:
- The program exists and your family may qualify. Name the program: TEFA in Texas, the Empowerment Scholarship Account in Arizona.
- Our school participates. Say it in the ad, on the website, and on the phone.
- What you would pay after the award. In Texas, the 2026-27 private school award was $10,474, and up to $30,000 for a student with a disability, based on the student's IEP (TEFA Parent Application Guide). Show tuition minus the award as one dollar figure.
- The deadline. For 2026-27, Texas families applied February 4 to March 31, 2026. Applying early does not improve the odds; the program is not first come, first served (Texas Comptroller).
- In Texas, choose "private school" on the application. The educational setting a family selects locks when applications close. A family can later move down to the $2,000 homeschool amount, but cannot move up to the private school amount (TEFA Parent Application Guide).
When should a private school send each message?
Before, during, and after the state window. The Texas 2026-27 calendar below is the pattern. The 2027-28 dates have not been posted.
| Stage (2026-27 Texas dates) | What families are doing | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| Before the window (December to January) | Hearing about the program | Explain the program, eligibility, and your participation; invite to an information night |
| Application window (February 4 to March 31) | Filling out the state application | Deadline reminders; "choose private school"; application help sessions |
| Award notices (from April) | Learning if they were funded | Congratulate awarded families and start your admission process; keep waitlisted families warm |
| School selection (initial deadline June 1, final July 15) | Picking a school in the state portal | Remind families to select your school; confirm your admission steps are done |
| Enrollment confirmation (school deadlines June 15 and July 31) | Waiting on the school | Confirm every family in the portal on time |
| First funding (July 1) | Paying tuition | Explain how payments reach the school |
Source: TEFA Parent Application Guide (February 12, 2026) and the Comptroller's March 17, 2026 extension to March 31.
Other states. Arizona ESA applications run year-round. Florida's scholarship applications for new families opened February 1, 2026. North Carolina's Opportunity Scholarship (a voucher) opens the first Monday in February 2027. Full table: ESA Marketing for Private Schools.
How do Texas priority tiers change who you reach?
When applications exceed funding, Texas funds families by tier, using a lottery within a tier.
| Tier | Who (2026 limits for a family of four) |
|---|---|
| 1 | A child with a qualifying disability, household income at or below $165,000 (500% of the federal poverty level) |
| 2 | Household income at or below $66,000 (200%) |
| 3 | Household income between $66,000 and $165,000 |
| 4 | Household income at or above $165,000; children who attended a Texas public or charter school for at least 90% of the prior year come first, and this tier may receive no more than 20% of the money |
Source: TEFA Parent Application Guide. If one child is selected, eligible siblings who applied at the same time are accepted too.
In year one, funding ran out within tier 2. The Comptroller funded all tier 1 students and used a lottery within tier 2 (Texas Comptroller, April 2 and April 22, 2026). Tell every family "if you are awarded," and never promise a tier or an outcome. Year-two funding has not been announced.
Should a private school help families apply?
Yes, but the parent submits. Only a parent, guardian, or other person with legal authority can submit a TEFA application (TEFA Parent Application Guide).
- Run help sessions, in person or by phone, during the application window. The state estimates 10 to 20 minutes per application.
- Tell families what to gather: proof of Texas residency, a Social Security or taxpayer number, the child's Social Security number, and the 2024 or 2025 federal tax return on which the child is claimed. Families claiming disability priority also need an IEP or other accepted documentation.
- Offer help in Spanish if your families speak it.
- Follow up with every family who asked about the program until they confirm they applied.
See Parent Outreach.
What must a private school never say to ESA families?
- Never promise an award. Funding is limited, and not all applicants are funded.
- Never say the award guarantees admission. Families must apply to your school separately.
- Never offer to rebate, refund, credit, or share program money with a family. Texas program rules prohibit it.
- Never tell families the timing of their application improves their odds. It does not.
- Never fill out or submit the state application for the family.
Sources: TEFA Parent Application Guide; Texas Comptroller, March 17, 2026.
How do you keep ESA families enrolled?
- Families in good standing do not reapply each year in Texas (TEFA Parent Application Guide). A family that stays keeps its award.
- Half the 2026-27 award arrives February 1, 2027, and only while the student remains enrolled (Texas Comptroller, June 30, 2026). See ESA Marketing for Private Schools.
- Siblings come together. If one child is selected, eligible siblings who applied at the same time are accepted with them.
Frequently asked questions
How do you market a private school to ESA families?
Reach families before the state application closes, explain the program first, show the family's cost after the award, and help with the state application. In Texas, more than 274,000 students applied for the first year of TEFA, and 101,600 were funded.
When should a Texas private school start marketing to TEFA families?
Before the application window. For 2026-27 it ran February 4 to March 31, 2026. A family's choice of private school locks when applications close, so reach families by January.
Can a private school fill out the TEFA application for a family?
No. Only a parent, guardian, or other person with legal authority can submit it. A school can explain the steps and help families gather documents.
Can a private school offer a discount or rebate to TEFA families?
Not out of program money. Texas rules prohibit any school from rebating, refunding, crediting, or sharing program money with a family.
How much is a TEFA award for a private school student?
$10,474 for 2026-27, and up to $30,000 for a student with a disability, based on the student's IEP (TEFA Parent Application Guide).
Do TEFA families reapply every year?
No. Participants in good standing do not need to reapply each year.
How much does Taylor Wiz cost?
Pricing is scoped to each school on a strategy call, based on your enrollment goals and your market.
Find out what a seat actually costs you
Bring your current enrollment numbers and ad spend. We will map your funnel from inquiry to submitted application and show you where families are lost.
Written by Will Rodriguez, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Reviewed for accuracy against current program rules and state data.
- Published
- Last updated
Sources
- Texas Comptroller, TEFA Parent Application Guide (updated February 12, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller, Texas Education Freedom Account Application Deadline Extended Through March 31 (March 17, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller, Comprehensive Overview of Texas Education Freedom Account Applications (April 2, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller, First Round of Texas Education Freedom Accounts Awards Announced (April 22, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller, Nearly 73,000 Texas Education Freedom Accounts to Receive Initial Funding July 1 (June 30, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller, 100,000 Students Receiving Texas Education Freedom Accounts (August 13, 2026)
- Arizona Department of Education, ESA FY26 Q4 Executive and Legislative Report (August 31, 2026)
- EdChoice, Highlights from the Newly Released 2026 Schooling in America Survey