Overview
- By noon on launch day, state officials reported more than 20,000 student applications, including nearly 8,000 in the first hour.
- Applications are open through March 17 and are not first‑come; award notifications begin in April, with funds disbursed in stages starting July and continuing through April 2027.
- Eligible families may receive about $10,474 per student for private school, up to $30,000 for some students with disabilities, or up to $2,000 for homeschool expenses, covering tuition, tutoring, textbooks and other approved costs.
- The program is capped at $1 billion and is expected to serve roughly 90,000–100,000 students, using income and disability-based prioritization and a lottery if demand exceeds available funds.
- More than 1,400–1,600 private schools have registered statewide, including about 500 in the Houston area, as vetting continues following an attorney general opinion that led to delays and exclusions for some Cognia‑affiliated campuses.