Texas’ universal school choice program garnered several thousand applications as soon as it launched Feb. 4, making it the most successful first day of a school choice program in U.S. history, according to Texas officials.
Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced in a Feb. 5 press release that more than 42,000 students applied for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts on launch day, a total that he said represents “a nationwide record for most enrollments for day one of a new school choice program, surpassing Tennessee’s 33,000 student applications in 2025.”
CatholicVote is a longtime supporter of the legislation and sent a delegation to be present when Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the measure into law in May 2025.
As CatholicVote reported ahead of the signing, the law “creates an education savings account program that offers families up to $10,000 annually per student to cover private school tuition and related educational costs. Students with disabilities could receive as much as $30,000 per year.”
“While the program will initially serve up to 90,000 students with a $1 billion budget,” CatholicVote added, “it could grow to nearly $4.5 billion by 2030, making it the largest school choice initiative in the country.”
CatholicVote Vice President of Advocacy Joshua Mercer celebrated the February rollout, touting it as a win both for his organization and for all families with school-aged children.
“This is a great moment for Catholics not only in Texas but throughout the country, and we hope the massive success of this new law inspires similar action on the federal level,” he told Zeale News Feb. 6. “We know school choice is the future of education in this country, because we understand the foundational importance of the family to the success of any nation. That's why our Church teachings insist on the sacredness of the role of parents as the primary educators of their children.”
“CatholicVote is proud to have rallied so much support for these principles, paving the way to this pivotal victory for all American families,” Mercer added. “From ordinary lay moms and dads to bishops, our voices were heard, and we congratulate and thank Governor Greg Abbott, a Catholic, for listening."
“Texas families made history yesterday,” Hancock stated in his press release. “This record-breaking response shows a powerful groundswell across our state of parents who are excited about the freedom to choose the best possible education for their child, and we’re proud to deliver a program that puts students first.”
School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis wrote for Real Truth Media that the record-breaking number of applications signals “historic levels of demand from parents who are ready to take control of their children’s education.”
He explained that the accounts are open to anyone in Texas, regardless of income, but priority goes to low-income families and special needs students. Texas’ budget only covers about 90,000 scholarships for the program’s first year, and the base value of the scholarships is $10,474 per student during the 2026-27 school year.
The funds can be used for private school tuition, online classes, or other educational expenses.
DeAngelis reported that projections show that more than 90,000 families will likely apply for the program before the March 17 deadline, so there will be a waitlist. He encouraged the state legislature to expand funding for the program next year, pointing to North Carolina’s 2024 expansion of its own school choice budget as a successful response to a demand for more educational options.
DeAngelis highlighted the program as a win for parents and families, saying that parents, not teachers’ unions or politicians, are better positioned to make choices about their children’s educational needs.
“And now, Texas is leading the charge, empowering families across the state to choose the education that fits their child’s unique needs,” he added.
Abbott supported the program and encouraged families to apply for scholarships. According to DeAngelis, Abbott also brought Texas into President Donald Trump’s federal school choice tax credit scholarship program, allowing families to receive additional education support through tax credits.