Texas treats a home school as a private school, so there is nothing to register with the state. What TEFA adds is a modest annual account for homeschool families who are selected.
In the Dallas area, that $2,000 most often goes to curriculum, outside classes and testing. A part-week program or co-op can only be paid from the account if it has been approved as a vendor, so ask before you sign up.
Dallas County homeschool students who have finished eighth grade can also look at Dallas College dual credit, where eligible county residents with a homeschool agreement may receive a tuition waiver. Course fees aren't waived, and those can come from the account.
If the child later enrolls at a participating school, funding rises to $10,474. Moving the other way, from a participating school to home, drops it back to $2,000.
Combining it with other sources
Few Dallas families pay with one source alone. This one generally stacks with a school's own discounts and need-based aid and with at least one other source on our funding list, and the funding check lays out the combination that fits your child.