Homeschooling in Texas needs no registration, because the state treats a home school as a private school. What TEFA adds is a $2,000 account for accepted homeschool students, spent through the Odyssey marketplace.
Tarrant County has a large network of co-ops and two- and three-day programs. A program can be paid from the account only if it is an approved vendor, and many Fort Worth-area Prenda and Acton-style programs are listed as schools instead, which moves the student to the $10,474 tier. Ask which one applies before you sign up.
Dual credit is often the best use of a homeschool account in this area. Tarrant County College waives dual-credit tuition for homeschooled students under the state FAST program, so the $2,000 can go to books, testing and other courses.
Moving from homeschool to a participating school raises the account to the full award. Leaving a participating school for homeschool lowers it to $2,000.
Combining it with other sources
Families rarely rely on one source alone. This one generally stacks with a school's own discounts and aid and with at least one other source on this site, and the funding check lays out the order that works for your child.