If you have a child with a disability in Texas, this could be the most important 20 minutes you spend this month.

Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) offers most families one funding amount — but families with children with disabilities could qualify for something significantly higher. The difference comes down to a few specific steps, one hard deadline, and one decision most homeschooling parents get completely wrong.

In Part 3 of the TEFA series, Crystal and Anthony Obey go deep on disability funding so you walk away knowing exactly what to do next.

🎧 Listen now. The deadline waits for no one.

👉 educationfreedom.texas.gov

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

1. The 14 qualifying disability categories — and why many parents are shocked their child's diagnosis is on the list
2. The critical difference between two funding paths for children with disabilities — and why mixing them up costs families thousands
3. What homeschool and private school families must do that public school families don't — and how little time you have to do it
4. The one document that unlocks maximum funding — and the deadline with zero exceptions
5. Four real-life family scenarios with exact action steps for each
6. A counterintuitive application choice that makes the biggest financial difference for special needs families
7. An important legal trade-off every family must understand before deciding

Perfect for You If:

1. Your child has ADHD, dyslexia, autism, a speech delay, or any other learning difference
2. You've assumed the bigger funding amounts weren't available to your family
3. You want every dollar of homeschool funding your child actually qualifies for

Important Resources:

👉 Apply Now: educationfreedom.texas.gov

👉 Apply Now & Get Full Details: educationfreedom.texas.gov

📞 Odyssey Support Line: 737-379-2362

🌐 Odyssey Support Site: support.withodyssey.com

Application Deadline: March 17, 2026 | Funding Start: July 1, 2026

If you have a child with a disability

in Texas, this episode could be the most

2

important 20 minutes you spend this month.

3

And that's not just an exaggeration.

4

Texas just launched the TEPA

program, the Texas Education Freedom

5

Accounts, and for most families

with a child with a disability,

6

the standard account is $10,474.

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But if your child has a qualifying

disability and you take the

8

right steps, that number can

go all the way up to $30,000.

9

That's $30,000 for one

child in one school year.

10

Today we're going to walk you through

exactly who qualifies, what documents

11

you need, what steps you need to take

right now, and how to make sure you

12

don't accidentally leave that money

on the table by missing a deadline.

13

A fast growing number of parents are

starting their homeschooling journey while

14

others have been homeschooling for years.

15

All of these parents are asking one big

question, how can I afford to homeschool?

16

We are here to answer that

important question once and for all.

17

Hi, I'm Crystal Obby.

18

And I'm Anthony Obby.

19

We've been homeschooling our five

kids for 13 years and we funded it.

20

Through our online consulting business

that we've been running for over 17

21

years now, we're combining Crystal's

financial coaching expertise with my

22

digital marketing background where I help

entrepreneurs launch and sell online.

23

We're here to help fellow homeschooling

parents self-fund their homeschool

24

journey and create lifestyle businesses.

25

For financial freedom without a nine to

five job, are you ready to start living

26

life on your own terms and make your

homeschooling experience a lot more fun?

27

Well then sit back, crank up

the volume, and enjoy this

28

episode of Homeschool Money.

29

Hey there.

30

We wanna welcome you to the

Homeschool Money Podcast.

31

My name is Anthony Obby

and this is Crystal Lobe.

32

This is episode three of our Tifa series.

33

If you haven't heard episode one and two,

this is episode three of our TFA series.

34

If you haven't heard episodes

one and two, go back and listen.

35

They give you the full program

overview and application walkthrough.

36

Today we're going deep

on disability funding,

37

so let's start with the

most important question.

38

What counts as a qualifying

disability under Tifa, because a

39

lot of parents assume their child

won't qualify and they're wrong.

40

The program recognizes 14 disability

categories, and these are the same

41

categories used by Texas Public Schools

for special education eligibility.

42

So if your child has ever been

evaluated for special education

43

services, there's a very good

chance they fall into one of these.

44

Let's run through them so parents can hear

if their child's situation is on the list.

45

Autism, deaf, blindness,

deaf or hard of hearing.

46

Emotional disability, intellectual

disability, multiple disabilities,

47

orthopedic impairment,

other health impairment.

48

And this one is broad.

49

It covers A DHD, asthma, epilepsy,

diabetes, Tourette syndrome.

50

Sickle cell anemia, and more specific

learning disability, which includes

51

dyslexia and dysgraphia, speech

impairment, traumatic brain injury,

52

visual impairment, developmental

delay for children, ages three to nine

53

and non categorical early childhood

for kids between three and five.

54

Let's pause on a few of those.

55

A DHD, dyslexia, autism, speech delays.

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These are among the most common diagnosis

for school aged children in Texas.

57

If your child has any of these and

has been evaluated through the public

58

school system, they may already have

documentation that qualifies them.

59

And here's something.

60

Parents in private school

or homeschool need to hear.

61

Your child does not have to be currently

enrolled in a public school to qualify.

62

If your child has a disability, your

local public school district is required.

63

To evaluate them regardless

of where they're enrolled.

64

Many families don't know that.

65

The official definition that TA uses

is that the child must be eligible to

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participate in a school district special

education program because of their

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disability and because of that disability,

they need special education or related

68

services to benefit from education.

69

That's the standard.

70

It's about educational

impact, not just diagnose.

71

Now, here's where it gets really important

to understand the difference between two

72

things Tifa does and is priority path

two is priority plus additional funding.

73

They are not the same thing.

74

And knowing which one you're going for

changes what you need to do right now.

75

Hey, real quick, if you're liking the

show, hit follow so you don't miss a

76

single episode and drop a five star

rating and a review to let us know that

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you're loving the content and tell us

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This will help more people find

the show, and please share this

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episode with a friend, your

co-op, or anyone who needs it.

80

They'll be glad you did.

81

Now, back to the show.

82

Priority means your child is

placed in tier one of the lottery.

83

The best possible position to be selected.

84

To get this, you need to prove your

child has a qualifying disability.

85

You can do that with an IEPA

full individual and initial

86

evaluation, an out-of-state IEP.

87

Or the specialty for disability

certification form that your

88

child's doctor or therapist signs

89

priority plus additional funding is what

unlocks that potential $30,000 amount.

90

This is more specific.

91

To get the higher funding your

child must have a Texas IEP.

92

From the 2023 to 24, the 2024 to 25, or

93

file with the Texas Education Agency by

the close of applications on March 17th.

94

The amount of additional funding is set

by the IEP itself and varies by student.

95

So here's the practical breakdown.

96

If your child has a current Texas

IEP on file with TEA, you are

97

in the best possible position.

98

You get tier one priority and you're

eligible for the higher funding.

99

If your child has a disability,

but no current IEP, you can still

100

get tier one priority using the

disability certification form, but

101

you won't get the extra funding

unless an IEP gets filed in time.

102

Listen.

103

That distinction is everything, and

it means some families need to start

104

moving on this today, not next week.

105

That's a critical deadline, and IEP

must be on file with TEA by March 17th,

106

2026 to qualify for additional funding.

107

There are no exceptions after

the application window closed.

108

We know families are in very

different situations, so let's

109

walk through the most common ones

and tell you exactly what to do.

110

Scenario A, my child is in a

Texas public school and already

111

has an IEP, so you're in the best

position if that's your situation.

112

Your IEP is likely already

in the TEA system, but.

113

And this is important.

114

If your child has had a new or updated

115

your school district now and let

them know you're applying for tfa.

116

Newer IEPs may need an extra

step to be properly recorded

117

with TEA before the deadline.

118

Don't assume it's already there.

119

Make the call.

120

Scenario B.

121

My child attends a private

school and has an IEP.

122

This one requires action.

123

Private school IEPs are not

automatically in the TEA system.

124

You need to contact the public

school district that covers your home

125

address and ask them to upload your

child's IEP into TE's Apex system.

126

Call them this week.

127

When you do tell them specifically

that you are applying for Tifa

128

and need the IEP uploaded by

March 17th, they know what to do.

129

TEA has provided them with

instructions for this exact situation.

130

Also, once that IEP is uploaded.

131

Your child will be assigned a

Texas unique student identification

132

number called A UID or S number.

133

You will need that number when

you fill out your TFA application.

134

The district can give it to you if for

some reason you cannot get it in time.

135

You can enter a temporary code in the

application, but getting the real UID.

136

Is the only way to guarantee full

verification and the additional funding

137

scenario.

138

C.

139

My child is homeschooled and

has a disability, but no, IEP.

140

Okay, you have two options.

141

Option one, reach out to your local

public school district now and request

142

a special education evaluation.

143

This process takes time, so the

sooner you start the better.

144

If an IEP is completed and loaded

into TEA before March 17th, your child

145

could qualify for the higher funding.

146

Option two, use the TFA

disability certification form.

147

This is a form created specifically for

this program, a qualified professional who

148

has evaluated your child, a pediatrician,

a psychologist, speech therapist,

149

occupational therapist, depending on the

disability category, can sign this form.

150

It gets your child into tier

one priority for the lottery.

151

It will not unlock higher funding, but it

dramatically improves your lottery odds.

152

Hey, friend, quick break.

153

If you're ready to fund your homeschool

without relying on a nine to five

154

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a year to Fund Your Homeschool

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In just 90 minutes, you'll learn

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Afford a world-class education for

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160

you deserve, that's gonna give you

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that matter the most, your children.

162

This is the system that changed everything

for us, and it's changed everything

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for hundreds of other families too.

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Go to homeschool money.com

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class on demand and get our

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Don't wait.

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Your freedom starts right now.

169

Scenario D, I think my

child has a disability, but

170

they've never been evaluated.

171

First, you're not alone.

172

A lot of parents in this situation

have suspected something for years.

173

But haven't navigated

the evaluation process.

174

Here's your path.

175

Contact your local public school

district and request a full

176

individual and initial evaluation

177

called A-F-I-I-E for special education.

178

This is your legal right, regardless of

where your child is currently enrolled.

179

Alternatively, have your child's

doctor or licensed specialist

180

evaluate them and complete the

TFA disability certification form.

181

Either document can establish priority.

182

The disability certification form

and instructions for providers are

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available@educationfreedom.texas.gov.

184

Go to the toolkit section.

185

Your provider may not

know this form exists yet.

186

It was created specifically

for Tepa, so bring it to them.

187

You can also email disability

form dot tepa@cpatexas.gov

188

if you have questions about the form.

189

Okay, so now let's walk through what the

application actually looks like for a

190

child with a disability, because there

are a few fields that are specific to this

191

situation and you want to get them right.

192

When you get to the student section of

the application, you'll be asked whether

193

your child is eligible to participate in a

school district special education program.

194

If the answer is yes, say yes.

195

This opens two additional questions about

prioritization and potential funding.

196

You'll be asked whether

your child has an IEP.

197

If yes, you'll need three

pieces of information.

198

One, your child's Texas

unique student identification.

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Number two, the numerical

instructional code for their IEP.

200

This is usually in the section

labeled least, restrictive

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environment, instructional

arrangement, or local variation three.

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The name of the school

district that created the IEP.

203

Get these ready before

you sit down to apply.

204

If your child does not have an IEP, you'll

be routed to the prioritization only path.

205

You'll upload your

disability documentation.

206

That's the certification form

or FIIE or an out-of-state IEP.

207

This still puts your child in tier

one for the lottery, which is the

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most important outcome you can

get from the application itself.

209

One more thing that is easy to miss.

210

Your educational setting selection.

211

Private school versus homeschool

still locks in at the close of the

212

application window and for a child with

a disability going to a participating

213

accredited private school, the baseline

is $10,474 plus the additional funding

214

based on their IEP up to $30,000 total.

215

If you select homeschool, you

receive $2,000 for most families

216

with a child who has a disability.

217

Private school is the right

selection to maximize funding.

218

We wanna take a moment here because

this is something every family with

219

a child who has a disability needs to

understand before making this decision.

220

When your child is enrolled in a public

school, they're protected by federal

221

law and state special education law.

222

Including the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act, or the idea

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the law guarantees your child the right

to a free, appropriate public education

224

in the least restrictive environment.

225

It comes with procedural safeguards,

progress monitoring and legal protection.

226

Private schools are not subject to these

same federal and state obligations.

227

When you move your child to a private

school using TFA funds, you are making a

228

choice to trade those legal protections

for educational freedom and flexibility.

229

That is a real trade off, and it is

one that each family has to weigh

230

based on their child's specific needs.

231

For some families, a specialized

private school that is designed for

232

children with their child's disability,

a dyslexia school and autism focused

233

program, a therapeutic school will

provide far better outcomes than the

234

public school option for other families.

235

The public school services and legal

protections are the right choice.

236

There is no single right answer.

237

If you want to learn more about your

rights under special education law,

238

TE appoints families to the Texas

Legal Framework for Child centered

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Special Education, disability rights

IDA EEA manual, and the notice of

240

procedural safeguards from sped texts.

241

Read them.

242

Know your rights before and

after you make this decision.

243

Okay, so let's close

with your action plan.

244

If you have a child with a disability,

here is exactly what to do After

245

you finish this episode, step one,

find out if your child already

246

has an IEP on file with TEA.

247

Call your school district or check

with your child's current school.

248

If it's a public school, IEP,

it's likely already there.

249

If it's a private school, IEP, call

the district that covers your home

250

address and ask them to upload it.

251

Step two.

252

If there is no IEP, decide which

path makes sense for your family.

253

Either request a special education

evaluation from your local district.

254

Do this immediately.

255

If you want any chance of getting an

IEP filed before March 17th, or download

256

the TFA disability certification form

and bring it to your child's doctor

257

or therapist, step three, gather your

UID, your IEP instructional code and

258

the name of the district that issued

the IEP before you sit down to apply.

259

Having these ready makes the

application fast and accurate.

260

Step four, select private

school in your application.

261

If your child could attend a Tifa

participating private school,

262

you can always switch down.

263

Remember, you cannot

switch up after March 17th.

264

Step five share this episode.

265

Parents who have children with special

needs are in communities that are tight

266

knit and generous with each other.

267

There is a family in your

circle who needs to hear this.

268

Send it to them today.

269

The deadline waits for no one.

270

For all official forms, the school

finder and program updates, go

271

to education freedom.texas.gov.

272

Be sure to check the

show notes for details.

273

We'll see you in episode number four.

274

Where we're going to help

you find and choose the right

275

teeth of school for your child.

276

If you like today's episode, make

sure you tap the follow button so you

277

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Bye.