How to Track Your TEFA Spending

The Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) program allows participating families to use public education funds for approved educational expenses. Because TEFA accounts may be subject to audit or review through the Texas Comptroller's office, maintaining organized spending records throughout the school year is recommended.

In addition, keeping your own records can help you stay organized, monitor your TEFA account balance, and quickly access documentation if questions ever arise about a purchase or expense.

What Information Should You Keep?

As you make educational purchases using TEFA funds, it is recommended that you keep records of:

• Your purchase confirmations made through the Odyssey marketplace, where TEFA purchases and accounts are managed (use this step-by-step guide on how to use Odyssey to make approved educational purchases)
• Educational purchases and transaction amounts
• Technology purchases and transaction amounts to help you avoid exceeding the TEFA technology spending limit (10% of total TEFA award)
• A short note for each purchase explaining how it supports your child’s education (as some purchases may not be immediately self-explanatory)

Creating a Simple TEFA Spending Log

Your record-keeping system does not need to be complicated to be effective.

For each purchase, it can be helpful to record: date of purchase, provider or vendor, expense category, amount spent, educational purpose.

Below is an example of how you can track this information very simply in a spreadsheet, digital document stored online, notebook, or even the notes app on your phone:

In addition to maintaining your own spending log, it is also recommended that you save all Odyssey purchase confirmations throughout the school year.

Maintaining your records consistently throughout the year can help make TEFA account management much easier. Helpful habits may include:

A simple system that you can realistically maintain is often the most effective approach.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Some of the most common TEFA record-keeping mistakes include:

• Relying only on Odyssey's transaction history without keeping personal records
• Waiting until later in the school year to organize receipts and purchases
• Forgetting to document how certain purchases support your child's education
• Losing track of technology-related spending limits
• Saving records across multiple disconnected locations

The goal of TEFA record-keeping is to help you maintain clear and consistent records throughout the school year.

However, the process does not need to be overwhelming. A simple system for tracking your TEFA purchases is often enough to help you stay organized and prepared.

This article is for informational purposes only. For official TEFA program information, refer to educationfreedom.texas.gov.