Parent Demand for Education Freedom is Surging in 2026

This week, Texas launched applications for the new Texas Education Freedom Account program, which is available to all families in the state. The program is proving so popular among parents that over 35,000 applications were received on day one, breaking the national record. The response from families in Texas shows exactly why the state climbed 15 spots to #9 in ALEC’s 2026 Index of State Education Freedom.

In Arizona, the Empowerment Scholarship Account program just became the fifth education freedom program in the country to have at least 100,000 students participating, joining Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship Account program, North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship program, and Ohio’s EdChoice Expansion program.

In state after state, parental demand for these education freedom programs is rapidly expanding. This early demonstration of success is encouraging governors to propose additional funding in their 2026 state of the state addresses:

• In Alabama, 23,000 students were unable to use the CHOOSE Act due to underfunding. In her State of the State address this year, Gov. Kay Ivey called for the legislature to increase funding for the CHOOSE Act to $250 million in the 2027-2028 school year, up from the state’s current annual commitment of $150 million.
• In Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe proposed a $10 million increase in funding for the MO Scholars program. Originally launched in 2021 with funding from tax credits, the legislature provided an additional $50 million direct appropriation for the program this year at Gov. Kehoe’s request. This would bring total program funding to $60 million in addition to the money provided by the tax credits.
• In Oklahoma, Gov. J. Kevin Stitt called on the legislature to eliminate the cap on the Parental Choice Refundable Tax Credit program. The program was capped at $150 million for the 2024 tax year and increased to $200 million for the 2025 tax year. Moving forward, the program is capped at $250 million in all future years. According to the state, 5,600 students were denied participation in the 2024 tax year after the cap was hit.
• In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster called on the legislature to annually increase funding for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (the state’s education savings account program).
• In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee proposed doubling the amount of funding for the state’s Education Freedom Scholarship program after 34,000 students were waitlisted due to underfunding last year. This would take the program from $155 million to $310 million in annual funding.

At ALEC, we have long championed the principle that every child deserves an education that fits their unique needs, regardless of their zip code or income. As we look across the states in 2026, it is clear that “Education Freedom” is no longer just a policy goal. It is a nationwide movement that is breaking records and transforming lives.

The message from families and voters across the country is unmistakable: parents must be empowered to choose the learning environment that best fits their child’s needs. Whether that means a public, private, charter, virtual, or home school, states are responding by expanding these options and ensuring that funding follows students themselves, not just the systems that serve them.