Knowledge-First Empowerment Academy: TEFA Status, Tuition Help & Funding

Verified against two public records. TEFA participation is checked against the Texas Education Freedom Accounts participating-school finder (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts), retrieved October 9, 2026. Enrollment, teachers, religious orientation and associations come from the NCES Private School Survey (U.S. Department of Education) (2023-24, or 2021-22 where noted). Tuition is not reported to either — confirm it with the school.

Funding fit for Knowledge-First Empowerment Academy

$10,474

TEFA private-school award, 2026-27 — the same at every grade served here (6-12)

$15,813 to $16,916

Typical TEFA total with an IEP for a Alief ISD resident (resource/self-contained to mainstream codes)

$2,000

TEFA homeschool/other tier, for comparison, if a family chooses a hybrid or homeschool option instead

As of October 9, 2026, Knowledge-First Empowerment Academy does not appear in the Texas TEFA participating-school finder. Schools can apply at any time if they meet the accreditation and two-year operating requirements. If you are considering this school, ask whether it has applied. You can also look at school-based aid, the federal scholarship tax credit that starts in January 2027, and the participating schools nearby listed below.

Independent schools set their own need-based aid. A school may weigh a TEFA award when it decides aid, but it may not charge a TEFA family a different tuition.

Check my funding for this school →

In the U.S. Department of Education's Private School Survey (2023-24), the school reported 115 K-12 students, 8 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 13.529411765:1 student-teacher ratio and 25% of the previous year's graduates going on to four-year colleges.

Associations (federal survey): State/regional independent school association (e.g., ISAS).

Questions to ask this school

Have you applied to participate in TEFA? When do you expect a decision?
What is tuition for my child's grade, and which fees (registration, books, technology, uniforms, lunch) can be paid from the TEFA account?
Which discounts do you offer (sibling, church member, employee), and what need-based aid is available for the balance?
Will you accept the TEFA payment schedule (25% July, 25% October, 50% February), or do you need a deposit from personal funds?
For high school: which dual-credit partners do you use, and can those course fees come from the account?

TEFA with an IEP: what it's worth near Houston

Home district	TEFA-funded students (Jul 29, 2026)	IEP: speech only (00)	IEP: mainstream (40)	IEP: resource / self-contained (41-45)	IEP: residential facility (81-89)
Alief ISD	493	$11,408	$16,916	$15,813	$25,880
Houston ISD	3327	$11,393	$16,818	$15,731	$25,645
Fort Bend ISD	2024	$11,438	$17,122	$15,983	$26,372

Totals = $10,474 base + the district add-on from the Comptroller's 2026-27 Special Education Funding Table, capped at $30,000. Funded counts: TEFA Annual Demographic Report (data as of July 29, 2026). All Houston-area districts →