PDSES Frequently Asked Questions

The Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) program is a one-time $1,500 online grant for parents of eligible students served by special education and who are enrolled in a Texas public school. The PDSES program allows parents to pay for goods and services that provide a direct educational benefit to their child. PDSES parents can utilize the funds for educational items such as technology, educational curriculum, supplies, additional tutoring, therapy, or other specialized services.

Regardless of whether a student with a disability receives PDSES, the student’s school must still meet all federal and state special education requirements to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the student, including the determination of whether the student requires compensatory services. In other words, PDSES goods and services are offered above and beyond what is required by a student’s school to ensure that the student receives FAPE.

Applications must be submitted by the student’s "parent," defined as “a resident of this state who is a natural or adoptive parent, managing or possessory conservator, legal guardian, custodian, or other person with legal authority to act on behalf of (the) child” (TEC § 29.041). Additionally, families must live and have a home address in Texas to apply and receive an account. If the applicant is in question, the PDSES program may ask for documentation to resolve any disputes.

Parents must apply during the annual application window:

• Application window for the 2026–2027 School Year:  Spring 2027

For questions and information about the PDSES application process, please visit our Application Process page.

To receive program updates and reminders, parents can sign up for PDSES email updates.

PDSES is a one-time grant. Once an account has been awarded, no further applications may be submitted for that student.

The PDSES program provides $1,500 accounts for each eligible student. Parents with more than one eligible student are encouraged to apply for each eligible student. 

The PDSES application can only be completed online; there is no paper application submission process. The system is compatible with mobile devices, but it is recommended to use a computer or tablet to complete the application. If you need help you can call SPEDTex at 1-855-773-3839 or email PDSESHelp@region10.org.

Visit the PDSES Application Process webpage for information, resources, links, and instructions related to the PDSES application process.

The PDSES website is the best place to learn about the PDSES program. The PDSES team updates and adds to the information on this website and FAQs regularly. Be aware of external websites that have PDSES information or are promoting their service or products, as these websites are not affiliated with TEA, and may give incorrect or misleading information. Report any such websites to PDSEShelp@region10.org.

19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §102.1601(j) - School districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall notify families of the program and, unless the school district or charter school has verified that a parent has already received or applied for a program grant, shall provide the following at the student's admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee meeting:

1. instructions and resources on accessing the online accounts, including the application window established by TEA; and
2. information about the types of goods and services that are available through the program grant.”

TEA has created resources on the Additional Resources page that satisfy this rule. 

• For the legislative statute, see Texas Education Code (TEC) § 29.041-29.049.
• For the Commissioner’s Rules, see 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §102.1601.

The PDSES Team: PDSEShelp@region10.org or 1-855-773-3839, for:

• General PDSES questions
• Questions about the PDSES application
• Finding or adding a service provider
• Finding specific items on the marketplace
• Ordering from a Direct Pay vendor

ClassWallet – the On-line Marketplace: help@classwallet.com or 877-969-5536, for:

• General online marketplace questions
• Order status
• Returning items
• Items not received or issues with a delivery
• Account access
• Issues with toggling between students
• Password reset
• Order cancellations
• Refunds

SPEDTex: inquire@spedtex.org, spedtex.org, or 1-855-773-3839, for:

• General special education questions
• Help with creating or logging into your Parent Portal account

To be eligible for the PDSES grant, students must currently be:

• be currently enrolled in a Texas public school (grades Pre-K through 12th);
• receive special education services through an individualized education program (IEP); and
• have not received a PDSES grant in the past (PDSES is a one-time-only grant).

Students must be eligible at the time the application is submitted and must remain eligible throughout the entire process. If, at any point, the student no longer meets eligibility requirements the student will no longer be eligible for the PDSES grant. For example, if the student is dismissed from special education or is no longer enrolled in a Texas public school due to graduation or enrollment in a private school.

For more information about eligibility, visit 19 TAC §102.1601(b).

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) uses “Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) codes to verify eligibility in order to award accounts for the PDSES program." (19 TAC §102.1601 (c)(2))

Each school year during the month of October, all districts and charter schools in Texas provide TEA a “snapshot” of all students enrolled in their district. Commonly known as “Fall Snapshot Data,” this is the PEIMS data TEA uses to verify PDSES eligibility.

No, students served under section 504 do not qualify for the PDSES program as they are not served through special education. Read here for more information about section 504.

Possibly. To qualify, students must be currently enrolled in an 18+ program at a Texas public school district or charter school and have not yet graduated.

No. Students must be currently enrolled in a Texas public school district or open enrollment charter school. This requirement also applies to students in microschools, homeschools, or any other alternative educational arrangement that is not a Texas public school district or open enrollment charter school. Additionally, students who receive special education services through proportionate share are not eligible for the PDSES program. According to 19 TAC §102.1601(c), students must be “currently enrolled in a Texas public school district or open-enrollment charter school who are served under an individualized education program (IEP) in a special education program.”

PDSES uses information reported by school districts through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) to verify eligibility. In some cases, additional documentation uploaded by the parent during the application process is also reviewed. Applications that require additional review of submitted documentation may display an "In Review" status while PDSES completes the eligibility determination.

After review, an application will be determined to be either eligible or denied. Eligible applications will receive an email explaining next steps. If an application is denied, the parent will be provided the reason for the denial and information about the appeals process.

Parents can monitor an application's status in the PDSES Parent Portal and will receive an email each time their application status changes. 

The review process may take a few months. The amount of time needed to review all PDSES applications varies based on several factors, including number of applications and whether additional documentation must be reviewed. Applications that can be verified using information reported through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) may be processed more quickly, while applications that require review of additional documentation take longer because they must be reviewed manually by PDSES program staff. 

If you received this email, it means you uploaded attachments to your application that we are still reviewing. This may take some time as we review each attachment to look for specific things to determine eligibility.

While your application is “in review,” you will not be able to add additional documentation, if your application is denied after the review process, you will still be able to appeal and upload additional documentation at that time. Please do not email documentation as we do not review attachments from emails.

Applications that meet PDSES eligibility requirements may receive one of two eligible statuses:

• “Eligible – Funded”
• “Eligible – Waiting to be Funded”

If the status is "Eligible – Funded"

A status of "Eligible – Funded" means the application meets the program's eligibility requirements and funds are currently available for an account award. This status also means the process to create and fund the student's ClassWallet account has begun. Once an application receives an "Eligible – Funded" status email, it may take up to six weeks from the date of the status change email for the ClassWallet account to be created. Parents will receive additional information as the account setup process progresses.

If the status is "Eligible – Waiting to be Funded"

A status of "Eligible – Waiting to be Funded" means the application meets the program's eligibility requirements, but funds are not currently available to award the account. When additional funding becomes available, applications with a “Waiting to be Funded” status are funded according to the program's prioritization requirements, and the order applications were submitted during the application window.

Parents can use the PDSES Application Funding Timeline Lookup Tool to view information about when their application is projected to be funded. This tool also provides additional information about waitlists, factors that affect account awards, and important notices regarding account awards.

Important: 

• Placement on the waitlist does not guarantee that an account will be awarded. Account awards remain subject to available funding, legislative appropriations, applicable law, program requirements, and eligibility verification. Any estimated award timelines are projections only and may change.
• Because account award timing depends on factors that may change over time, it is not possible to determine exactly when a specific eligible application may receive an account award. Parents and guardians should not plan services, purchases, or expenses based on the expectation that an account will be awarded by a specific date.

Yes, the PDSES program “prioritize[s] the awarding of accounts based on applicants qualifying for the National School Lunch Program and available funds” (19 TAC §102.1601 (c)(3)). TEA uses the student’s “economic-disadvantage-code” in Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) to determine if a student qualifies for the National School Lunch Program. Student eligibility in the National School Lunch Program is based on the individual student’s family income. To see income eligibility please visit this site. 

The “economic-disadvantage-code” is determined for each student at the beginning of the school year or during enrollment. Students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch (FRL), as determined by their “economic-disadvantage-code,” will likely receive accounts before students that are not eligible for FRL.

Notes about FRL: 

• For most students, eligibility for FRL is determined through information provided by the family to the school district at registration. If the required forms were not completed, a student's economic-disadvantage code may not reflect eligibility, even if the student would otherwise qualify. Parents who believe their priority status is incorrect should contact their school about their student’s “economic-disadvantage-code.”
• Some schools provide free or reduced-price meals to all students through schoolwide meal programs. Participation in these programs does not necessarily mean a student qualifies for PDSES priority. Priority status is based on the individual student's economic-disadvantage code reported in PEIMS. Parents who have questions about their student's economic-disadvantage code should contact their school.
• Appeals regarding a student's priority status will NOT be accepted. Priority status for eligible applications on the waitlist may be updated based on updated PEIMS information.

When funds are available, eligible applications are awarded accounts based on two factors:

1. Priority status. TEA is required by law to prioritize students who qualify for the National School Lunch Program (free or reduced-price lunch, or FRL). For more information about how PDSES prioritizes the awarding of accounts, see our FAQ “Does the PDSES program prioritize accounts?”
   • Parents can see their application's priority status under "Priority" in the table provided in the PDSES Parent Portal. Applications with "Yes" in this column qualify for prioritization. Students with "N/A" (Not Applicable) do not meet the criteria for priority designation according to state data.
2. Application submission date. Within each priority group, accounts are awarded on a first-come first-served basis according to the date and time each application was submitted.
   • Because priority status is considered along with the application submission timestamp, an application with a priority status of "Yes" will likely receive an account award before an application with a priority status of "N/A," even if the application was submitted earlier.
   • Parents can use the PDSES Application Funding Timeline Lookup Tool to view information about when their application is projected to be funded.

To receive PDSES funding, a student must continue to meet all program eligibility requirements at the time of application and when funds are awarded. If a student graduates, moves out of Texas, is no longer enrolled in a Texas public school, is dismissed from special education services, or otherwise becomes ineligible before funding is awarded, the application is no longer be eligible to receive PDSES funds.

Families are encouraged to keep their contact information current AND to notify PDSES if their student is no longer eligible to receive a grant.

There are two accounts that are used for the PDSES program: 

1. SPEDTex Parent Portal Account: Parents must create a SPEDTex Parent Portal Account to access the PDSES Parent Portal. In the PDSES Parent Portal parents can:
   • Apply for a PDSES grant (during the application window
   • Change/update contact information
   • View current applications and statuses
   • Appeal for a denied application (Appealing a Denial FAQs)
2. ClassWallet Account: This account is created for parents once an application has been determined as eligible and funded. This is the account where parents receive their $1,500 to spend online on the ClassWallet marketplace. These accounts are created when funds are available, so parents could be waiting for their accounts to be created.

Yes. If your student's application was denied, you may apply again during the next PDSES application window as long as your student meets the eligibility requirements at that time and has not previously received a PDSES grant. You must submit a new application during the next application window, previously denied applications will not be reconsidered. To receive program updates and reminders about the next application window, parents can sign up for PDSES email updates.

It is possible that applications may receive an incorrect eligibility decision due to a delay in state data needed to determine eligibility. For example, if a student only recently started receiving special education services or enrolled in a Texas public school for the first time, the PDSES program may not have received the data necessary to make a correct eligibility determination. If this is the case, you should appeal if you can provide documentation to show your student is eligible. 

You will be required to upload documentation as part of the appeal process. PDSES will need to confirm your student’s enrollment history and review your student’s current individualized education program (IEP) from the most recent admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee meeting. For more information about the appeals process, visit the Appealing a Denial section of our PDSES Application Process page.

The deadline to appeal is 5pm CST on the last Friday in January following the most recent application window. For more information about the appeals process, including timelines, visit the Appealing a Denial section of our PDSES Application Process page.

If you received a denial and choose not to appeal, you can reapply for your student(s) during the next application window. We will not reprocess applications that were previously denied; parents must reapply for their student(s).

PDSES program uses two related accounts, both tied to the same email address.

1. SPEDTex Parent Portal Account: Parents must create a SPEDTex Parent Portal Account to access the PDSES Parent Portal. In the PDSES Parent Portal parents can:
   • Apply for a PDSES grant (during the application window)
   • Change/update contact information
   • View current applications and statuses
   • Appeal for a denied application (Appealing a Denial FAQs)
2. ClassWallet Account: This is the account where parents receive their $1,500 to spend online on the ClassWallet marketplace. The ClassWallet account is created using the My SPEDTex email address and the contact information (such as home address and phone number) provided in the PDSES Parent Portal. Parents do not need to create this account themselves; instead, it is created for parents once their eligible application status is updated to “funded.” The account is created only when funds are available, meaning parents will need to wait for their ClassWallet account to be created.

Email is the primary way the PDSES program communicates with parents, including application status updates and next steps. For this reason, it is very important that parents use a personal email address (not a work or school email) that they check regularly and expect to keep long-term. Parents are also encouraged to add the following email addresses to their email safe sender or contacts list to help ensure PDSES emails are not missed or sent to spam:

• PDSESHelp@region10.org
• PDSESInfo@tea.texas.gov
• info@classwallet.com

Yes. After being awarded a PDSES account, parents must complete the activation requirement within 30-days of receiving their account email from ClassWallet. To complete the activation requirement, parents MUST:

1. login following the steps from the ClassWallet email AND
2. agree to the PDSES Parental Acknowledgment and Agreement (if a parent has more than one eligible child, an agreement for each child must be completed).

Failure to do these two things may result in closing of an account and a loss of funds. Account holders will receive multiple reminders from pdseshelp@region10.org and info@classwallet.com to complete this activation requirement.

Parents can reach out to PDSEShelp@region10.org, and the PDSES team will provide next steps. Determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis. Parents of students that do not complete the opt-in and activation requirements will be allowed to apply again if their student is still eligible. 

Parents must contact the PDSES team at PDSEShelp@region10.org and inform them if their student no longer meets the eligibility criteria (19 TAC §102.1601(f)(4)).

To be eligible for the PDSES grant, students must currently be:

• be currently enrolled in a Texas public school (grades Pre-K through 12th);
• receive special education services through an individualized education program (IEP); and
• have not received a PDSES grant in the past. (PDSES is a one-time-only grant.)

The student must be eligible at the time the application is submitted and must remain eligible throughout the entire process. If, at any point, the student no longer meets eligibility requirements the student will no longer be eligible for the PDSES grant. For example, if the student is dismissed from special education or is no longer enrolled in a Texas public school due to graduation or enrollment in a private school.

Once parents have received their account award email from info@classwallet.com, parents will follow the steps outlined in the email to activate their account and accept the PDSES funds. PDSES program funds may only be used through the online marketplace on ClassWallet. Parents will not receive a gift/debit card, nor can parents be reimbursed for purchases made outside of the ClassWallet marketplace.

For guidelines about what goods can be purchased, please see the PDSES Purchasing Guidelines.

PDSES funds are intended to benefit the eligible student’s education. Parents may purchase educationally relevant products, technologies, and/or services. For example, a parent may want to purchase additional hours of occupational therapy for their student, or may want to purchase educational products that fit their student’s needs, such as a computer, tablet, headphones, school supplies, books, educational games, sensory items, etc. 

Services paid for with PDSES funds MUST provide a direct educational benefit to the student. Services which are not educational, such as daycare; or services that do not provide a direct educational benefit such as legal advocacy fees or evaluation/assessment fees are NOT able to be paid with PDSES funds. If there is a question regarding whether PDSES funds can pay for goods or services, it is recommended parents check with the PDSES staff beforehand by emailing PDSESpurchasing@region10.org. 

All orders are reviewed by PDSES staff. PDSES staff approves or denies each item or service based on providing an educational benefit. Further justification for some goods and/or services might be requested. It is recommended that parents include justification on the original order submission.

View the list of PDSES approved integrated vendors on the ClassWallet marketplace.

Additionally, PDSES has more stores/vendors, called Direct Pay Vendors, who offer educational and therapeutic goods but are not on the general ClassWallet marketplace. These stores/vendors can be found on ClassWallet under “Pay Vendor”.

Note: even though a store may appear in the marketplace, some of the items it sells may not be allowable. Parents should always review the PDSES Purchasing Guidelines before making a purchase.

No. The PDSES program does not allow reimbursements for goods or services. Parents can only use the funds in their online ClassWallet account to purchase goods and services from PDSES approved service providers and vendors.

Articles or other marketing materials from ClassWallet that refer to reimbursements do not apply to the Texas PDSES program.

Parents must upload a clear and easy-to-read copy of the service provider’s invoice to the ClassWallet marketplace that includes:

• Name of the PDSES approved service provider
• Name of the student receiving the service or therapy
• Dates of service (must have already happened)
• Service or therapy type
• Service pricing including the price per unit of service
• Total amount of the invoice

The invoice amount must match the amount requested, unless it is more than the amount of PDSES funds remaining in the purse balance. In this case, the account holder will use all remaining PDSES funds and then pay the remaining balance directly to the service provider using personal funds. We recommend adding this in the justification section.

Invoices that might be hard to read can also be emailed to PDSESpurchasing@region10.org. Parents are encouraged to add the order number in the subject line or in the body of the email.

Approval of purchases can take up to 30 business days. Parents wondering where their purchased and approved items are can reach out to ClassWallet directly by calling (877) 969-5536 or emailing help@classwallet.com.

Parents will never need to pay upfront; the online marketplace will transfer funds directly to the approved vendors or service providers. However, if a purchase is greater than the funds in the account, the account holder will need to pay the remaining balance using personal funds.

Requests to purchase replacements for items that get damaged, lost, or stolen will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but are not usually approved. It is strongly recommended that when purchasing electronics, parents also purchase a warranty and a durable case (if applicable) for the item. Note: some vendors do not offer protection plans for items purchased with PDSES funds.

All purchases are subject to the PDSES Parental Acknowledgement and Agreement.

Yes. Every account has an expiration date. This is noted as a “purse” in ClassWallet – Parents will also receive multiple emails telling them when their account expires.

Funding timelines may change for a variety of reasons. Should an expiration date change, it will be communicated in multiple ways by email, text, and phone calls. 

PDSES funds can be used for services that provide a direct educational benefit to PDSES eligible students. Providers of these services include:

• Paraprofessionals and special education assistants
• Licensed/certified service providers (therapists)
• Academic tutors
• Providers of specialized services

Service providers who wish to apply to become approved should visit Criteria and Information on Becoming a Service Provider or Vendor where they can read about the criteria for approval and begin the process.

Parents who need help finding or adding a service provider for their student should contact the PDSES team at PDSESHelp@region10.org or call 1-855-773-3839.

View the current list of PDSES approved service providers.

Yes. The PDSES program ensures that only appropriate service providers work with students in the PDSES program. One of those steps is making sure each service provider has passed a background check. Service providers working for a company or clinic get background checks when they are hired. Most individual PDSES service providers are required to have a license or certification which also requires a background check. PDSES may ask individual service providers who do not hold a license or certification that requires a background check to submit one directly to the PDSES program.

Parents should start by searching the list of current PDSES service providers on the ClassWallet marketplace.

Parents who need help finding or adding a service provider for their child can contact the PDSES team at PDSESHelp@region10.org or call 1-855-773-3839.

If a student already receives services with a service provider who is not yet on the PDSES marketplace, parents can ask them to sign up to be a service provider on the marketplace. If a service provider needs help completing the approval process, please reach out to PDSESHelp@region10.org.

Service providers must be approved by the PDSES program and on ClassWallet in order to be paid using PDSES funds.

Yes. Public school teachers and service providers may qualify to provide tutoring or services through PDSES. Individuals must apply to become a PDSES service provider and meet the appropriate credential requirements.

PDSES recommends that teachers and therapists do not provide PDSES services to students on their current caseloads and/or rosters, as doing so may create a conflict of interest between the family and the individual’s employer. Similarly, PDSES service providers may not be a family member of the student receiving services, as this also presents a potential conflict of interest.

PDSES further recommends that teachers and therapists review relevant district and school policies, as well as applicable professional standards, before applying to become a PDSES service provider and/or providing services.

Anyone providing academic tutoring must have a current, valid Texas Educator Certificate (TEC). However, it is not required that an academic tutor have a special education certification.

All invoices and receipts for goods and services are evaluated by the PDSES program staff. Vendors and service providers will be denied access if they are found to charge excessive rates.