Independent guide. Not affiliated with Step Up For Students or any government agency. No fee to apply.
Step Up For Students · 2026–27

Florida will help pay for your child's education. Yes, yours.

Most people call it the Step Up scholarship. Since 2023 there is no household income cap, it is worth roughly $8,000 per child per year, more than 500,000 Florida students already use one, and applying is free. This is the plain-English desk for figuring out yours.

3,600+ Florida private schools and a growing list of scholarship-approved providers. Free to search, no account needed.

Every fact linked to its source Free to read, free to apply Independent — we don't run the scholarship

The 60-second check

Three taps. Nothing you tap leaves this page.

Do you live in Florida?

Is your child K–12 age?

How do you want your child to learn?

You likely qualify.

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$0
Cost to apply
No cap
Household income
≈$8,000
Per child, per year
500,000+
Students using one

Pick the one that sounds like you

Three doors. Each one takes you straight to what you actually need — no scrolling for it.

I want to apply

Find out in 60 seconds whether your family qualifies and which of the four programs fits — then get the document list and the deadlines that matter.

Check eligibility

I already applied — now what?

Where to log in, what every status word actually means, when money lands, and exactly who to call when it's stuck. Bookmark this one.

Find my account

I'm a school or provider

Half a million funded Florida families are looking for somewhere to spend this money. Get listed so they can find you. Free.

Claim your listing
The hard part nobody helps with

Approved. Now — who near you actually takes this money?

Getting awarded is step one. Step two is finding a school, tutor, coach, or therapist who accepts it. That's the question we built this desk to answer.

Schools

Private schools by county

Every private school in Florida's official state directory, sorted by your county and flagged for which scholarships each one participates in — FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA and PEP hybrid.

Source: Florida Dept. of Education Browse schools Providers

Tutors, coaches, therapists & camps

The PEP and FES-UA side, where families direct their own spending. Search by county and category to find providers who work with scholarship families.

Free to list · free to search Browse providers

Run a program that serves scholarship families?

Claiming your listing is free and takes about two minutes. You control what it says.

Claim your listing

"Step Up" is who pays it. It has four other names.

Nearly everyone calls this the Step Up scholarship, and that is close enough to be useful — but it is worth thirty seconds to know why the paperwork keeps saying something else.

Step Up For Students is a nonprofit. It is not the state, and it is not a school. It takes the applications, decides who is approved, and pays the money out. The scholarship itself has four legal names, and which one is yours depends on how your child learns — not on how much you earn. There has been no income cap since 2023.

Private School Scholarship

Paperwork calls it FTC or FES-EO

You want your child in a private school.

Averages about $8,000 a year.

Unique Abilities Scholarship

Paperwork calls it FES-UA

Your child has a diagnosed disability.

Averages about $10,000 a year, and it is a spending account, not just tuition.

Personalized Education Program

Paperwork calls it PEP

You are teaching at home, or part-time at a school.

A spending account for curriculum, tutoring, materials and part-time classes.

Those three boxes cover four legal programs, because the private-school one is funded two different ways — FTC or FES-EO — and which one you land on is decided for you. There is also a separate Hope Scholarship, for a child who has been bullied or assaulted at a public school; Step Up For Students handles that one too.

Two organisations run these scholarships in Florida: Step Up For Students, which handles most of them, and the AAA Scholarship Foundation. We are neither. This is an independent guide written by a Tampa parent, and there is never a fee to apply.

What could your family receive?

2
4

Using the ≈$8,000 average award. Your exact amount varies by grade and county — the official 2026–27 schedule runs from $7,463 to $12,217 per student, and the state posts the schedule each year.

$16,000
Per year, all children
$64,000
Over the years
$0
Cost to apply

Estimates for planning only, not a guarantee of award. Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere.

The season, at a glance

New awards are first-come, first-served. The families who apply in the first days do best.

Apply in four steps

Create your free EMA account

EMA is the official portal run by Step Up For Students. One parent account covers all your kids. Have your ID and proof of Florida residency handy. Our account desk walks you through it →

Pick the scholarship that fits

Private school → FTC/FES-EO. Homeschooling → PEP. Student with a diagnosed disability → FES-UA. Our FTC vs PEP guide makes this a two-minute decision.

Upload documents & submit

Residency proof and birth certificate are the big two. Apply early — applications are processed in order, and funds are awarded as they go. Print the document checklist →

Get awarded, then enroll or shop

Private-school families: your school confirms enrollment and tuition flows. PEP families: your account funds and you start purchasing. Find providers who take it →

Applying is free. Protect yourself from copycats.

  • There is no application fee through the official portal. Treat any "processing fee" or "priority placement fee" as a red flag.
  • Step Up For Students says it will never ask for copies of your debit/credit card, never texts you for personal details, and its real emails come from @sufs.org — see its Security Center.
  • The FTC's rule of thumb: no legitimate company ever asks to be paid with gift cards.
  • When in doubt, call Step Up For Students directly: 1-877-735-7837 (Mon–Fri, 8–5 ET).
Straight answers

Questions every family asks

Is there really no income limit?
Correct. Since Florida's HB 1 (2023), any Florida resident student eligible to enroll in K-12 may apply, regardless of household income. Priority in line goes first to households at or below 185% of the federal poverty level and children in foster or out-of-home care, then to households up to 400% — but no family is excluded by income.
How much is the scholarship worth?
It varies by county and grade: the official 2026-27 schedule runs from $7,463 to $12,217 per student, with most counties around $7,500–$9,000 — Step Up For Students describes the average as about $8,000. Our amounts guide breaks it down.
Can I use it to homeschool?
Yes — that's PEP (Personalized Education Program). Instead of tuition, your award becomes a flexible education account for curriculum, tutoring, instructional materials and other approved categories, and PEP parents update a Student Learning Plan at least annually. Note: PEP is at capacity for 2026-27; the next application window is expected around February 1, 2027.
Can we still get a scholarship for THIS school year (2026-27)?
Private school (FTC/FES-EO): yes — new applications are open through November 15, 2026. PEP (homeschool): no — it reached capacity and closed April 30, 2026. Set a reminder and apply for 2027-28 the moment the window opens.
Does applying cost anything?
No — there is no application fee through the official EMA portal. Treat anyone charging a fee as a red flag, and check Step Up For Students' Security Center guidance above.
How do I find a school or provider that accepts the scholarship?
That's what this desk is for. Our schools directory lists every private school in Florida's official state directory by county, flagged for which scholarship programs each one participates in. Our provider directory covers the PEP and FES-UA side — tutors, coaches, therapists, curriculum and camps. Always confirm participation directly with the school or provider before you enroll or spend, and check the official Step Up purchasing rules for what's currently approved.
My child is in public school now. Can we still apply?
Yes. You can apply while enrolled in public school; the scholarship takes effect when your child moves to a participating private school or begins PEP.
When should we apply?
The first days the window opens — new awards are first-come, first-served (with priority for lower-income families and renewals). The 2026-27 season opened February 1, 2026; renewals ran through April 30 with awards accepted by May 31. Expect a similar calendar for 2027-28.
Who actually runs these scholarships?
Nonprofit Scholarship-Funding Organizations approved by the state — primarily Step Up For Students, and AAA Scholarship Foundation. This site is an independent guide and is not affiliated with either, or with any government agency.
Is this the same as Step Up For Students?
Not quite. Step Up For Students is the nonprofit that administers most of these scholarships — it runs the EMA application portal and pays out awards. This website is an independent, plain-English guide to those programs; we are not Step Up For Students and are not affiliated with them. For official applications and account help, go to stepupforstudents.org.
How do I check my application status?
Log in to your EMA account at apply.stepupforstudents.org — the same portal where you applied — and your student's status and any next steps are shown there. Remember that accepting an award is a separate step from applying. Our account desk decodes every status word and tells you what to do about each one.
What can I buy with PEP funds?
PEP turns your award into a flexible education account. Approved categories include curriculum and instructional materials, tutoring, part-time private or public school enrollment, virtual instruction, testing and exam fees, and certain enrichment and equipment (some items need pre-authorization). You spend three ways: MyScholarShop, pre-approved providers, or reimbursement. Always confirm current rules in the official PEP Purchasing Guide via Step Up For Students; our EMA first steps guide has the details.
What's the difference between FES-UA and PEP?
Both are education accounts you direct, but they serve different families. PEP is the homeschool-style option for any eligible K-12 student. FES-UA (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities) is a separate, typically larger scholarship for students with disabilities, covering therapies, specialists, and equipment. A student uses one or the other, not both. See our full FES-UA vs PEP vs FTC comparison.
When does PEP reopen for 2027-28?
PEP reached capacity and closed for 2026-27. Based on the February 1, 2026 pattern, the 2027-28 window is expected to open around February 1, 2027 — though the date is not yet officially announced. PEP has filled up fast each year, so plan to apply in the first days. Watch the official Step Up For Students calendar, or build your plan to get a reminder.

Get your family's scholarship plan

Answer four questions and we'll build you a one-page plan: which program fits, what your county's award range actually is, the exact documents to gather, your real deadlines, and what the money can be spent on. Print it, or we'll email it and nudge you when the next window opens.

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