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Step Up for Students manages Florida's largest school-choice scholarship programs — over 200,000 applications arrived in the first three days of the 2026-27 cycle alone. The four Step Up scholarships cover everything from full private-school tuition to flexible Education Savings Accounts that pay for tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and technology. Knowing which scholarship fits your family — and how to use it once you have it — is one of the highest-leverage decisions a Florida parent makes.
This is the comprehensive guide. We cover all four scholarships, who qualifies, what the awards cover, the EMA portal that handles every payment, and how to avoid the most common mistakes that cost families money.
Quick answer
Step Up for Students administers four scholarship programs in Florida: FES-EO and FTC for private-school tuition, UA for students with documented disabilities (~$10,000/year ESA), and PEP for homeschool families (~$8,000/year ESA). The two ESA programs are the most flexible — they pay directly for 1-on-1 tutoring, curriculum, technology, and therapies through the EMA portal. Applications open February 1 each year, funds release quarterly, and approved providers like Tutero bill EMA directly so families pay nothing out of pocket.
What Step Up scholarships are available in Florida?
Step Up runs four scholarships, each with a different purpose. Knowing which one you're on — or which to apply for — determines what you can spend on and how.
- FES-EO (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options): The most widely used Step Up scholarship. Universal eligibility for K-12 Florida residents, with priority going to families below 400% of the federal poverty level. Funds private-school tuition and fees only — not tutoring, not curriculum.
- FTC (Florida Tax Credit Scholarship): Functionally similar to FES-EO. Funded through corporate tax credits rather than state appropriation. Tuition-only at approved private schools.
- UA (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities): ESA scholarship for ages 3 through 12th grade with a documented disability or learning difference. Average award $10,000/year. Covers tutoring, therapies, curriculum, technology, and approved part-time tuition. The only Step Up program that begins at age 3.
- PEP (Personalized Education Program): ESA scholarship for K-12 Florida residents not enrolled full-time in public or private school. Award around $8,000/year. Covers tutoring, curriculum, technology, and homeschool materials. Charter, magnet, and Florida Virtual School don't count as eligible non-enrollment.
How do I know if my child qualifies for a Step Up scholarship?
Eligibility differs by program. The right starting question isn't "do we qualify?" — it's "which scholarship fits us best?".
- UA eligibility: Florida resident, age 3-12th grade (or up to 22), documented diagnosis from a qualified healthcare professional. Eligible diagnoses include autism, ADHD, dyslexia and specific learning disabilities, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, hearing or visual impairment, traumatic brain injury, and many more. Income is not a factor.
- PEP eligibility: Florida resident, age 5+ by September 1, K-12, NOT enrolled full-time in public or private school (charter, magnet, FLVS don't count as non-enrollment). No income requirement, no diagnosis requirement.
- FES-EO and FTC eligibility: Florida resident, K-12, with priority below 400% of federal poverty level (about $124,800 for a family of four in 2026). Universal eligibility means any K-12 Florida resident can apply, but priority funding goes to lower-income families first.
Apply early. Applications opened February 1, 2026 for the 2026-27 cycle and over 200,000 arrived in the first three days. Renewals are due by April 30 each year to avoid a summer funding gap. Full timelines are in our guide to when to apply for Step Up in 2026-27.
What are the key benefits of Step Up scholarships?
Each program offers different benefits, but four advantages run across them all.
- Educational choice without out-of-pocket cost. Approved providers bill Step Up directly. Tutero's tutoring lessons, for example, are paid in full from your scholarship balance — no upfront family payment.
- Coverage for diverse needs. ESA scholarships (UA and PEP) flex across tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and technology. A single award funds the four most-impactful categories of educational spending for most families.
- Simplified payments through EMA. The Education Market Assistant portal centralises every transaction. Direct payments to approved providers clear in 5-7 business days. Reimbursements clear in 2-4 weeks.
- Broad eligibility. FES-EO and FTC are universally eligible (priority by income), UA is diagnosis-based (no income limit), and PEP is open to all K-12 homeschool families. Most Florida families qualify for at least one program.
What expenses are eligible for my scholarship?
Eligibility depends entirely on which scholarship you have. Mixing them up is the most expensive mistake families make.
- FES-EO and FTC: Tuition and required fees only, at an approved private school. Does NOT cover tutoring, curriculum, technology, or therapy. Period.
- UA (ESA): Tutoring (highest-impact category), specialized therapies, private-school tuition (full or part-time), curriculum and instructional materials, educational technology, approved standardized testing, transportation in some cases. The most flexible scholarship.
- PEP (ESA): Tutoring, curriculum, instructional materials, educational technology, approved part-time school enrollment, co-op classes, music or art lessons through approved providers, standardized testing fees.
For both ESA programs, the spending happens through the EMA portal. Direct payment to approved providers is the standard for ongoing services like tutoring. Reimbursement covers one-off purchases like curriculum and technology.
Does Step Up for Students pay for tutoring?
Yes. Tutoring from an approved provider is an eligible expense on every Step Up ESA scholarship: UA, PEP, FES-EO and FTC. The scholarship pays for 1-on-1 lessons, and with a direct-pay provider the money never passes through your bank account: the provider invoices Step Up through the EMA and you pay nothing out of pocket. For UA and PEP families, tutoring is consistently one of the highest-impact uses of the award, because it converts scholarship dollars into individual teaching time rather than materials. Tutero is an approved direct-pay provider whose lessons are delivered by certified teachers, and our ranked comparison of the best Step Up tutoring providers covers the wider field, including phonics, test-prep and in-home specialists.
Where can I find the official Step Up rules?
Step Up publishes annual handbooks for each scholarship at stepupforstudents.org. The handbooks are updated each cycle and cover eligibility, application process, deadlines, and detailed purchasing rules. Always verify against the current handbook before making a major purchase — rules change year to year.
The programs are governed by Florida statute: UA under section 1002.394, PEP under section 1002.40, FES-EO under 1002.394 and 1002.395, and FTC under 1002.395. Statutes change as legislation evolves; the current handbook is the practical source of truth.
How do families actually use ESA funds?
UA and PEP families access funds through the EMA portal. Two methods exist: direct payment (the standard for ongoing services) and reimbursement (for one-off purchases).
- Direct payment: You select an approved provider — Tutero for tutoring, an approved curriculum vendor for materials, an approved therapist for clinical services. The provider invoices EMA, you approve, Step Up pays the provider in 5-7 business days. No out-of-pocket payment from you.
- Reimbursement: You pay first, save the receipt and proof of payment, then submit a reimbursement request through EMA. Approval depends on clean documentation: itemized receipts, proof of payment as a separate document, and exact student-name match. Cleared in 2-4 weeks for clean submissions.
Most families combine both — direct payment for tutoring (the largest single line item), reimbursement for curriculum and technology bought retail.
How do I submit a reimbursement request through EMA?
The reimbursement flow is the same across all ESA scholarships. Eight steps for a clean submission.
- Log in to the EMA portal at stepupforstudents.org. Don't bookmark login URLs — they cause authentication issues.
- Navigate to the Reimbursements tab. Confirm your available balance before submitting.
- Open a fresh request. One provider or purchase event per request — easier to process and less likely to trigger review.
- Upload an itemized receipt. Provider name, transaction date, line-by-line breakdown of what you paid for.
- Attach proof of payment. A credit-card or bank statement showing the charge, a canceled check, or a payment confirmation email. Separate document from the receipt.
- Complete the form. Child's name and scholarship ID, expense category (tutoring, curriculum, technology), date of purchase, brief explanation of how the expense supports your child's education plan.
- Review for student-name match. The name on the receipt must match the scholarship system exactly. Spelling differences trigger reviews.
- Submit and save the confirmation number. Keep all submitted documents in a dedicated folder so you can respond quickly to any query.
How can I avoid the most common Step Up mistakes?
Six mistakes account for the majority of denied invoices and missed funding. None of them are inevitable.
- Picking the wrong scholarship for your situation. Trying to use FES-EO funds for tutoring (impossible) or staying on FES-EO when UA would unlock $4,000 more in spending categories. Run the eligibility check honestly each cycle.
- Submitting blurry or incomplete receipts. Use a scanning app, not phone-camera photos.
- Mismatching student names. Make sure the receipt name matches the scholarship system exactly.
- Missing the April 30 renewal deadline. Causes a summer funding gap that disrupts the fall plan.
- Working with non-approved providers. Always verify approved status in EMA before booking lessons or purchasing services.
- Submitting tutoring invoices late. Invoices must go through EMA on the first day of class — not before, not weeks after.
Bottom line
Step Up scholarships put real educational choice into Florida families' hands — full private-school tuition through FES-EO and FTC, or flexible Education Savings Accounts through UA and PEP. The keys are picking the right scholarship for your situation, using approved providers, setting up direct payment for ongoing services, and submitting clean documentation for reimbursements. Tutero is a fully approved Step Up provider for UA and PEP families. Browse our tutoring service or explore Florida tutoring options to start. The full EMA payment walkthrough is in our guide to how to use Step Up funds for tutoring. Ready to start? Tell us about your child in 60 seconds and an education specialist will call you to set up your first scholarship-funded lesson.
Step Up for Students manages Florida's largest school-choice scholarship programs — over 200,000 applications arrived in the first three days of the 2026-27 cycle alone. The four Step Up scholarships cover everything from full private-school tuition to flexible Education Savings Accounts that pay for tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and technology. Knowing which scholarship fits your family — and how to use it once you have it — is one of the highest-leverage decisions a Florida parent makes.
This is the comprehensive guide. We cover all four scholarships, who qualifies, what the awards cover, the EMA portal that handles every payment, and how to avoid the most common mistakes that cost families money.
Quick answer
Step Up for Students administers four scholarship programs in Florida: FES-EO and FTC for private-school tuition, UA for students with documented disabilities (~$10,000/year ESA), and PEP for homeschool families (~$8,000/year ESA). The two ESA programs are the most flexible — they pay directly for 1-on-1 tutoring, curriculum, technology, and therapies through the EMA portal. Applications open February 1 each year, funds release quarterly, and approved providers like Tutero bill EMA directly so families pay nothing out of pocket.
What Step Up scholarships are available in Florida?
Step Up runs four scholarships, each with a different purpose. Knowing which one you're on — or which to apply for — determines what you can spend on and how.
- FES-EO (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options): The most widely used Step Up scholarship. Universal eligibility for K-12 Florida residents, with priority going to families below 400% of the federal poverty level. Funds private-school tuition and fees only — not tutoring, not curriculum.
- FTC (Florida Tax Credit Scholarship): Functionally similar to FES-EO. Funded through corporate tax credits rather than state appropriation. Tuition-only at approved private schools.
- UA (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities): ESA scholarship for ages 3 through 12th grade with a documented disability or learning difference. Average award $10,000/year. Covers tutoring, therapies, curriculum, technology, and approved part-time tuition. The only Step Up program that begins at age 3.
- PEP (Personalized Education Program): ESA scholarship for K-12 Florida residents not enrolled full-time in public or private school. Award around $8,000/year. Covers tutoring, curriculum, technology, and homeschool materials. Charter, magnet, and Florida Virtual School don't count as eligible non-enrollment.
How do I know if my child qualifies for a Step Up scholarship?
Eligibility differs by program. The right starting question isn't "do we qualify?" — it's "which scholarship fits us best?".
- UA eligibility: Florida resident, age 3-12th grade (or up to 22), documented diagnosis from a qualified healthcare professional. Eligible diagnoses include autism, ADHD, dyslexia and specific learning disabilities, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, hearing or visual impairment, traumatic brain injury, and many more. Income is not a factor.
- PEP eligibility: Florida resident, age 5+ by September 1, K-12, NOT enrolled full-time in public or private school (charter, magnet, FLVS don't count as non-enrollment). No income requirement, no diagnosis requirement.
- FES-EO and FTC eligibility: Florida resident, K-12, with priority below 400% of federal poverty level (about $124,800 for a family of four in 2026). Universal eligibility means any K-12 Florida resident can apply, but priority funding goes to lower-income families first.
Apply early. Applications opened February 1, 2026 for the 2026-27 cycle and over 200,000 arrived in the first three days. Renewals are due by April 30 each year to avoid a summer funding gap. Full timelines are in our guide to when to apply for Step Up in 2026-27.
What are the key benefits of Step Up scholarships?
Each program offers different benefits, but four advantages run across them all.
- Educational choice without out-of-pocket cost. Approved providers bill Step Up directly. Tutero's tutoring lessons, for example, are paid in full from your scholarship balance — no upfront family payment.
- Coverage for diverse needs. ESA scholarships (UA and PEP) flex across tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and technology. A single award funds the four most-impactful categories of educational spending for most families.
- Simplified payments through EMA. The Education Market Assistant portal centralises every transaction. Direct payments to approved providers clear in 5-7 business days. Reimbursements clear in 2-4 weeks.
- Broad eligibility. FES-EO and FTC are universally eligible (priority by income), UA is diagnosis-based (no income limit), and PEP is open to all K-12 homeschool families. Most Florida families qualify for at least one program.
What expenses are eligible for my scholarship?
Eligibility depends entirely on which scholarship you have. Mixing them up is the most expensive mistake families make.
- FES-EO and FTC: Tuition and required fees only, at an approved private school. Does NOT cover tutoring, curriculum, technology, or therapy. Period.
- UA (ESA): Tutoring (highest-impact category), specialized therapies, private-school tuition (full or part-time), curriculum and instructional materials, educational technology, approved standardized testing, transportation in some cases. The most flexible scholarship.
- PEP (ESA): Tutoring, curriculum, instructional materials, educational technology, approved part-time school enrollment, co-op classes, music or art lessons through approved providers, standardized testing fees.
For both ESA programs, the spending happens through the EMA portal. Direct payment to approved providers is the standard for ongoing services like tutoring. Reimbursement covers one-off purchases like curriculum and technology.
Does Step Up for Students pay for tutoring?
Yes. Tutoring from an approved provider is an eligible expense on every Step Up ESA scholarship: UA, PEP, FES-EO and FTC. The scholarship pays for 1-on-1 lessons, and with a direct-pay provider the money never passes through your bank account: the provider invoices Step Up through the EMA and you pay nothing out of pocket. For UA and PEP families, tutoring is consistently one of the highest-impact uses of the award, because it converts scholarship dollars into individual teaching time rather than materials. Tutero is an approved direct-pay provider whose lessons are delivered by certified teachers, and our ranked comparison of the best Step Up tutoring providers covers the wider field, including phonics, test-prep and in-home specialists.
Where can I find the official Step Up rules?
Step Up publishes annual handbooks for each scholarship at stepupforstudents.org. The handbooks are updated each cycle and cover eligibility, application process, deadlines, and detailed purchasing rules. Always verify against the current handbook before making a major purchase — rules change year to year.
The programs are governed by Florida statute: UA under section 1002.394, PEP under section 1002.40, FES-EO under 1002.394 and 1002.395, and FTC under 1002.395. Statutes change as legislation evolves; the current handbook is the practical source of truth.
How do families actually use ESA funds?
UA and PEP families access funds through the EMA portal. Two methods exist: direct payment (the standard for ongoing services) and reimbursement (for one-off purchases).
- Direct payment: You select an approved provider — Tutero for tutoring, an approved curriculum vendor for materials, an approved therapist for clinical services. The provider invoices EMA, you approve, Step Up pays the provider in 5-7 business days. No out-of-pocket payment from you.
- Reimbursement: You pay first, save the receipt and proof of payment, then submit a reimbursement request through EMA. Approval depends on clean documentation: itemized receipts, proof of payment as a separate document, and exact student-name match. Cleared in 2-4 weeks for clean submissions.
Most families combine both — direct payment for tutoring (the largest single line item), reimbursement for curriculum and technology bought retail.
How do I submit a reimbursement request through EMA?
The reimbursement flow is the same across all ESA scholarships. Eight steps for a clean submission.
- Log in to the EMA portal at stepupforstudents.org. Don't bookmark login URLs — they cause authentication issues.
- Navigate to the Reimbursements tab. Confirm your available balance before submitting.
- Open a fresh request. One provider or purchase event per request — easier to process and less likely to trigger review.
- Upload an itemized receipt. Provider name, transaction date, line-by-line breakdown of what you paid for.
- Attach proof of payment. A credit-card or bank statement showing the charge, a canceled check, or a payment confirmation email. Separate document from the receipt.
- Complete the form. Child's name and scholarship ID, expense category (tutoring, curriculum, technology), date of purchase, brief explanation of how the expense supports your child's education plan.
- Review for student-name match. The name on the receipt must match the scholarship system exactly. Spelling differences trigger reviews.
- Submit and save the confirmation number. Keep all submitted documents in a dedicated folder so you can respond quickly to any query.
How can I avoid the most common Step Up mistakes?
Six mistakes account for the majority of denied invoices and missed funding. None of them are inevitable.
- Picking the wrong scholarship for your situation. Trying to use FES-EO funds for tutoring (impossible) or staying on FES-EO when UA would unlock $4,000 more in spending categories. Run the eligibility check honestly each cycle.
- Submitting blurry or incomplete receipts. Use a scanning app, not phone-camera photos.
- Mismatching student names. Make sure the receipt name matches the scholarship system exactly.
- Missing the April 30 renewal deadline. Causes a summer funding gap that disrupts the fall plan.
- Working with non-approved providers. Always verify approved status in EMA before booking lessons or purchasing services.
- Submitting tutoring invoices late. Invoices must go through EMA on the first day of class — not before, not weeks after.
Bottom line
Step Up scholarships put real educational choice into Florida families' hands — full private-school tuition through FES-EO and FTC, or flexible Education Savings Accounts through UA and PEP. The keys are picking the right scholarship for your situation, using approved providers, setting up direct payment for ongoing services, and submitting clean documentation for reimbursements. Tutero is a fully approved Step Up provider for UA and PEP families. Browse our tutoring service or explore Florida tutoring options to start. The full EMA payment walkthrough is in our guide to how to use Step Up funds for tutoring. Ready to start? Tell us about your child in 60 seconds and an education specialist will call you to set up your first scholarship-funded lesson.
FAQ
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Online maths tutoring at Tutero is catering to students of all year levels. We offer programs tailored to the unique learning curves of each age group.
We also have expert NAPLAN and ATAR subject tutors, ensuring students are well-equipped for these pivotal assessments.
We recommend at least two to three session per week for consistent progress. However, this can vary based on your child's needs and goals.
Our platform uses advanced security protocols to ensure the safety and privacy of all our online sessions.
Parents are welcome to observe sessions. We believe in a collaborative approach to education.
We provide regular progress reports and assessments to track your child’s academic development.
Yes, we prioritise the student-tutor relationship and can arrange a change if the need arises.
Yes, we offer a range of resources and materials, including interactive exercises and practice worksheets.
Step Up for Students manages Florida's largest school-choice scholarship programs — over 200,000 applications arrived in the first three days of the 2026-27 cycle alone. The four Step Up scholarships cover everything from full private-school tuition to flexible Education Savings Accounts that pay for tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and technology. Knowing which scholarship fits your family — and how to use it once you have it — is one of the highest-leverage decisions a Florida parent makes.
This is the comprehensive guide. We cover all four scholarships, who qualifies, what the awards cover, the EMA portal that handles every payment, and how to avoid the most common mistakes that cost families money.
Quick answer
Step Up for Students administers four scholarship programs in Florida: FES-EO and FTC for private-school tuition, UA for students with documented disabilities (~$10,000/year ESA), and PEP for homeschool families (~$8,000/year ESA). The two ESA programs are the most flexible — they pay directly for 1-on-1 tutoring, curriculum, technology, and therapies through the EMA portal. Applications open February 1 each year, funds release quarterly, and approved providers like Tutero bill EMA directly so families pay nothing out of pocket.
What Step Up scholarships are available in Florida?
Step Up runs four scholarships, each with a different purpose. Knowing which one you're on — or which to apply for — determines what you can spend on and how.
- FES-EO (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options): The most widely used Step Up scholarship. Universal eligibility for K-12 Florida residents, with priority going to families below 400% of the federal poverty level. Funds private-school tuition and fees only — not tutoring, not curriculum.
- FTC (Florida Tax Credit Scholarship): Functionally similar to FES-EO. Funded through corporate tax credits rather than state appropriation. Tuition-only at approved private schools.
- UA (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities): ESA scholarship for ages 3 through 12th grade with a documented disability or learning difference. Average award $10,000/year. Covers tutoring, therapies, curriculum, technology, and approved part-time tuition. The only Step Up program that begins at age 3.
- PEP (Personalized Education Program): ESA scholarship for K-12 Florida residents not enrolled full-time in public or private school. Award around $8,000/year. Covers tutoring, curriculum, technology, and homeschool materials. Charter, magnet, and Florida Virtual School don't count as eligible non-enrollment.
How do I know if my child qualifies for a Step Up scholarship?
Eligibility differs by program. The right starting question isn't "do we qualify?" — it's "which scholarship fits us best?".
- UA eligibility: Florida resident, age 3-12th grade (or up to 22), documented diagnosis from a qualified healthcare professional. Eligible diagnoses include autism, ADHD, dyslexia and specific learning disabilities, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, hearing or visual impairment, traumatic brain injury, and many more. Income is not a factor.
- PEP eligibility: Florida resident, age 5+ by September 1, K-12, NOT enrolled full-time in public or private school (charter, magnet, FLVS don't count as non-enrollment). No income requirement, no diagnosis requirement.
- FES-EO and FTC eligibility: Florida resident, K-12, with priority below 400% of federal poverty level (about $124,800 for a family of four in 2026). Universal eligibility means any K-12 Florida resident can apply, but priority funding goes to lower-income families first.
Apply early. Applications opened February 1, 2026 for the 2026-27 cycle and over 200,000 arrived in the first three days. Renewals are due by April 30 each year to avoid a summer funding gap. Full timelines are in our guide to when to apply for Step Up in 2026-27.
What are the key benefits of Step Up scholarships?
Each program offers different benefits, but four advantages run across them all.
- Educational choice without out-of-pocket cost. Approved providers bill Step Up directly. Tutero's tutoring lessons, for example, are paid in full from your scholarship balance — no upfront family payment.
- Coverage for diverse needs. ESA scholarships (UA and PEP) flex across tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and technology. A single award funds the four most-impactful categories of educational spending for most families.
- Simplified payments through EMA. The Education Market Assistant portal centralises every transaction. Direct payments to approved providers clear in 5-7 business days. Reimbursements clear in 2-4 weeks.
- Broad eligibility. FES-EO and FTC are universally eligible (priority by income), UA is diagnosis-based (no income limit), and PEP is open to all K-12 homeschool families. Most Florida families qualify for at least one program.
What expenses are eligible for my scholarship?
Eligibility depends entirely on which scholarship you have. Mixing them up is the most expensive mistake families make.
- FES-EO and FTC: Tuition and required fees only, at an approved private school. Does NOT cover tutoring, curriculum, technology, or therapy. Period.
- UA (ESA): Tutoring (highest-impact category), specialized therapies, private-school tuition (full or part-time), curriculum and instructional materials, educational technology, approved standardized testing, transportation in some cases. The most flexible scholarship.
- PEP (ESA): Tutoring, curriculum, instructional materials, educational technology, approved part-time school enrollment, co-op classes, music or art lessons through approved providers, standardized testing fees.
For both ESA programs, the spending happens through the EMA portal. Direct payment to approved providers is the standard for ongoing services like tutoring. Reimbursement covers one-off purchases like curriculum and technology.
Does Step Up for Students pay for tutoring?
Yes. Tutoring from an approved provider is an eligible expense on every Step Up ESA scholarship: UA, PEP, FES-EO and FTC. The scholarship pays for 1-on-1 lessons, and with a direct-pay provider the money never passes through your bank account: the provider invoices Step Up through the EMA and you pay nothing out of pocket. For UA and PEP families, tutoring is consistently one of the highest-impact uses of the award, because it converts scholarship dollars into individual teaching time rather than materials. Tutero is an approved direct-pay provider whose lessons are delivered by certified teachers, and our ranked comparison of the best Step Up tutoring providers covers the wider field, including phonics, test-prep and in-home specialists.
Where can I find the official Step Up rules?
Step Up publishes annual handbooks for each scholarship at stepupforstudents.org. The handbooks are updated each cycle and cover eligibility, application process, deadlines, and detailed purchasing rules. Always verify against the current handbook before making a major purchase — rules change year to year.
The programs are governed by Florida statute: UA under section 1002.394, PEP under section 1002.40, FES-EO under 1002.394 and 1002.395, and FTC under 1002.395. Statutes change as legislation evolves; the current handbook is the practical source of truth.
How do families actually use ESA funds?
UA and PEP families access funds through the EMA portal. Two methods exist: direct payment (the standard for ongoing services) and reimbursement (for one-off purchases).
- Direct payment: You select an approved provider — Tutero for tutoring, an approved curriculum vendor for materials, an approved therapist for clinical services. The provider invoices EMA, you approve, Step Up pays the provider in 5-7 business days. No out-of-pocket payment from you.
- Reimbursement: You pay first, save the receipt and proof of payment, then submit a reimbursement request through EMA. Approval depends on clean documentation: itemized receipts, proof of payment as a separate document, and exact student-name match. Cleared in 2-4 weeks for clean submissions.
Most families combine both — direct payment for tutoring (the largest single line item), reimbursement for curriculum and technology bought retail.
How do I submit a reimbursement request through EMA?
The reimbursement flow is the same across all ESA scholarships. Eight steps for a clean submission.
- Log in to the EMA portal at stepupforstudents.org. Don't bookmark login URLs — they cause authentication issues.
- Navigate to the Reimbursements tab. Confirm your available balance before submitting.
- Open a fresh request. One provider or purchase event per request — easier to process and less likely to trigger review.
- Upload an itemized receipt. Provider name, transaction date, line-by-line breakdown of what you paid for.
- Attach proof of payment. A credit-card or bank statement showing the charge, a canceled check, or a payment confirmation email. Separate document from the receipt.
- Complete the form. Child's name and scholarship ID, expense category (tutoring, curriculum, technology), date of purchase, brief explanation of how the expense supports your child's education plan.
- Review for student-name match. The name on the receipt must match the scholarship system exactly. Spelling differences trigger reviews.
- Submit and save the confirmation number. Keep all submitted documents in a dedicated folder so you can respond quickly to any query.
How can I avoid the most common Step Up mistakes?
Six mistakes account for the majority of denied invoices and missed funding. None of them are inevitable.
- Picking the wrong scholarship for your situation. Trying to use FES-EO funds for tutoring (impossible) or staying on FES-EO when UA would unlock $4,000 more in spending categories. Run the eligibility check honestly each cycle.
- Submitting blurry or incomplete receipts. Use a scanning app, not phone-camera photos.
- Mismatching student names. Make sure the receipt name matches the scholarship system exactly.
- Missing the April 30 renewal deadline. Causes a summer funding gap that disrupts the fall plan.
- Working with non-approved providers. Always verify approved status in EMA before booking lessons or purchasing services.
- Submitting tutoring invoices late. Invoices must go through EMA on the first day of class — not before, not weeks after.
Bottom line
Step Up scholarships put real educational choice into Florida families' hands — full private-school tuition through FES-EO and FTC, or flexible Education Savings Accounts through UA and PEP. The keys are picking the right scholarship for your situation, using approved providers, setting up direct payment for ongoing services, and submitting clean documentation for reimbursements. Tutero is a fully approved Step Up provider for UA and PEP families. Browse our tutoring service or explore Florida tutoring options to start. The full EMA payment walkthrough is in our guide to how to use Step Up funds for tutoring. Ready to start? Tell us about your child in 60 seconds and an education specialist will call you to set up your first scholarship-funded lesson.
FES-EO and FTC are tuition-only scholarships for private-school enrollment. UA is a $10,000-per-year ESA scholarship for students with documented disabilities (ages 3-12th grade), covering tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and technology. PEP is an $8,000-per-year ESA scholarship for K-12 homeschool families not enrolled full-time in a public or private school, covering tutoring, curriculum, and parent-directed learning materials.
Florida residents ages 3 through 12th grade (or up to 22) with a documented diagnosis from a qualified healthcare professional. Eligible conditions include autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia and specific learning disabilities, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, hearing and visual impairments, traumatic brain injury, and many more. Income and household assets are not factors. The full eligibility list is in the UA handbook on stepupforstudents.org.
Yes, if you have UA or PEP. Both ESA scholarships fund online tutoring through any Step Up-approved provider. Online tutoring is a particularly strong choice in Florida because it gives families across the state access to specialist tutors regardless of where they live. Tutero serves every Florida county online and is a fully approved Step Up provider with direct EMA billing.
Awards vary by program: FES-EO and FTC awards roughly match average per-pupil public school funding (typically $7,500-$8,500 depending on grade and county). UA averages around $10,000 per year. PEP averages around $8,000 per year. Both ESA programs release funds quarterly. For 2026-27: returning students received Q1 funds on August 1, 2026, while newly approved students receive theirs September 1, 2026; Q2 funds arrive November 1, 2026, Q3 on February 1, 2027, and Q4 on April 1, 2027 — with funds visible in your EMA account about a week after each release.
No. A child can only hold one Step Up scholarship at a time. Most families switch between scholarships at the start of a new school year — a child leaving private school for homeschool typically transitions from FES-EO to PEP, for example. The transition isn't instant; plan transitions for July or August so the new scholarship is in effect by the September school year start.
Six causes account for almost all denials: provider not on the approved list, receipt not itemized, proof of payment missing, student name mismatch with scholarship records, wrong expense category selected, and item not on the eligible list for that scholarship. Submitting clean documentation against the right expense category — and using direct EMA payment for ongoing services like tutoring — clears most denials before they happen.
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