Governor DeSantis on May 9, 2024, signed into law several critical changes to Florida’s scholarship programs.
The following changes take effect July 1, 2024.

GENERAL FAQ

Q. I’m an active-duty military and currently live out of state, but I’ve been assigned to a base in Florida and plan to move soon. Are my children eligible for a scholarship?
A. Yes. If you are active duty and have been given permanent change of station orders to Florida you will be eligible for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO), Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), Personalized Education Program (PEP), or Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) before you make your move. You can apply with your base address or new Florida home address (if you have one) and upload your permanent change of station paperwork with your application.

Q. Can I apply for more than one scholarship at a time for my child?
A. No. Law changes prohibit applying for more than one private school or parent-directed scholarship at a time for your student. You can apply for a new scholarship once you’ve been denied or have declined an awarded scholarship. However, you may apply for both the Transportation Stipend and New Worlds Scholarship Account if your student qualifies.

Q. How can I decline a scholarship that I’ve applied for?
A. You can use this form here to decline a scholarship.

Q. My student was attending a private school on scholarship, but now we attend a public school. What happened to my scholarship? Am I eligible for anything else?
A. If you had an FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA, PEP, or Hope scholarship and enrolled in a public school, your scholarship will end, and the remaining funds will be returned to the state. As a public-school student, you may be eligible for a New Worlds Scholarship Account or a Transportation Stipend.

Q. I was awarded a FES-EO or FTC scholarship for my student, but we now want the FES-UA scholarship instead. How do I apply?
A. You will need to decline the scholarship you were awarded and apply for the scholarship you want as a new student. You can decline a scholarship using this form here.

Q. What is the scholarship value for my county?
A. Official scholarship values will be posted once the new budget is approved by the governor.

HOPE SCHOLARSHIP

Q. What is happening to the Hope Scholarship?
A. The Hope Scholarship is merging with the FTC and FES-EO scholarships. Current Hope students are granted renewal eligibility for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) or the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO). Beginning July 1, 2024, students with qualifying incidents notified by a public school of the scholarship opportunity will qualify for the FTC or FES-EO Scholarship program instead of a Hope Scholarship. Qualifying incidents are not required for a student to be eligible for FTC or FES-EO scholarships.

Q. My student was using the Hope Scholarship in the 2023-24 school year. What can we apply for in 2024-25?
A. You can apply for any scholarship that your student is eligible for. All students who received a Hope Scholarship for the 2023-24 school year will be automatically eligible for a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) or Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO). You can apply as a NEW student here.

Q. My student would be a renewal student with priority status under the Hope Scholarship. Will we lose that priority status now that we must apply as a new student under FTC or the Transportation Stipend?
A. Even though you will be applying as a NEW FTC, FES-EO or Transportation Stipend student, we will still grant you priority for awarded status.

Q. My student was on the Hope Scholarship using the transportation option. What should I apply for now?
A. If you wish to keep your child enrolled in a different public school than the one, they were assigned to, you will now need to apply for the Transportation Stipend.

Q. My student was bullied in their public school after the Dec. 15 application deadline. Can I still apply?
A. The eligibility requirements remain so you will be able to apply for an FTC or FES-EO scholarship AFTER the Dec. 15 application deadline so long as an incident report document is provided.

Q. Will I be able to use the Hope Scholarship to pay for more than tuition and fees?
A. The Hope Scholarship is technically ending, and you will need to apply for and receive a FTC or FES-EO scholarship going forward. That means you will be able to spend any remaining funds after tuition and fees are paid on things like tutoring or after-school activities.