Yes, as long as Florida residency is legally maintained. Please note this option is only available to students on the FES-UA or PEP scholarships. Active-duty military with change of station orders out-of-state may apply for, or renew their FES-UA or PEP scholarships, if they can prove maintenance of Florida residency. You will not be eligible to keep FTC or FES-EO scholarships to attend private schools out-of-state.
Official scholarship values will be posted once the new budget is approved by the governor.
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.
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.
You can use this form here to decline a scholarship.
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.
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.
You have 30 days to enroll your student in a new private school. If you have not enrolled your student within 30 days your remaining scholarship funds will be returned to the state.
No, you can only apply for one private school or parent-directed scholarship at a time.
Yes. If you are on active duty and have been given a permanent change of station orders to Florida, you will be granted eligibility for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO), Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC), or the Personalized Education Program (PEP).
Students who received a funded scholarship but are not enrolled in an eligible private school for 30 days will lose scholarship eligibility and all funds will be returned to the state. The same applies if a student enrolls in a public school during the school year in which they receive a scholarship.
Every Student Deserves A Choice
Education isn’t one-size-fits-all. Just as every student is different, every classroom is different, and every school is different. Students learn best in an academic environment that is best suited to their learning needs.
Step Up For Students empowers Florida students and families to build a stronger future through tailored educational opportunities. We offer scholarships that provide private school tuition assistance, cover the costs of traveling to a different public school, and support various educational needs through an education savings account.
Scholarships for Private Schools
The scholarship can be used for tuition along with other related expenses such as registration, books, testing, and other fees.
How Does It Work?
Scholarships vary by county and grade but are worth an average of $8,000. Once awarded a scholarship, work with your selected participating private school to enroll your student through the Step Up For Students EMA platform. You will be notified when it is time to log into your account to approve scholarship funds to be issued directly to your school electronically.
The scholarship awards will first pay for tuition and fees at eligible private schools. Remaining funds can be accessed through an education savings account (ESA) and used to pay for:
- Instructional material
- Curriculum
- Tuition for full-time or part-time education at an eligible postsecondary educational institution or approved apprenticeship program
- Fees for nationally standardized norm-referenced tests and other assessments
- Contracted services provided by a public school or school district
- An approved online course
- Tuition as a private pay student at Florida Virtual School,
- Fees for a “Choice Navigator,” which is an optional service provider intended to help guide parents through the myriad of choices that will become available to them through their ESA.
Are We Eligible?
Priority will be given to families whose household income is 400% of poverty or below as outlined in the income priority guidelines or who meet the following criteria:
- Renewing students of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and/or Family Empowerment Scholarship
- 2023-24 Hope Scholarship recipients
- Children in foster care or out-of-home care
- Homeless children
- Active-duty members of the U.S. military who have received permanent change of duty station orders to Florida
- Victims of bullying
Other Helpful Documents
Hope Scholarship
Families interested in a 2024-25 scholarship should apply through the FTC and FES-EO Programs. Though renewal families will be applying as a new student to FTC, FES-EO or Transportation Stipend Programs, they will still be granted priority for awarded status as a renewal student.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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).
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.
Stepping Up To Success
