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.
NEW WORLDS
Q. My student has a New Worlds Scholarship Account and is attending a public-school full time. Can I also apply for the new K-8 Transportation Stipend?
A. Yes, so long as your student is attending a public school other than the school they are assigned, you may be eligible for one K-8 Transportation Stipend for your household.
Q. My student is attending a private preschool or private daycare. Can I still get a New Worlds Scholarship Account?
A. If your student is attending a private preschool or private day care through the Florida Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program, then you are eligible to apply for a New Worlds Scholarship Account if you meet the other requirements. You cannot get a New Worlds scholarship if you are using any other scholarship to pay for pre-K.
Q. How do I demonstrate that my student has substantial deficiencies in math or reading literacy so we can qualify for the New Worlds Scholarship?
A. Your student’s eligibility will be determined by the recent Progress monitoring report or on their most recent English Language Arts (ELA) scores, or if it has been determined that their student has characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia.
Q. How much is the New Worlds Scholarship Account worth?
A. The scholarship is worth $1,200 per student for 2024-25. Scholarships for the 2023-24 school year, which will continue to be awarded through September will remain at $500.
Scholarships for VPK and Public Elementary School Students Needing Academic Support
Building Stronger Learners
The program benefits VPK and K-5 public school students by providing families with an education savings account (ESA). Families can use these ESAs to pay for programs and materials designed to boost reading and math skills. Scholarship award amount varies based on the school year for which the student is awarded.
Who Is Eligible
As long as funds remain available, New Worlds Scholarship Accounts are available to students who are enrolled in a Florida Public School in grades K-5 who:
- Have a substantial reading deficiency or exhibits characteristics of dyslexia as identified under s. 1008.25(5)
- Or scored below a Level 3 on the statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment in the prior school year.
- Or have a substantial deficiency in mathematics or the characteristics of dyscalculia as identified under s. 1008.25(6)
- Or scored below a Level 3 on the statewide, standardized Mathematics assessment in the prior school year.
An eligible student who is classified as an English Language Learner and is enrolled in a program or receiving services that are specifically designed to meet the instructional needs of English Language Learner students shall receive priority.
New for the 2024-2025 school year:
Does your K-8 student attend a Florida public school other than the one they were assigned? Your family may qualify for a $750 Transportation Stipend! Click here for more information.
New Worlds Scholarship Accounts
Parent Handbook
How Does It Work?
New Worlds Scholarship Accounts provide access to an Education Savings Account (ESA). The ESA functions like a bank account with funds you can spend on educational resources.
Dollars from this scholarship must be used in ways that improve reading and/or math.
This includes:
- Part-time tutoring in reading and math
- Summer or after-school programs designed to improve reading or math skills
- Curriculum or instructional materials, including books and some technology items
Pre-approved services and products are available through Step Up For Students' Education Market Assistant (EMA) Marketplace where families can use their scholarship dollars directly without having to pay out of pocket.
Please Note: Starting in the '24-25 school year, families will no longer have to submit a reimbursement claim for educational expenses in compliance with Florida Statute.
- Apply for the scholarship through Step Up For Students EMA.
- If approved, Step Up For Students will notify you when your ESA funds are available.
- Login to the EMA portal to find pre-approved services and products. Payments to providers and vendors can be made directly from the ESA.
For more information, please see the Parent Handbook.
New Worlds Reading is Florida’s FREE home reading program that mails eligible children a free book and activities each month during the school year through fifth grade. Families can choose what books they will receive when they apply, growing their home library based on their child’s interests to encourage a lifelong love of reading. The accompanying literacy resources and activities help children strengthen their skills and build reading confidence.
New Worlds Reading is administered by the UF Lastinger Center for Learning. Book titles are selected in partnership with Scholastic and approved by the Florida Department of Education. Books and materials are available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and braille.
To be eligible, students must be either in a VPK program and not making age-appropriate progress according to state assessments or in K-5 in a public or charter school and not yet reading on grade level.
Support New Worlds Students
Frequently Asked Questions
Scholarships awarded for the 2023-24 school year are worth $500 and can be used for the following:
- Tuition and fees for part-time tutoring provided by a person who holds a valid Florida educator’s certificate, a baccalaureate or graduate degree in Reading, Math, Elementary Education, English Education, or Math Education, an adjunct teaching certificate, or has demonstrated mastery of the subject area knowledge.
- Fees for summer education programs designed to improve reading or math skills.
- Fees for after-school education programs designed to improve reading or math skills.
- Instructional materials, including desktop and laptop computers and tablets and curriculum related to reading or math.
To avoid upfront costs, New Worlds Scholarship families may choose one of Step Up For Students’ direct-pay options. Our direct-pay options include part-time tutors, after-school and summer reading programs, and shopping for pre-approved items through the EMA.
Please Note: 2023-24 New Worlds Scholarship families may also choose to pay out-of-pocket for approved goods and services. Reimbursement request for the 2023-24 school year must be submitted in EMA with all necessary documents before Sept. 30, 2024 to be processed.
Please refer to the New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Handbook for more information.
Scholarships awarded for the 2024-25 school year are worth $1200 and can be used for the following:
- Tuition and fees for part-time tutoring provided by a person who holds a valid Florida educator’s certificate, a baccalaureate or graduate degree in Reading, Math, Elementary Education, English Education, or Math Education, an adjunct teaching certificate, or has demonstrated mastery of the subject area knowledge.
- Fees for summer education programs designed to improve reading or math skills.
- Fees for after-school education programs designed to improve reading or math skills.
- Instructional materials, including desktop and laptop computers and tablets and curriculum related to reading or math.
New Worlds Scholarship families may choose one of Step Up For Students’ direct-pay options. Our direct-pay options include part-time tutors, after-school and summer reading programs, and shopping for pre-approved items through the EMA.
Please Note: FL House Bill 1361 estabilishes that families will not have the option of submitting a reimbursement request for educational expenses in the '24-25 school year.
Please refer to the New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Handbook for more information.
Please click here to apply for the New Worlds Reading Scholarship Accounts.
Families will need to first create an EMA account. Next, they will create their Guardian Profile. After that, families can add students to the "My Students" tab. Finally, parents can click on the "apply" button for the New Worlds Reading Scholarship.
Please click here for the current New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Handbook.
Step Up For Students works with the State of Florida to fund New Worlds Scholarship Accounts after students are found eligible. This process may take several weeks. Step Up will send scholarship funding updates to the email address associated with your EMA account. You may also log in to EMA to view the status of your application at any time.
Funded families may log into EMA anytime to view their student’s New Worlds Scholarship Account balance.