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.
FTC and FES-EO
Q. What happens if my student is not enrolled in a private school for 30 days or more?
A. 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.
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 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).
Q. I applied for a FES-EO scholarship. Can I apply for another scholarship as a backup?
A. No, you can only apply for one private school or parent-directed scholarship at a time.
Q. If I unenroll my student from a private school, how long do I have to choose another private school?
A. 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.
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Opening the Door to a Private Education
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 supports Florida students and families in building a stronger future through personalized education by opening doors with private school tuition assistance.
Scholarships for Private Schools
K-12 students regardless of household income, who are residents of Florida and eligible to enroll in a K-12 public school, can receive a scholarship worth an average of $8,000 to attend a private school that best meets their academic needs.
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Who Is Eligible?
Priority is 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
- Children in foster care or out-of-home care
- Homeless children
- Active-duty members of the U.S. military who has received permanent change of duty station orders to Florida
- Families whose K-12 student has experienced bullying.
How Does It Work?
Families need to complete an application through Step Up For Students. 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 that will be issued directly to your school electronically.
Scholarship amounts vary by county and grade but are worth an average of $8,000. 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
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Stepping Up To Success
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