On Sunday, February 1, applications for Private School, Unique Abilities and PEP Scholarships will be available for the 2026-27 school year.

As you prepare for the year ahead, here are a few important reminders to help everything go smoothly:

• Private School & Unique Abilities Scholarship Families:
  We want to make sure your child’s path continues without interruption. Please submit your renewal application by Thursday, April 30. After this date, applications for renewing students will be reviewed in the same group as new applicants until Sunday, November 15.

• PEP Scholarship Families:
  To give every student the opportunity they deserve, all renewal and new applications must be submitted by Thursday, April 30. After that date, we’re unable to accept additional applications for the PEP scholarship.

Please subscribe to our Interest List to receive helpful resources and timely reminders.

If you're unable to access the phone number linked to your EMA account or you're not receiving your MFA code, you may request an MFA reset. Please note: only the Primary Parent listed on the account can request this reset. For security reasons, we’re unable to process MFA resets for secondary contacts or other family members.

If you're the Primary Parent and need help, feel free to call us directly so we can assist you. Reach us at 1 (877) 735-7837, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET.

There are a few common reasons why an order might not be approved. Here are the most frequent ones:

• Previously Purchased or Reimbursed Items
  • iPad/Tablet or laptop already reimbursed within the past 24 months
• Item Restrictions or Limitations
  • Multiple tablets listed (only one allowed every 24 months)
• Sales Tax Issues
  • Items missing sales tax
  • Additional sales tax charged incorrectly
• Documentation or Justification Required
  • Incorrect Student ID submitted
  • Items ordered more than 2 weeks ago may no longer be available
• Ineligible Expenses
  • Dual DVD players
  • Cotton thermal blankets

Here is how to invoice in EMA for your services. You can only invoice after a parent reserves funds for your services in their EMA account under Marketplace.
Step-by-Step Provider Invoice Guide

1. Log in to EMA and go to the Billing section
2. Click the Service Orders tab to view reserved orders
3. After services are provided:
   • Click the blue pen icon to enter service dates and provider info
   • Click the green check to save
   • If you can’t provide the service, click the red “X” to remove it
4. Saved orders move to the Service Invoicing tab
5. Review details and click Invoice
   • Confirm accuracy in the pop-up
   • Click Yes to submit, or No to make changes
6. Go to the Reporting tab to track invoice status and export reports

Need more help? Watch our 3-minute video

Invoice Status and What It Means

Pending — Funds reserved; waiting for service to be rendered
In Process — Service completed; invoice submitted
Approved — Invoice accepted; payment pending
Paid — Payment issued
Deleted — Order removed before payment
Creating Invoice — Temporary status after submission — usually resolves in a few business days

How to Find a Provider in EMA

1. Log in to your EMA account
2. Click Marketplace on the left menu
3. Choose Find Providers
4. Select the student you’re shopping for
5. Use filters or search by name, email, website, or location to find services. Just click on a provider’s name to see their services and locations. You’re welcome to reach out to them directly to make sure they’re the right fit for your student.
6. Once ready, select the service, choose quantity, and click Add to Cart
7. Go to your cart and click Reserve Funds
8. You are all set! Now you can call the provider to schedule services

Watch this video to follow along in a few easy steps.

Here’s what each status in EMA means for your student’s application:
• Draft – Not yet submitted. Complete all sections, upload documents, and submit.
• Submitted – Received but not yet reviewed. Check back soon.
• Pending – Under review. No action needed — just check back later.
• On Hold – More information or documents are needed.
• Complete – Review is finished.

To check your student’s scholarship status:
Go to My Students in the left menu → Find your student → Find their tile where their status is displayed to the right of their chosen scholarship program.

To verify Florida residency, documents must:

• Be current (dated within two months of submission)
• Match the primary or secondary parent/guardian’s full name and physical street address on the application

Note: Renewal students (received funds in 2025–26) still need valid documentation

Submitting documentation
All applications must have two different document types.

What “Current” Means
Documents must be:

• Dated within 30 days before or 30 days after the application submission date
• Exceptions: Annual or semi-annual documents (e.g., SSI, VA, insurance) must still reflect a valid timeframe
• “Submission date” = when you clicked Submit and your application entered Document Attached status

If You Don’t Have Standard Documents
You may submit a letter explaining your situation. The processing team will review and determine:

1. If your document can be accepted
2. Which column it qualifies under

Social Security Number

A social security number will need to be entered for you and your student.

Military Families

* If your student is a dependent child of an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces and you or the secondary guardian have PCS orders to move into or out of the State of Florida, you must provide updated PCS orders and a recent Leave and Earnings Statement as Proof of Residency.

* Military families currently living in the state of Florida must provide any two Proof of Residency document types, excluding PCS and LES, and may provide documentation for the primary or secondary guardian.

Residency For Active-Duty Military Who Received Permanent Change of Station Orders To Move To Florida

Dependent children of active-duty members of the United States Armed Forces who received Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders to move to Florida but have not yet established Florida residency are eligible for the FES-UA program.

To provide proof of residency, you must:

• Upload Leave and Earnings Statement and PCS orders Ensure the physical Florida address in the parent or guardian profile matches the Florida unit address listed on the PCS orders.
• Contact Step Up For Students at (877) 735-7837 once Florida residency is established to upload an updated proof of residency document

You may also visit our Military Families page for more details.

Residency For Active-Duty Military Who Are Stationed Outside of Florida

Renewal applicants for the FES-UA program whose parent or guardian is stationed outside of Florida are eligible if their home of record or state of legal residence is still Florida.

To provide proof of residency, you must:

• List the address of the Florida base from which you were relieved in your parent or guardian profile.
• Upload your PCS orders
• Confirm that your home of record or legal residence remains in Florida by uploading your Leave and Earnings Statement

You may also visit our Military Families page for more details.

Important: A parent or guardian with a legal domicile in Florida but who are currently on orders to another state is not eligible to apply for the scholarship for the first time. Previous ties to Florida, such as having lived in the state or holding a past Florida identification card, are not sufficient for eligibility. Applicants must demonstrate current Florida residency at the time of application.

You can view the 2025–26 scholarship FTC/FES-EO and PEP award amounts here. You can view the FES-UA award amounts here.

If you had a Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO), Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA), or PEP 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 Transportation Stipend.

You may withdraw from PEP at any time by logging into EMA and selecting “Decline.”
• If you already withdrew from Home Education after accepting PEP: you will need to reestablish your Home Education Program by sending a new Letter of Intent to your school district.
• If you did not withdraw from Home Education: declining PEP will simply end your PEP enrollment, and your Home Education Program with the district will remain in place.

No. Florida law allows only one active scholarship application per student at a time. If your child is denied, or if you decline an awarded scholarship, you may then submit an application for a different scholarship.

For more information, you can view program handbooks on the “Resources” tab of our website.

Yes. If you are an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces and have been given permanent change of station orders to move to Florida, you will be eligible for the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO), Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) and the PEP Scholarship before you make your move. You can apply with your newly assigned base address or new Florida residential address (if you have one) and upload your permanent change of station paperwork with your application.

Yes! Cameras are eligible for reimbursement under all scholarships (PEP, Unique Abilities, and Private School) as equipment for an elective course within the Instructional Material category. They are typically considered equipment for art-related courses such as photography or videography.

When submitting a reimbursement for a camera in EMA, in the Item/Service Details drop-downs you should:

• Select Instructional Material as the Category
• Choose Elective Equipment as the Type
• Enter Photography/Videography Equipment in the Description field

Then, follow the remaining prompts to complete the reimbursement request for your camera purchase.

On Sunday, February 1, applications for Private School, Unique Abilities and PEP Scholarships will be available for the 2026-27 school year.

As you prepare for the year ahead, here are a few important reminders to help everything go smoothly:

• Private School & Unique Abilities Scholarship Families:
  We want to make sure your child’s path continues without interruption. Please submit your renewal application by Thursday, April 30. After this date, applications for renewing students will be reviewed in the same group as new applicants until Sunday, November 15.

• PEP Scholarship Families:
  To give every student the opportunity they deserve, all renewal and new applications must be submitted by Thursday, April 30. After that date, we’re unable to accept additional applications for the PEP scholarship.

Please subscribe to our Interest List to receive helpful resources and timely reminders.

Students may use the Unique Abilities Scholarship and the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program at an eligible private school at the same time. Students may not use an Unique Abilities Scholarship and VPK’s Specialized Instructional Services (VPK-SIS) at the same time.

Yes. FES-UA funds may be used to cover preschool tuition and fees at an eligible private school.

The 2025-26 award amounts can be found here.

The Unique Abilities Scholarships vary based on a student’s grade level, county of residence and level of need. On average, scholarships are about $10,000. Students with a matrix score of 254 or 255 may qualify for significantly higher amounts, averaging between $22,000 and $34,000.

Yes. Each year the cap will increase by 5% based on the total number of students in Florida receiving exceptional student education services, not including gifted students.