How to apply for a Step Up scholarship

Choose the scholarship that fits your child

Start by matching your child’s situation to one scholarship, because each one has its own rules, documents, and deadlines. The eligibility quiz asks a few questions and points you to the one that may fit.

The three main options are the Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA), the Personalized Education Program (PEP), and the Private School scholarships. The Private School scholarships are the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO).

If your child already has a scholarship

You don’t start over each year. Families who already have a Step Up scholarship renew it during the renewal window, and the renewal section below explains how that differs from a new application. If you want a different scholarship instead, read the switching section before you do anything else.

Where to read more

Each scholarship has its own guide: Unique Abilities, PEP, and private school. I’m an approved Step Up For Students provider, and this is an independent guide. Step Up makes every eligibility decision, so a quiz or a guide can only point you in a direction.

Create your Step Up account

You apply online by creating an account through Step Up’s official login page. Start there every time, by typing the address yourself or using a saved bookmark, not a link from a text, email, or ad.

Here is the official Step Up login page, where families log in and apply. Later, once your child is funded, you will manage the money in the Education Market Assistant (EMA).

Use an email address you check often, because Step Up may send updates about your application there. Keep your password somewhere safe at home, and never share it or any login code with anyone, including a tutor.

Gather your documents

Most of the work in applying is gathering documents, and Step Up's application checklist lists exactly what to bring. New families typically need proof that they live in Florida and Social Security numbers, and new FES-UA students also need documentation of their qualifying diagnosis.

Here is what the checklist asks for. Step Up's application checklist asks new families for two different proof-of-residency documents dated within the last two months, Social Security numbers, a birth certificate for FES-UA students ages 3 to 6, and, for new FES-UA students, documentation of the qualifying diagnosis.

A little organizing up front saves time later:

• Check the dates. Proof-of-residency documents need to be recent, so pull the newest copies you have.
• Match the names. Make sure names and birth dates match across every document.
• Scan into one folder. Clear scans or photos make uploading faster.
• Keep copies. Save everything, since you may need some of it again when you renew.

If a document is missing or you aren’t sure it counts, call Step Up family support at 1-877-735-7837 before you submit. Guessing can slow your application down.

Step by step: how to apply

Follow these steps in order, and give yourself time before the deadline. Missing or unclear documents can slow things down, so gather everything first.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most application problems are small and easy to prevent. Watch for these before you submit, and again before the accept deadline.

• Waiting until the last week. If Step Up asks for another document, you will want time to send it.
• Using old proof of residency. Pull your newest documents, since older ones may not be accepted.
• Applying through a link in a message. Always start from Step Up’s own site, and never give your login to anyone who contacts you.
• Choosing a scholarship by its name. Read the guide for each option, since the rules matter more than the label.
• Stopping after the award. Being awarded is not the last step. You still need to accept the scholarship by the deadline.
• Missing emails. Check your spam folder, and add Step Up to your contacts if your email lets you.

If you get stuck at any point, call Step Up family support. They can look up your application and help you sort out what is missing.

Renewing versus applying for the first time

Renewing families and new families follow different deadlines, and renewals come earlier in the year. For 2026-27, renewals were due April 30, 2026, while new FES-UA and Private School applications are accepted through November 15, 2026.

Renewal is not automatic, so put it on your calendar each year. If 2027-28 follows the 2026-27 pattern, renewals would come due in the spring, but confirm the dates once Step Up announces them.

Switching from one scholarship to another

Families can switch from one Step Up scholarship to another, but only during set windows. Families have a fall window from October 2 to October 30, 2026 to switch scholarships. A fall switch brings up to 50% of the year's funding (quarters 3 and 4 only).

Read Step Up's scholarship switching guide before you decide, because a switch changes your funding and your rules. A switch may make sense when your child’s school or learning needs change partway through the year. If you’re not sure, call Step Up family support at 1-877-735-7837.

Moving to public school is different from switching scholarships. A student with a Private School, FES-UA, or PEP scholarship who enrolls full time in a Florida public school is no longer eligible for additional scholarship funding. Funds already in the account stay available in EMA.

When 2027-28 applications are expected

The 2027-28 application window is expected in early 2027; not yet announced. Step Up sets the dates, so plan around the 2026-27 pattern until it announces them.

For comparison, 2026-27 applications opened February 1, 2026, and renewals were due April 30, 2026. The key dates page lists every confirmed date for this school year.

There are two easy ways to hear when the window opens. You can join Step Up's 2027-28 scholarship updates list, and you can sign up below for my reminder email, which sends one note when 2027-28 applications open and one before they close.

Use the months before the window opens to read the guide for your scholarship, gather documents, and write down questions for Step Up. When the window opens, you’ll be ready to apply in one sitting.

Getting tutoring in place after you apply

Once your child is funded, you can pay an approved tutor straight from your account in EMA. I’m an approved Step Up For Students provider, and I bill FES-UA and PEP accounts directly.

My reading and writing tutoring is one-on-one, with Orton-Gillingham-informed lessons and progress reviews every four weeks. My rate is the same for scholarship and private-pay families.

I can’t apply for you or see your application, but I’m glad to talk about tutoring on a free 15-minute fit call. For questions about your application, Step Up family support is the right place to call.