Step Up key dates

Every 2026-27 date in one table

Step Up publishes one schedule for each school year, and the table below lists every 2026-27 date it has confirmed. Each date links to its official source, so you can check it before you plan around it.

The dates cover the Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA), the Personalized Education Program (PEP), and the Private School scholarships. Those are the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO), and you manage funds for all of them in the Education Market Assistant (EMA).

Step Up sets new dates every year, so do not assume 2027-28 will match this table. I update this page each cycle, and the official schedule always wins over anything written here.

What is still ahead this school year

The next big dates are for families applying for the first time. New FES-UA and Private School applications for 2026-27 are accepted through November 15, 2026, and new students in those programs must accept or decline by December 15, 2026.

The fall switch window also falls in this part of the year: October 2 to October 30, 2026. Quarterly funding keeps going too, and the payment schedule section below shows when each payment reaches Step Up.

The renewal dates and the PEP dates for 2026-27 have already passed. If you missed one, call Step Up family support at 1-877-735-7837 to ask what options you have.

How the Step Up payment schedule works

Step Up does not fund the whole award at once. The state sends scholarship money to Step Up in four quarterly payments, and Step Up then funds each student’s account in EMA.

For 2026-27, funds reach Step Up August 1 or September 1, November 1, February 1, and April 1, and accounts are funded up to two weeks later. Here is when each quarter’s payment reaches Step Up:

• Quarter 1: August 1, 2026 for renewing students, or September 1, 2026 for new and late-renewal students
• Quarter 2: November 1, 2026
• Quarter 3: February 1, 2027
• Quarter 4: April 1, 2027

These are the dates the money reaches Step Up, not the dates it appears in your account. Your EMA balance updates after Step Up funds the account, so check EMA before you reserve funds for new sessions.

What the payment schedule means for tutoring

Because funds arrive by quarter, your available balance grows through the school year. Families often reserve tutoring funds a few weeks at a time instead of booking the whole year at once.

With direct pay, an approved provider bills your account after each session. In EMA, you open Marketplace, select Find Providers, and choose an approved provider who bills the scholarship directly. The money only needs to be in your account when sessions happen, not all up front.

If you start tutoring partway through the year, look at which quarterly payments are still ahead. Part-time tutoring is capped at 720 hours a year for grades K-3 and 900 hours a year for grades 4-12, so for most part-time schedules your balance matters more than the hour cap.

To see how a schedule fits your award, try the tutoring budget planner. For more on paying a tutor, read using Step Up for tutoring.

Switching scholarships in the fall

Families who want to move to a different scholarship can use the fall switch window. 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).

A switch changes more than the name on your account. Read Step Up's scholarship switching guide and talk with Step Up before you decide, especially if tutoring is part of your plan.

The how to apply guide covers switching, renewals, and new applications in more detail.

The spending year and reimbursement deadline

The 2026-27 spending year runs July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. If you paid out of pocket for an eligible expense, your reimbursement request is due by July 31, 2027.

Reimbursement is for purchases you made yourself, such as an eligible book or curriculum. If your tutor is an approved provider who bills in EMA, you do not need to request reimbursement for sessions.

Keep receipts in one folder as you go. Filing a few requests through the year is easier than sorting a pile of them right before the deadline.

When 2027-28 applications are expected

As of this page’s last review, the 2027-28 application window is expected in early 2027; not yet announced. That estimate is based on past years, so watch Step Up’s site for the official dates.

New PEP applications for 2026-27 closed April 30, 2026, so many homeschool families are waiting on this window. If that is you, the PEP guide explains what to prepare.

You can sign up for Step Up's 2027-28 scholarship updates list on Step Up’s site. You can also use the reminder sign-up on this page, and I will send one email when 2027-28 applications open and one before they close.

Which dates apply to your family

Not every date applies to every family. The ones you need depend on your scholarship and on whether you are new or renewing.

• Renewing FES-UA, PEP, or Private School families: the renewal and accept dates, the quarterly funding dates, and the reimbursement deadline.
• New FES-UA or Private School families: the new application deadline and the accept deadline for new students, then the quarterly funding dates.
• PEP families planning for next year: the 2027-28 application window, plus the Student Learning Plan date once Step Up announces it.
• Families thinking about a switch: the fall switch window, and Step Up’s switching guide.
• Families who paid out of pocket: the end of the spending year and the reimbursement deadline.

If you are not sure which scholarship your child has, Step Up family support can tell you. If you are still choosing one, the eligibility quiz is a good place to start.

How to keep track of Step Up dates

A few simple habits keep you from missing a deadline. Add the dates that apply to your child to your calendar now, and check the official schedule at the start of each quarter.

• Add only your dates. Skip the rows for scholarships you do not have, so your calendar stays clear.
• Check EMA after each quarterly payment. Your balance updates once Step Up funds the account.
• Recheck the official schedule. Dates can change, and this page is updated each cycle.
• Call Step Up with account questions. Family support is 1-877-735-7837.

This is an independent guide written by an approved Step Up For Students provider. Step Up sets and changes every date, so its schedule always comes first.

If you want tutoring to start after the next quarterly payment, book a free 15-minute fit call and we can plan the timing together. You can also read about reading and writing tutoring first.