Using Step Up for tutoring
Which scholarships pay, the hour limits, and how to pay a tutor in EMA.
How much tutoring can my scholarship cover?
Enter your scholarship amount and a schedule. The planner shows the yearly cost, what is left for other approved costs, and whether you would pass the part-time tutoring hour cap.
How much tutoring can my scholarship cover?
Your plan
Annual tutoring cost$6,120
61% of your $10,000 scholarship
- Left for other approved costs
- $3,880
- Instruction hours per year
- 72
How this works
The planner multiplies the session rate by sessions per week and weeks per year. It compares the total with your scholarship amount and with the yearly hour cap for part-time tutoring.
Assumptions
- Session rates come from my current rates. The rate is the same for Step Up and private pay.
- The starting scholarship amount is the average Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) award, about $10,000 on average. Your award may be different; your Education Market Assistant (EMA) account shows the real balance.
- A typical school year is about 36 weeks.
- Part-time tutoring is capped at 720 hours a year for grades K-3 and 900 hours a year for grades 4-12. Hours above that must be filed as full-time tutoring.
- Step Up funds accounts quarterly, so your balance builds through the year.
Related guides
Unique Abilities guide (FES-UA)
Who qualifies, award amounts, and how families use it for tutoring.
Key dates
Application windows and quarterly funding dates for 2026-27.
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