Florida School Choice Scholarships: Everything you need to know

Florida’s School Choice State Scholarships Options

Florida has been a leader in school choice for decades, and has many policies and programs that empower parents who are looking for educational options for their children. School choice options in Florida include seven scholarship programs. Prenda is an approved home education program for two of these scholarship programs: The Personalized Education Program (PEP), and The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA, formerly the McKay Scholarship)

‍Family Education Scholarship - Unique Abilities (FES UA)

The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program for Students with Unique Abilities was established in 2021 by the Florida legislature. It allows parents to access funding for their student’s education. These funds can be spent to enroll students in a different public school, or funds can go into an account that allows parents to fund their child's educational experience in ways that best fit their needs. This includes paying for curricula for homeschooling, educational therapies, private tutoring, private school, extracurriculars, and other educational expenses. The program is open to eligible K-12 students in Florida either have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or who have a diagnosis of a disability from a licensed physician or psychologist. Prenda works with Step Up for Students (SUFS), an authorized SFO to provide the Prenda experience to students in Florida.

Personalized Education Program (PEP)

The Personalized Education Program (PEP) is one of several available state scholarships in Florida. It is funded by corporate tax credits and provides parents with direct access to education funds for their child, enabling them to choose the learning environment and resources that best suit their child's needs. This includes paying for curricula for homeschooling, educational therapies, private tutoring, private school, extracurriculars, virtual school, and supplemental education tools and supplies. The program became available to families in the 2023-2024 school year. 

For the first year of the program, there were only 20,000 scholarships available to families. Anticipating growth, the program was designed to expand every year. 40,000 scholarships will be added every year until the 2027-2028 school year when the cap is lifted. The scholarship is open to all Florida K-12 students, with enrollment preference categories that will determine the order scholarship awards are made. PEP funds are managed by a scholarship funding organization (SFO). Prenda works with Step Up for Students (SUFS), an authorized SFO to provide the Prenda experience to students in Florida.

How do I apply for a State Scholarship in Florida?

The 2025-2026 application and renewal window for state scholarships in Florida is February 1-April 30. After that deadline, no new applications will be accepted for the PEP scholarship and all applications for the FES-UA scholarship will be considered new applications through December 15. 

You can start the application process for either PEP or FES-UA on the Step Up for Students website. The application process is quick and simple to complete. As a parent, you will need to provide details about you and your student. You’ll need your child’s Birth Certificate, Social Security number, and Proof of Residency documents to apply. You’ll also need proof of identification for yourself and documentation of your household income to be placed in any applicable enrollment preference categories.

After submitting your initial application, Step Up will process and approve the application. It can take up to 60 days, but typically families are approved within 4-7 weeks. 

After approval, you’ll receive your student’s funds in EMA, the financial management portal used by Step Up. Scholarship funds for PEP and FES-UA students will deposited into the student’s scholarship account on or around the following dates:

     Quarter 1: August 15 – September 15 

     Quarter 2: November 15 – December 1 

     Quarter 3: January 15 – February 1 

     Quarter 4: April 15 -May 1

You can then use these funds to pay for educational expenses (like a Prenda microschool 😉). 

How much funding will my student receive?

PEP Scholarships are projected to be approximately $7,800 per student for the 2025-2026 school year. The funding amount varies based on your county and the student’s grade level. You can view the PEP funding estimates here. FES-UA Scholarships range widely depending on the student’s diagnosis but can range from $9,000-$34,000. You can view the FES-UA funding estimates here. 

Where can I find more information?

Be sure to check out Step Up’s useful resources (PEP or FES-UA), especially their PEP Parent Handbook, the FES-UA Parent Handbook, as well as this application overview video.  Prenda has also put together a guide to Florida State Scholarships that makes the application process super simple.

Can I use state scholarship funds for Prenda Microschools in Florida?

YES! Prenda is an approved vendor for both the FES-UA and PEP scholarships in Florida. If you're interested in starting a microschool in Florida, enter your email below to get instant access to a quick video that explains what Prenda is and how we can help you get your microschool up and running. We've helped over 1,000 people start microschools, so we know what it takes! We provide step-by-step training, marketing support, curriculum, and financial services (like invoicing and payment collection) so you can focus on building relationships and inspiring kids to love learning. If starting a microschool isn't something you have the bandwidth for right now, send this post to a friend you think would be a great microschool guide or look into finding a microschool near you.