Step Up Scholarship Florida Program: What Parents Should Know
Step Up For Students is a state-approved nonprofit that administers several Florida scholarship programs for K-12 students. Depending on the program, families can use scholarship funds for educational expenses such as private school tuition, homeschooling, online learning, tutoring, and approved services like speech therapy. Since 2023, Florida has opened its main scholarships to families at every income level, though each program has its own eligibility requirements and approved uses.
Maybe you're considering a Step Up scholarship for your child and want to understand which program may be the right fit, how much funding is available, and what the scholarship can pay for. While Step Up scholarships give Florida families a range of educational options, this article focuses on how scholarship funds can be used for speech therapy.
We'll explain the different Step Up scholarships, who qualifies, how much they're worth, how to apply, and what Florida families need to know about using scholarship funds for speech therapy.
Key Takeaways
Four scholarship programs: Step Up For Students administers FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA, and PEP. Each has different eligibility requirements and approved uses.
No income cap: Florida families can apply regardless of household income, although income may affect funding priority for some programs.
FES-UA is based on a child's needs: Unlike the other programs, FES-UA eligibility is based on a qualifying disability or other approved documentation.
FES-UA can cover speech therapy: Families can use available scholarship funds for eligible speech-language pathology services, including online speech therapy with an approved provider.
What Is the Step Up Scholarship?
The Four Step Up Scholarship Programs
Who Qualifies for a Step Up Scholarship?
What Step Up Funds Can Pay For, Including Speech Therapy
How to Apply Through the EMA Portal
What We See Working with Clients
What Is the Step Up Scholarship?
The Step Up Scholarship is not one program. Step Up For Students manages several Florida scholarship programs, each designed for different students and educational needs. Together, they give families more educational options, with scholarship funds that can be used for private school tuition, homeschooling, online learning, and other eligible educational expenses, including approved services such as tutoring and speech therapy.
Over time, Florida expanded its scholarship programs to serve more students, including children with disabilities. In 2023, a new law expanded eligibility for the state's main scholarship programs to Florida K-12 students at every income level, removing the previous income cap. Today, each scholarship has its own eligibility requirements and approved uses, but all are designed to give families more choice in their child's education.
Some Step Up scholarships function as an Education Savings Account, or ESA. Families can use ESA funds for approved educational expenses and services, either by paying approved providers directly or, when permitted, requesting reimbursement for eligible purchases.
That flexibility allows families to use scholarship funds based on their child's individual educational needs. One family might use funds for homeschool curriculum and weekly speech therapy, while another might put them toward private school tuition.
The Four Step Up Scholarship Programs
Step Up For Students runs four main scholarships. The table below shows what each one does, who it's for, and the average award.
| Scholarship | Who it's for | What it pays for | Average award |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTC (Florida Tax Credit) | Any Florida K-12 student | Private school tuition and fees | About $8,000 |
| FES-EO (Educational Options) | Any Florida K-12 student | Private school tuition and fees | About $8,000 |
| FES-UA (Unique Abilities) | Students with a qualifying diagnosis | Therapies, curriculum, tutoring, tuition | About $10,000 |
| PEP (Personalized Education Program) | Students not in full-time school | Curriculum, tutoring, part-time classes | About $8,000 |
| Connected Speech Pathology | connectedspeechpathology.com | |||
The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) are the two primary private school scholarship options. Florida families can apply regardless of household income, as long as the student meets the program's residency and K–12 eligibility requirements. The scholarships help pay private school tuition and fees, with remaining funds available for other approved educational expenses.
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) is for students with a qualifying disability. FES-UA has no household income requirement for eligibility. The scholarship functions as an Education Savings Account (ESA) and can be used for private school tuition, therapies, and other approved educational services and expenses.
The Personalized Education Program (PEP) supports parent-directed education for students who are not enrolled full-time in a traditional public or private school. Families can use scholarship funds for approved educational expenses, including curriculum, instructional materials, and eligible services.
Scholarship amounts depend on the program, county, grade level, and, for FES-UA students, the level of special education services they receive. Step Up publishes updated scholarship amounts each school year, so individual awards may vary.
Who Qualifies for a Step Up Scholarship?
Eligibility depends on which Step Up scholarship you're applying for. FTC, FES-EO, and PEP have broad eligibility for Florida students, while FES-UA has separate requirements for students with unique abilities.
For the private school scholarships (FTC and FES-EO), Florida families can apply regardless of household income. Students must meet the program's Florida residency and school eligibility requirements, but there is no longer an income limit for basic eligibility.
Income can still affect funding priority. For the private school scholarships, renewing students receive priority.
Among new applicants, priority is given first to families at or below 185% of the federal poverty level and certain students in foster or out-of-home care, followed by families between 186% and 400% of the federal poverty level. Most families above 400% can still qualify but receive lower priority when funding is limited.
PEP also has broad eligibility but is designed for students receiving a parent-directed education rather than attending a traditional public or private school full-time. PEP has its own application and funding rules.
Who Qualifies for FES-UA?
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) works differently. There is no household income requirement. Eligibility is based primarily on the student's age, Florida residency, and qualifying disability.
Students may qualify beginning at age 3 and can remain eligible through grade 12 or until age 22, whichever comes first. A student may qualify through an eligible IEP or documentation of a qualifying disability from an approved licensed professional.
Eligible diagnoses include autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hearing or visual impairment, traumatic brain injury, specific learning disability, and speech or language impairment, among others.
For families seeking speech therapy, this is particularly important. A child with an eligible speech or language impairment may qualify for FES-UA, but having difficulty with speech or language does not automatically make a child eligible. The condition and documentation must meet Step Up's requirements.
If your child does not already have the documentation needed for FES-UA, you may need an evaluation to identify the speech or language disorder and documentation from an approved professional to establish scholarship eligibility. Step Up's FES-UA handbook lists the qualifying disabilities, approved professionals, and documentation it accepts.
What Step Up Funds Can Pay For, Including Speech Therapy
Most Florida families with school-aged children can qualify for a Step Up scholarship. What scholarship funds can pay for depends on the Step Up program. Private school scholarships (FTC and FES-EO) primarily cover tuition and fees at participating private schools, while PEP funds can cover approved educational expenses such as curriculum, instructional materials, eligible online programs, tutoring, and certain part-time educational programs.
PEP does not cover therapy services. For families seeking help paying for speech therapy, FES-UA is the Step Up scholarship to know.
FES-UA works as an Education Savings Account (ESA), giving families more flexibility in how they use their scholarship funds. In addition to private school tuition, curriculum, instructional materials, and tutoring, FES-UA funds can be used for approved specialized services, including speech-language pathology.
Other eligible specialized therapies include occupational therapy, physical therapy, and applied behavior analysis. Providers must meet Step Up's requirements and any applicable Florida licensing requirements. Speech therapy can also be provided online when the provider and services meet FES-UA requirements.
Depending on the service and provider, families may be able to pay an approved provider directly through Step Up or pay an eligible expense themselves and request reimbursement. Because FES-UA funds may be used for several educational and therapeutic needs, families may want to plan how they will use their scholarship funds throughout the school year.
Using FES-UA for Speech Therapy
FES-UA funds can be used for eligible speech-language pathology services provided by an approved provider. This can give Florida families access to speech therapy without having to pay the entire cost out of pocket.
Speech therapy may address needs such as articulation and phonological disorders, language impairments, childhood apraxia of speech, stuttering, executive function challenges, and social communication difficulties. The specific services a child receives depend on their individual communication needs and the results of their speech-language evaluation.
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How to Apply Through the EMA Portal
The application process runs through the Education Marketplace Account, or EMA. The application process takes about 20–30 minutes to complete. Parents create an account and submit the application themselves, following these steps.
Create an EMA account through the Step Up For Students website using a parent's email address.
Start an application for the appropriate scholarship program: the private school scholarships (FTC/FES-EO), FES-UA, or PEP.
Complete the application with information about your child and household.
Upload the required documents. Depending on the scholarship, these may include a birth certificate, proof of Florida residency, income documentation for funding priority, and an IEP or other qualifying documentation for FES-UA.
Submit the application, then check your EMA account for a decision and any requests for additional information.
Application and award acceptance deadlines vary by scholarship and whether you are a new applicant or renewing. Step Up publishes the dates for each school year, so check the current application cycle before you begin. Applying early is a good idea, particularly for programs with limited funding or priority groups.
Once you receive and accept your scholarship, follow the program's instructions to access and use the funds. For FES-UA, families may be able to pay approved providers directly through EMA or pay for an eligible expense and request reimbursement. Keep receipts and supporting documentation for any expenses paid with scholarship funds.
How to Select Connected Speech Pathology in EMA
Once your child has been approved for FES-UA and funds are available in your EMA account, you can use the scholarship marketplace to select Connected Speech Pathology for eligible speech therapy services.
Search for Connected Speech Pathology, LLC in EMA and select us as your provider. You can then allocate funds for the speech therapy services your child will receive. Once the funding is in place, we handle billing for approved sessions directly through the scholarship marketplace.
What We See Working with Clients
Connected Speech Pathology is an approved FES-UA provider through Step Up For Students, and we work with Florida families who use their Unique Abilities scholarship funds for online speech therapy. Families often reach out when they're exploring FES-UA, have recently been approved, or are deciding how to use their scholarship funds. The examples below are based on real clients we have worked with, with identifying details changed to protect their privacy.
One family had a young child with apraxia of speech and a language delay. The nearest clinic was a long drive, and keeping up with weekly appointments was difficult with work, school, and traffic.
The family used FES-UA funds for online speech therapy at home. Without the commute, they were able to attend sessions more consistently and work with the same speech-language pathologist from week to week. Over time, the child became easier for family members to understand and began using short sentences more consistently.
Another family had a homeschooled teen who qualified for FES-UA and was preparing for college and work. He had difficulty organizing his thoughts into clear explanations, and reading assignments often took him much longer than expected.
His speech therapy focused on organizing longer explanations, communicating ideas more clearly, and strengthening language skills that supported reading comprehension. Therapy was individualized around the areas that were most important for school, interviews, and everyday communication. Over time, he became more concise and organized when answering mock interview questions and was able to approach reading assignments more efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Step Up Scholarship
1. Who qualifies for the Step Up Scholarship in Florida?
Eligibility depends on the scholarship program. FTC, FES-EO, and PEP are available to Florida K–12 students regardless of household income. FES-UA is different because a child must have a qualifying disability or meet other eligibility requirements.
2. Is there an income limit for the Step Up scholarship?
No. Since 2023, there is no income cap. However, income may affect funding priority for some scholarship programs when funding is limited.
3. How much is the Step Up scholarship worth?
The Personalized Education Program typically awards $8,000 per student. FES-UA averages about $10,000. Your exact amount depends on your county and your child's grade level.
4. Can I use Step Up funds for speech therapy?
Yes, if your child receives FES-UA. Speech-language therapy is an approved service under the Unique Abilities scholarship, and you can use eligible funds for speech therapy with a qualified provider, including services delivered through teletherapy.
5. When do applications open and close?
Application dates and deadlines vary by scholarship program and school year. Step Up typically begins accepting applications for the upcoming school year early in the calendar year. Because dates can change, check the current application timeline on the Step Up For Students website before applying.
6. Can my child's school or therapist apply for me?
No. A parent or guardian must create the EMA account and submit the scholarship application. A school, therapist, or other provider cannot apply on the family's behalf.
How Connected Speech Pathology Can Help
Connected Speech Pathology has been a proud FES-UA provider since 2018, when the program was known as the Gardiner Scholarship. As a direct-pay provider, we make it possible for families to use their scholarship funds for speech therapy without paying us upfront and seeking reimbursement. We provide online speech therapy and evaluations for children and teens throughout Florida who receive the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities.
Our speech-language pathologists provide pediatric speech therapy and support for teens. We work with children with a wide range of communication needs, including speech sound disorders, language delays, stuttering, apraxia of speech, and social communication difficulties. Each child is matched with a speech-language pathologist whose experience aligns with their individual needs.
Because sessions take place online, families can access specialized speech therapy from home without traveling to a clinic. For families using FES-UA funds, we also handle billing through the scholarship marketplace to keep the process as straightforward as possible. Parents can actively participate in therapy and learn strategies to support their child's communication between sessions.
We believe every child deserves the opportunity to communicate with confidence and receive the support they need to thrive. FES-UA helps make that support more accessible, and we're proud to be part of that process for Florida families.
Summary
Step Up For Students administers several Florida scholarship programs that give families more options for their child's education. FTC and FES-EO help eligible students attend private schools, PEP supports personalized education, and FES-UA provides funding for students with qualifying disabilities.
For families seeking speech therapy, FES-UA is the relevant program. Scholarship funds can be used for approved services, including speech-language therapy, with eligible providers.
Connected Speech Pathology has been an FES-UA direct pay provider since 2018 and provides online speech therapy and evaluations to children and teens throughout Florida. Families can access specialized care from home, and we handle billing through the scholarship marketplace.
About the Author
Allison Geller, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a communication coach, speech-language pathologist, and founder of Connected Speech Pathology, an international online practice providing professional communication coaching and speech therapy for children, teens, and adults. With more than two decades of experience, she has worked in medical and educational settings and published research on aphasia. Today, she leads a team of specialists who help clients improve their skills in public speaking, vocal presence, accent clarity, articulation, language, fluency, and interpersonal communication.
