Scholarships To Give Florida Students Educational Options
Every Student Deserves A Choice
Step Up For Students supports students and families in building a stronger future through an education that fits their needs. Our scholarships open doors with tuition, transportation, and educational resources. Find out more about how our programs can make a difference for you.
Scholarships for Educational Options
The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO)
Give your child access to the education that best meets their needs. These scholarships provide financial assistance for private school tuition and related costs and more.
Quick facts:
- Available to Florida residents, regardless of household income, who are eligible to attend a K-12 public school.*
- The scholarship will first pay for the cost of private school tuition and related fees.
- $7,800 average amount awarded for private school scholarships for the 2023-24 school year. (The 2024-25 award amounts will not be officially determined until after the Governor has signed the budget.)
- Florida students who are not full-time public school students now have access to the Personalized Education Program (PEP) through the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
- If signed by the Governor, House Bill 1403 will merge the Hope Scholarship Program with the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship programs. Families who would have previously benefited from the Hope Scholarship are encouraged to apply through the FTC/FES-EO programs. To learn more about this change, please visit our Legislative Updates page.
*Priority will be given to families whose household income is 400% of poverty or below as outlined in the income priority guidelines.
FTC/FES-EO Handbook >FTC/FES-EO Agreed-Upon Purchasing Guidelines >SUFS FTC/FES-EO Purchasing Guide >Scholarships for Students with Unique Abilities
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA)
Personalize the education of your child with unique abilities. This scholarship is delivered as an education savings account (ESA) that you can direct toward a combination of programs and approved providers. This includes schools, therapists, specialists, curriculum, technology, a college savings account and more.
Quick facts:
- Available to students age 3 through grade 12 or age 22, whichever comes first, who have a specific diagnosis
- $10,000 average award for an FES-UA scholarship
- Funds may be used for tuition and fees for a private school, homeschooling options, therapies, tutoring and more
Personalized Education Program
Florida students who are not full-time private or public school students can access the Personalized Education Program (PEP) through the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. This scholarship provides an educational savings account (ESA) to fund the educational needs of eligible students.
Quick facts:
- Open to K-12 Florida residents not enrolled in full-time private or public school regardless of household income.
- Students must be at least age 5 by Sept 1, of the school year in which they wish to enroll.
- Provides access to an education savings account (ESA) that functions like a bank account.
- The program will serve 20,000 students in the 2023-24 school year and grow by 40,000 annually.
New Worlds Scholarship
New Worlds Scholarship Accounts support your struggling K-5th grade child in becoming a stronger learner. This scholarship can be used for fees related to tutoring and after-school/summer programs along with instructional materials, curriculum, and more. Financial assistance is provided through a $500 education savings account (ESA).
Quick facts:
- Funds may be used for part-time tutoring, summer and after-school literacy programs, instructional materials, curriculum, and more
- Available to K-5th grade public school students who struggle with reading and/or math
- $500 education savings account
Transportation Stipend
Florida offers a wide variety of educational options within the public school system, including magnet schools with specific themes, charter schools with unique approaches, and other innovative models.
Every child has unique needs and sometimes the best school may be one other than the one he/she is assigned. To support the transportation costs associated with traveling to a different public school than the one they've been assigned, families can benefit from a transportation stipend of $750.
Every child has unique needs and sometimes the best school may be one other than the one he/she is assigned. To support the transportation costs associated with traveling to a different public school than the one they've been assigned, families can benefit from a transportation stipend of $750.
Hope Scholarship
If signed by the Governor, House Bill 1403 will merge the Hope Scholarship Program with the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship programs. Families who previously benefited from the Hope Scholarship are encouraged to apply through the FTC/FES-EO programs. To learn more about this change, please visit our Legislative Updates page.
2023-2024 | ||
| Persons in family/household | Priority 1 up to 185% | Priority 2 185%-400% |
| 1 | Up to $26,973 | Up to $58,320 |
| 2 | $36,482 | $78,880 |
| 3 | $45,991 | $99,440 |
| 4 | $55,500 | $120,000 |
| 5 | $65,009 | $140,560 |
| 6 | $74,518 | $161,120 |
| 7 | $84,027 | $181,680 |
| 8 | $93,536 | $202,240 |
| 9 | $103,045 | $222,800 |
| 10 | $112,554 | $243,360 |
| 11 | $122,063 | $263,920 |
| Each additional member +$9,509 | Each additional member +$20,560 | |
| Based on guidelines published by the Department of Health & Human Services in National Registry on January 2023 | ||