Yes, as long as Florida residency is legally maintained. Please note this option is only available to students on the FES-UA or PEP scholarships. Active-duty military with change of station orders out-of-state may apply for, or renew their FES-UA or PEP scholarships, if they can prove maintenance of Florida residency. You will not be eligible to keep FTC or FES-EO scholarships to attend private schools out-of-state.
Official scholarship values will be posted once the new budget is approved by the governor.
You will need to decline the scholarship you were awarded and apply for the scholarship you want as a new student. You can decline a scholarship using this form here.
If you had an FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA, PEP, or Hope scholarship and enrolled in a public school, your scholarship will end, and the remaining funds will be returned to the state. As a public-school student, you may be eligible for a New Worlds Scholarship Account or a Transportation Stipend.
You can use this form here to decline a scholarship.
No. Law changes prohibit applying for more than one private school or parent-directed scholarship at a time for your student. You can apply for a new scholarship once you’ve been denied or have declined an awarded scholarship. However, you may apply for both the Transportation Stipend and New Worlds Scholarship Account if your student qualifies.
Yes. If you are active duty and have been given permanent change of station orders to Florida you will be eligible for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO), Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), Personalized Education Program (PEP), or Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) before you make your move. You can apply with your base address or new Florida home address (if you have one) and upload your permanent change of station paperwork with your application.
The scholarship is worth $1,200 per student for 2024-25. Scholarships for the 2023-24 school year, which will continue to be awarded through September will remain at $500.
Your student’s eligibility will be determined by the recent Progress monitoring report or on their most recent English Language Arts (ELA) scores, or if it has been determined that their student has characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia.
If your student is attending a private preschool or private day care through the Florida Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program, then you are eligible to apply for a New Worlds Scholarship Account if you meet the other requirements. You cannot get a New Worlds scholarship if you are using any other scholarship to pay for pre-K.
Yes, so long as your student is attending a public school other than the school they are assigned, you may be eligible for one K-8 Transportation Stipend for your household.
Scholarships for VPK and Public Elementary School Students Needing Academic Support
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year.
To be among the first to be notified when 2025-26 applications become available, click below.
Building
Stronger Learners
The program benefits VPK and K-5 public school students by providing families with an education savings account (ESA). Families can use these ESAs to pay for programs and materials designed to boost reading and math skills. Scholarship award amount varies based on the school year for which the student is awarded.
How Does It Work?
New Worlds Scholarship Accounts provide access to a flexible education savings account (ESA). The ESA functions like a bank account with funds you can spend on educational resources.
Dollars from this scholarship must be used in ways that improve reading and/or math.
This includes:
- Part-time tutoring in reading and math
- Summer or after-school programs designed to improve reading or math skills
- Curriculum or instructional materials, including books and some technology items
To be among the first to be notified when 2025-26 applications become available, sign up here.
Pre-approved services and products are available through Step Up For Students’ Education Market Assistant (EMA) marketplace where families can use their scholarship dollars directly without having to pay out of pocket.
Please Note: Starting in the '24-25 school year, families will no longer have to submit a reimbursement claim for educational expenses in compliance with Florida Statute.
Sign up to be notified when applications open and then apply for the scholarship through Step Up For Students EMA.
Log into the EMA portal to find pre-approved services and products. Payments to providers and vendors can be made directly from the ESA.
Are We Eligible?
Effective July 1, 2024, the New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Program expanded eligibility to include VPK students as well as public school students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 5 who:
- have a substantial deficiency in either reading or mathematics;
- exhibit characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia;
- scored below a Level 3 on the most recent statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) or Mathematics assessment; or
- for VPK students enrolled in public school or private school programs, exhibit a substantial deficiency in early literacy skills based on the most recent progress monitoring results
An eligible student who is classified as an English Language Learner and is enrolled in a program or receiving services that are specifically designed to meet the instructional needs of English Language Learner students shall receive priority.
New for the 2024-2025 school year:
Does your K-8 student attend a Florida public school other than the one they were assigned? Your family may qualify for a $750 Transportation Stipend! Click here for more information.
Delivering a New World To You
New Worlds Reading is Florida’s FREE home reading program that mails eligible children a free book and activities each month during the school year through fifth grade. Families can choose what books they will receive when they apply, growing their home library based on their child’s interests to encourage a lifelong love of reading. The accompanying literacy resources and activities help children strengthen their skills and build reading confidence.
New Worlds Reading is administered by the UF Lastinger Center for Learning. Book titles are selected in partnership with Scholastic and approved by the Florida Department of Education. Books and materials are available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and braille.
To be eligible, students must be either in a VPK program and not making age-appropriate progress according to state assessments or in K-5 in a public or charter school and not yet reading on grade level.
The scholarship is worth $1,200 and can be used for the following:
- Tuition and fees for part-time tutoring provided by a person who holds a valid Florida educator’s certificate, a baccalaureate or graduate degree in Reading, Math, Elementary Education, English Education, or Math Education, an adjunct teaching certificate, or has demonstrated mastery of the subject area knowledge.
- Fees for summer education programs designed to improve reading or math skills.
- Fees for after-school education programs designed to improve reading or math skills.
- Instructional materials, including desktop and laptop computers and tablets and curriculum related to reading or math.
To avoid upfront costs, New Worlds Scholarship families may choose one of Step Up For Students’ direct-pay options. Our direct-pay options include part-time tutors, after-school and summer reading programs, and shopping for pre-approved items through the EMA.
New Worlds Scholarship families may also choose to pay out-of-pocket for approved goods and services. Families may then log in to EMA to submit a reimbursement request.
Please refer to the New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Handbook for more information.
Please click here for the current New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Parent Handbook.
