Scholarships for Personalized Education Program Students

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Supporting Florida’s Students Through Personalized Education

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 education savings account (ESA) to fund the educational needs of eligible students.

The program can serve up to 60,000 students in the 2024-25 school year and may grow by 40,000 annually.

How Does It Work?

PEP Scholarships provide access to an education savings account (ESA) that functions like a bank account. Families direct these funds to pay for:

What is Required
  • Instructional Material
  • Curriculum
  • Contracted services provided by a public school or school district, including classes
  • Tuition for an eligible home education instruction program
  • Fees for nationally standardized norm-referenced tests and other assessments
  • Tuition and fees for private tutoring programs
  • Tuition as a private pay student at Florida Virtual School
  • Education at an eligible postsecondary educational institution or approved apprenticeship program
  • Digital materials exclusive of digital devices such as a laptop

Are We Eligible?

Scholarships are open to any 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 September 1st of the school year they wish to enroll.

First priority is given to families with a household income of 185% of poverty or below as outlined in the income priority guidelines, renewing students of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and/or Family Empowerment Scholarship, and children in foster care or out-of-home care.

Second priority is extended to families with a household income of 400% of poverty or below. Parents who want their students to receive priority funding because of household income must submit their income tax return to apply for a PEP scholarship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources

For handbooks and other helpful information view our resources page

What is Required?

PEP families must:

  • Declare a grade level, which is used to determine student eligibility and scholarship values.
  • Submit and maintain a Student Learning Plan (SLP) annually. Parents develop this customized learning plan to guide instruction for their students and address the services needed to fulfill their child’s academic needs. It does not determine what a parent can purchase with scholarship funds.
  • Withdraw as a full-time public school student or terminate a home education program with their school district and enroll as a PEP student with Step Up For Students.
  • Take a norm-referenced test annually, and submit the results to Step Up. Parents/Guardians of PEP students may choose from the same list of assessments that are approved for other scholarship students attending participating private schools. Alternatively, parents/guardians may arrange with their school district of residence to have their student take Florida's statewide assessments given to public school students. These assessments must be taken at a scheduled date and time and at school site designated by the district*. These results are required for grades K-12 and will need to be submitted to Step Up before funding is distributed.

* You must contact your school district’s assessment office by their local deadline to register for statewide testing. Do not contact your local public school or arrive for testing without making prior arrangements through the district office.

There are no specific hourly requirements for students, and parents are not required to keep a record of the number of instructional hours/days.

Video Library

How to create your FTC/FES-EO account
How to complete an FTC/FES-EO application
Document checklist for FTC/FES-EO applications
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