Reimbursement
Reimbursements provide another way to maximize purchasing flexibility. If you pay out of pocket for an eligible expense, you can submit a reimbursement request through EMA to be repaid from your child’s account.
Eligible Expenses
Before submitting a reimbursement request, you can confirm that the expense is eligible by reviewing the Private School Purchasing Guide. Be sure your student has enough available scholarship funds to cover the expense and remember that eligibility requirements can change from year to year, so it's always a good idea to review the current Purchasing Guide before submitting your request.
Get Started
Set Up Your Preferred Payment Method
Families can choose to receive their funds by direct deposit (ACH), Check or PayPal. Follow our Reimbursement Payment Methods Guide to make your selection.
Submit Your Reimbursement with Confidence
Follow our step-by-step Reimbursement Request Instructions to ensure your reimbursement is submitted accurately to avoid any delays.
Congratulations! Be sure to monitor your email and your EMA account for any updates or requests for additional documentation. Please allow up to 60 days for your reimbursement request to be fully reviewed once all required documents have been submitted.
Just remember, reimbursements are tied to the school year in which purchases were made. For the 2025–26 school year, you may submit reimbursement requests by July 31, 2026, as long as the purchase occurred between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
If a reimbursement request is denied, parents or guardians may appeal the decision once through EMA. To do this, go to the Reimbursements tab on the left side of the dashboard. Find the denied reimbursement request and open it. Scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see a red APPEAL button. Click this button to start your appeal for the original reimbursement request. Here, you can update the initial reimbursement request and provide additional documentation.
Appeals will only be reviewed through the established process. Step Up For Students is unable to review appeals or resubmission requests that are sent via email or through any other customer service channel.
Helpful Resources:
Planning Ahead?
You can request pre-authorization for future expenses by following Pre-Authorization Request Instructions Once approved, you’ll have the flexibility to either submit a reimbursement later or purchase directly through MyScholarShop.
