Yes, as long as Florida residency is legally maintained and can be documented using a Leave and Earnings Statement or the IRS Declaration of Domicile Form 2058. Please note this option is only available to renewal Unique Abilities or PEP students.
Active-duty military with change of station orders out-of-state may apply for, or renew their Unique Abilities or PEP Scholarships, if they can prove maintenance of Florida residency. You will not be eligible to keep the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) to attend private schools out of state.
If you had a Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO), Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA), or PEP 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 Transportation Stipend.
If your student was found eligible for the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) and you would like to switch to a PEP Scholarship (FTCPEP), this can only be done before that year’s PEP Scholarship acceptance deadline. For 2025-26, the acceptance deadline was May 31, 2025. After that deadline, students are not able to switch from the Private School Scholarship to the PEP Scholarship.
If your student was found eligible for PEP, and you would like to switch to a Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO), do not decline their scholarship in EMA. After accepting the scholarship, call us at 1-877-735-7837 to request this switch.
Florida law prohibits a family from applying for more than one scholarship at a time for an individual student. You can apply for a new scholarship once you’ve been denied or have declined, or withdrawn an awarded scholarship.
Yes. If you are an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces and have been given permanent change of station orders to move to Florida, you will be eligible for the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO), Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) and the PEP Scholarship before you make your move. You can apply with your newly assigned base address or new Florida residential address (if you have one) and upload your permanent change of station paperwork with your application.
You have 30 days to enroll your student in a new private school. If you have not enrolled your student within 30 days your remaining scholarship funds will be returned to the state.
No. Florida law prohibits applying for more than one FTC or FES scholarship at a time for an individual 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.
The student’s scholarship account must be closed and any remaining funds will be returned to the state after:
- Denial or revocation of program eligibility by the Commissioner of Education for fraud or abuse, including, but not limited to, the student or student’s parent accepting any payment, refund, or rebate, in any manner, from a provider of any authorized services received;
- Two consecutive fiscal years without any account activity; or
- A student remains unenrolled in an eligible private school for 30 days while receiving a scholarship that requires full-time enrollment.
- A student was enrolled in public school or received unpaid public school services at any time during the school year in which you received a scholarship.
Yes. If you are an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces and have been given permanent change of station orders to move to Florida, you will be eligible for the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO), Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) and the PEP Scholarship before you make your move. You can apply with your newly assigned base address or new Florida residential address (if you have one) and upload your permanent change of station paperwork with your application.
Welcome to Step Up For Students!
We're Here to Support You
We are pleased to welcome you to Step Up For Students as you continue your child’s educational journey. Our commitment to families transferring from another organization is to make this process as seamless and stress-free as possible, and we look forward to supporting you every step of the way.
We are working closely with the Florida Department of Education to ensure an efficient application process for any FES-UA students from AAA who choose to apply with Step Up For Students for the 2025-26 school year. This includes identifying renewal students and ensuring appropriate funding.
Additionally, if you have other children who are already receiving a scholarship or are interested in applying for another program through Step Up For Students, they are welcome to continue their educational journey with us.
Renewal Status: FES-UA students currently served by AAA will retain their renewal status. Families will apply to Step Up For Students as a “New” student and the state will notify Step Up which student statuses need to be moved to “Renewal.”
Grandfathered Awards: Step Up For Students will honor all grandfathered scholarship amounts for any prior Gardiner or McKay scholarship recipients.
Required Documentation: Please reference our Application Checklist for a list of documents that may be requested during your application process with Step Up. When submitting documentation related to your student’s diagnosis, you may use the same diagnosis documentation previously provided to AAA.
Coming from another Scholarship Funding Organization?
What to Expect: Your Step Up For Students Process
Steps to Take for Your Application
Create an EMA account
Complete your Guardian Profile
- This is a one-time step, and where you will go if any information needs to be updated.
Add Your Students
Select and apply for the program that best meets your child's needs.
- Be sure that all your students have been added before submitting an application.
Application Checklist
Helpful Resources
Please review these documents to ensure you're doing your application correctly. These videos and documents help you prepare for your application, walk you through the application process, and provide details of each step necessary to ensure a smooth application process.
Other Helpful Documents
Stepping Up To Success
