Every child deserves a chance to succeed.
Your support allows Step Up For Students to maximize the impact of the scholarships the students receive.
Step Up For Students administers two scholarship programs for Florida schoolchildren as young as 3 years old.
For 15 years, low-income families have been benefiting from the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, which allows families with students in kindergarten through 12th grade to direct funds towards tuition and fees at a private school or to transportation expenses to an out-of-district public school.
For students ages 3 to 22 with certain special needs, the Gardiner Scholarship program puts parents in the driver’s seat allowing them to use scholarship funds like a savings account. Scholarship funds can be spent on crucial needs such as therapies, assistive technological devices, and even towards tuition and fees at a participating private school of the parent’s choice.
Step Up For Students believes every child has the right to a learning environment that works best for them. A child’s education should not be limited by financial means nor disability. Through its scholarships, educational support services and advocacy, Step Up empowers parents to give their children a chance at a brighter future.
We have achieved much, and have made an impact on thousands of families with the two scholarships we administer. But our dedication to students doesn’t end when we give them a scholarship. With your help, Step Up is able to maximize the impact of the scholarships by creating education-based innovations and helping enrich existing resources. As an example, our Office of Student Learning offers continued educational support services and professional development to strengthen partnerships between home and school, fostering student success. These services maximize the impact of the scholarship by helping to ensure learning continues beyond the scholarship.
Innovation Fund
Our dedication doesn’t end when students qualify for a scholarship. Join us in maximizing the impact of the scholarships by expanding resources for our students and their families.
Online Booklet
Step Up For Students administers two scholarships for Florida schoolchildren. It's a good start, but there's much more that needs to be done.
Our Prospectus
Step Up For Students empowers parents to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children.
Step Up Honor Roll
At Step Up For Students, our standards are high in not just what we do, but how we do it. Donors to the scholarship program can have confidence they are giving to an organization with sound fiscal management.
Here’s the roll call of awards this past year:
- Step Up For Students’ commitment to accountability and transparency has once again earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator.
- November 2015: The Chronicle of Philanthropy released its annual Philanthropy 400, ranking Step Up as the 67th largest nonprofit in the country.
- December 2016: Forbes magazine ranked Step Up No. 24 on its “100 Largest U.S. Charities” list.
- We've been recognized as a platinum level nonprofit by Guidestar, one of the world’s top sources of information on nonprofit organizations.
- April 2016: 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. Tenth year overall in receiving 4 stars.
- May 2016: Charity Navigator updated its rating system, and our score increased from 99.92 to a perfect score of 100.
A Solid Foundation To Build An Exceptional Future:
- Step Up For Students’ record of success demonstrates that when families are in charge of their children’s education, students thrive. Demand for Step Up’s scholarships has increased every year, and we must continue to work to meet this demand.
- An education reform pioneer, and the largest and most successful organization of its kind in the nation, Step Up For Students helps ensure all children have equal opportunity to achieve their maximum potential through education.
Your donation helps us maximize the impact of the scholarships.
How To Reach Us
If you have questions or need additional information about contributing to Step Up For Students,
please contact us at (727) 300-0093 or donation@sufs.org.
1. Donate by mail: Download a printer-friendly form to mail to us.
2. Donate by phone: Please call us at (727) 300-0093
Step Up For Students is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization as determined by the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) code; contributions are fully tax-deductible up to the amount allowed by law. Our financial records are audited each year, and an audited financial statement is available upon request.
Hear From Our Families
Donate today and help us maximize the impact of the scholarships.
Need inspiration? Hear from additional Step Up families & students:
Joel receives the (FTC) income-based scholarship
Liam receives the Gardiner special needs scholarship
Braelyn receives the (FTC) income-based scholarship.
Sara receives the Gardiner special needs scholarship.
Briana & Jeremiah receive the (FTC) income-based scholarships.
Daniel receives the Gardiner special needs scholarship.
Shawnay receives the (FTC) income-based scholarship.
Julian receives the Gardiner special needs scholarship.
