Up to $8,420 a year toward private school in Orlando.
Florida's school-choice money has no income test, and a child living in Orange County is funded at the amounts above. 218 of the 294 private schools registered in the county take it, and this site shows which ones, what they report to the state and the dates that matter.
K-3 award, Orange County, 2026-27. Grades 4-8 are funded at $7,831 and grades 9-12 at $7,639, paid to the school each quarter.
Participating schools among the 294 in the state record, with 215 taking FES-UA and 41 listed for PEP.
Last day for new families to apply for 2026-27. The 2027-28 season dates had not been posted on October 28.
Income limit on the Private School Scholarship since the 2023 expansion.
What does an Orlando family still owe after the award?
It depends on the school. Here is an illustrative K-3 child at a church school with a posted tuition of $11,000.
Illustrative only. The scholarship line is the published 2026-27 Orange County K-3 award. One real Orlando school, Faith Christian Academy, posts $14,350 for K-5 in 2026-27, so prices vary widely. Confirm with each school.
What programs can an Orange County family use?
A school-paid scholarship, two parent-directed accounts, free pre-K, Catholic and school aid, and a federal credit arriving in 2027.
Florida Private School Scholarship (FTC / FES-EO)
What most people call the Florida voucher. For an Orange County K-12 student it is worth $8,420, $7,831 or $7,639 by grade band, and it goes to a participating private school.
Who qualifies →Disability ESA · from $9,803Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA)
An account directed by the parent for a child aged 3 through grade 12 who has a qualifying diagnosis or IEP. The Orange County base-tier award is $10,584, $9,995 or $9,803.
Who qualifies →Homeschool ESAPersonalized Education Program (PEP)
The Florida education savings account for children outside a full-time school: homeschoolers, part-week hybrid students, and families using tutors or online courses. It pays the same county amounts as the Private School Scholarship ($7,639 to $8,420 in Orange County).
Who qualifies →Free · Every 4-year-oldFlorida VPK (Free Voluntary Pre-K)
A free pre-kindergarten year belongs to every Florida child who turns 4 by September 1, delivered by participating providers that include many Orlando church preschools and private school pre-K classrooms.
Who qualifies →Income-based · Ages 0-12School Readiness (Child Care Assistance)
A child-care subsidy for working or studying parents, paid to participating centers, church programs and private schools across Orange County.
Who qualifies →New · Jan 2027Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (2027)
From January 1, 2027, a taxpayer may claim a federal credit for donations to approved scholarship organizations. Florida opted in, and Step Up For Students is building the fund that will administer it.
Who qualifies →Voucher, education savings account or tax-credit scholarship?
Florida uses three different structures, and the table sorts them out.
| Florida program | How the money moves | |
|---|---|---|
| Voucher-style award | Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Paid to the school you choose |
| Education savings account | FES-UA and PEP | Loaded to an account the parent directs |
| Tax-credit scholarship | Federal credit, from January 1, 2027 | Donor-funded; application details not yet published |
What else can scholarship money buy?
Unique Abilities and PEP accounts, and funds left over after tuition, can pay for tutors, therapies, curriculum, music, sports, museum visits and college credit. We spell out the rule for each category.
Tutoring
Tutoring can be bought part-time or full-time, so long as the person teaching meets one of the credential test…
Rules →Reading intervention & dyslexia programs
A structured-literacy program might be billed as tutoring, curriculum or a specialized service, and the catego…
Rules →Speech-language therapy
Florida law lists speech-language pathology among the specialized services open to students on the Unique Abil…
Rules →Occupational & physical therapy
When a Florida-licensed therapist or a Florida hospital provides it, occupational and physical therapy are cov…
Rules →ABA therapy (autism)
Florida's FES-UA statute names Applied Behavior Analysis, and for many accounts it is the single biggest thera…
Rules →Curriculum & curriculum materials
Full curricula, individual courses and self-paced online programs are all eligible under the three programs; t…
Rules →Online courses & virtual school
Florida sorts online learning three ways: self-paced courses count as curriculum, live teaching must come from…
Rules →Laptops, tablets & digital devices
Devices are where the programs diverge most: the 2026-27 PEP guide prohibits them, while FES-UA continues to p…
Rules →How does Orlando Edu Funding work?
Answer five short questions
Your child's grade, the kind of school you lean toward, your part of Orange County, your timeline and a phone number. No documents.
An advisor builds the plan
A funding advisor calls back with the programs that fit your child, the amounts for your county and the dates that apply, including ones a school may not mention.
You enroll with the numbers in hand
We point you to schools that accept your funding and explain the EMA steps so the quarterly deadlines do not catch you out.
Which Orange County private schools take the scholarship?
All 294 schools in the state record, with grades, affiliation, accreditation, reported enrollment, disability categories and the FTC/FES-EO, FES-UA and PEP flags.
Catholic Schools
Parish, diocesan and independent Catholic schools in Orange County, from pre-K through grade 12.
12 schools →Christian Schools
Baptist, Pentecostal, Assemblies of God, Adventist, Church of God, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and non-denominational Christian schools.
131 schools →Jewish, Islamic & Other Faith Schools
Jewish day schools, Islamic academies and schools of other traditions in Orange County.
12 schools →Independent & Secular Schools
Non-religious private schools: college-prep, Montessori, STEM, arts and learning-differences programs.
139 schools →Unique Abilities & Learning Differences
Schools that told the state they serve at least one disability category, from autism and dyslexia to speech, hearing and vision needs.
92 schools →Preschool, VPK & Early Learning
Pre-K-only programs and early-learning schools, including church preschools and Montessori primary programs.
18 schools →High Schools (Grades 9-12)
Private schools in Orange County that enroll students in grades 9 through 12.
175 schools →By community: Downtown, Colonialtown & Delaney Park · College Park & Ivanhoe · Parramore, Holden Heights & MetroWest · Pine Hills, Rosemont & Lockhart · Ocoee, Winter Garden & Windermere · Dr. Phillips & Hunter's Creek · Pine Castle, Taft & Meadow Woods · Azalea Park, Conway & East Orlando · UCF, Waterford Lakes & Avalon Park · Lake Nona & Southeast Orlando · Winter Park · Maitland & Eatonville · Apopka & Zellwood
Guía en español para familias de Orlando
Según el Censo, el 38.5 por ciento de los residentes del condado de Orange de 5 años o más habla en casa un idioma distinto del inglés. Nuestra guía explica la Beca Escuela Privada, los montos y la fecha límite del 15 de noviembre.
Does your congregation want to open a funded school?
Families who find you through us already know what their award is. Congregations thinking about a school get our Florida start-up guide.
Can the Unique Abilities Scholarship pay for a new laptop in Orlando?
Yes. A Florida Unique Abilities (FES-UA) account can cover one computer every two years, and replacing it sooner needs pre-authorization.
This is for Orange County children with an eligible diagnosis. PEP and the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) prohibit computers, so a family choosing between PEP and FES-UA should weigh devices. Rules apply.
What has the Orlando Edu Funding blog covered lately?
Eighteen days to November 15: a checklist for Orlando families applying for the 2026-27 scholarship
What to do before November 15, what Step Up has and has not posted for 2027-28, and which award a Seminole or Osceola family gets at an Orlando school.
Read →Oct 26, 2026Catholic school in Orlando: how the Florida scholarship, parish rates and aid fit together
10 of the 12 Catholic schools in the Orange County state record take the Florida scholarship. Here is how families stack it with parish rates and aid.
Read →Oct 23, 2026Autism, dyslexia, speech: which Orange County private schools report serving what, and how FES-UA pays
Autism is the most reported category among Orange County private schools. A count by diagnosis, and what the Unique Abilities Scholarship pays.
Read →Florida scholarship questions Orlando families ask
What does the Florida private school scholarship pay in Orange County for 2026-27?
The Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) provides $8,420 for K-3, $7,831 for 4-8 and $7,639 for 9-12 to Orange County students, and PEP, the homeschool account, uses those same figures. At the base tier, the Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) ranges from $9,803 to $10,584.
Is there an income limit on the Florida school voucher in Orlando?
No. Florida's 2023 expansion opened the scholarship to every K-12 resident whatever the household earns; lower-income applicants only receive priority if demand exceeds the money available.
How many Orlando-area private schools accept the Florida scholarship?
In the Florida DOE directory pulled October 28, 2026, 218 of the district's 294 registered private schools are flagged for FTC/FES-EO, 215 for FES-UA and 41 for PEP.
What is the deadline for a new Orlando family to apply for the 2026-27 scholarship?
A new family has until November 15, 2026 to apply for either the Private School Scholarship or FES-UA, then until December 15, 2026 to accept the award in EMA. As of October 28, 2026, Step Up had posted nothing for 2027-28.
Can the Florida scholarship pay for homeschooling in Orange County?
Yes: the Personalized Education Program (PEP) is an education savings account at the same county amounts. However, Step Up lists 2026-27 PEP applications as closed and has not announced 2027-28 dates.
See what your family qualifies for
Two minutes, five questions. A funding advisor calls you back to walk through the dollars and the dates, with no obligation.