What can Orlando families buy with a Florida scholarship?
In Florida the scholarship dollars do not stop at tuition. A Unique Abilities or PEP account, or what remains of a Private School Scholarship after tuition, can go toward tutors, therapies, curriculum, internet service, music, sports, museum trips, testing and college credit. Every category below states how each program treats it and what is off limits. Orange County awards: $8,420 K-3 · $7,831 4-8 · $7,639 9-12.
Last verified: October 2026
Which academic support costs can the scholarship pay?
Tutoring
Tutoring can be bought part-time or full-time, so long as the person teaching meets one of the credential tests the guides list.
Rules →Academic supportReading intervention & dyslexia programs
A structured-literacy program might be billed as tutoring, curriculum or a specialized service, and the category follows whoever delivers the lessons.
Rules →Academic supportTesting, evaluations & assessments
Norm-referenced tests, AP exams, industry certification exams, career assessments and initial or re-evaluation assessments can all be paid.
Rules →Which therapies (fes-ua) costs can the scholarship pay?
Speech-language therapy
Florida law lists speech-language pathology among the specialized services open to students on the Unique Abilities Scholarship.
Rules →Therapies (FES-UA)Occupational & physical therapy
When a Florida-licensed therapist or a Florida hospital provides it, occupational and physical therapy are covered specialized services under FES-UA.
Rules →Therapies (FES-UA)ABA therapy (autism)
Florida's FES-UA statute names Applied Behavior Analysis, and for many accounts it is the single biggest therapy expense.
Rules →Therapies (FES-UA)Sensory materials & assistive technology
Items such as sensory swings, balance balls and fidgets, plus hearing aids, prescription glasses and similar assistive devices.
Rules →Which learning materials costs can the scholarship pay?
Curriculum & curriculum materials
Full curricula, individual courses and self-paced online programs are all eligible under the three programs; the thing to watch is whether the public can buy the material.
Rules →Learning materialsOnline courses & virtual school
Florida sorts online learning three ways: self-paced courses count as curriculum, live teaching must come from an approved online provider, and full-time virtual school is a separate matter.
Rules →Learning materialsAt-home classroom furnishings & school supplies
Desks, chairs, shelving, whiteboards, televisions up to 55 inches, calculators, backpacks and everyday supplies.
Rules →Which technology costs can the scholarship pay?
Laptops, tablets & digital devices
Devices are where the programs diverge most: the 2026-27 PEP guide prohibits them, while FES-UA continues to pay for them.
Rules →TechnologyHome internet
Florida allows scholarship money to cover a household's home internet bill, which few states do.
Rules →TechnologyEducational software & subscriptions
Learning apps, graphics and photo-editing tools, subscription kits and age-appropriate educational video can all be bought.
Rules →Which electives & enrichment costs can the scholarship pay?
Music lessons & instruments
Private lessons, instruments, rentals, repairs and tuning all count as eligible electives.
Rules →Electives & enrichmentArt, drama, foreign-language & other electives
Lessons in cooking, drama, foreign language, photography, sewing, woodworking and art are eligible, as are the supplies and equipment they need.
Rules →Electives & enrichmentCoding, STEM & robotics
Coding classes, digital production supplies, lab fees, drones and STEM kits qualify as electives, lab fees or subscription kits.
Rules →Electives & enrichmentSports lessons, P.E. & equipment
Florida is generous on physical education: lessons, team fees, the student's own memberships, footwear and equipment for home.
Rules →Which experiences costs can the scholarship pay?
Field trips, museums & Florida theme parks
The student's own admission to museums, zoos, parks and ticketed performances is purchasable, and so is one theme-park request a year.
Rules →ExperiencesSummer & after-school programs
Specialized summer and after-school education programs qualify, while ordinary camps need supporting documents.
Rules →Which high school & career costs can the scholarship pay?
Dual enrollment & college credit
Tuition and fees at eligible Florida colleges, dual enrollment and approved pre-apprenticeship programs are payable.
Rules →High school & careerIndustry certifications & career training
Certification exam fees, pre-apprenticeship tuition and career-interest assessments are authorized.
Rules →Which at a private school costs can the scholarship pay?
Which not covered costs can the scholarship pay?
Transportation
Florida's scholarships do not pay for getting a child to school, which counts for more in a county as sprawling as Orange.
Rules →Not coveredFood, lodging & child care
School lunch plans, aftercare and camp lodging are the reimbursement requests most often turned down.
Rules →How does a purchase actually happen?
There are three routes to a purchase, and which one fits depends on whether the item or provider already has approval.
MyScholarShop
This is Step Up's own catalog. Everything in it has prior approval and is shipped to the Florida address on the application. Should you find the identical item for less elsewhere, the SFO repays the lower price.
Provider directory and direct pay
A tutor, therapist or instructor already approved in EMA is paid straight from the account, so the household advances no money.
Reimbursement
Pay first, hold on to the itemized receipt showing a Florida ship-to address, then submit it. Cash given to a private seller is never repaid. For 2026-27, pre-authorization requests are taken through May 28, 2027.
Want a spending plan for your child's account?
An advisor lines up your award with the categories that fit and the Orange County providers who take direct pay.