Last verified: October 2026
Can an Orange County family pay for food, lodging & child care with scholarship funds?
School lunch plans, aftercare and camp lodging are the reimbursement requests most often turned down.
Food, lodging & child care: which program pays?
The three programs handle this purchase in different ways.
| Status | How the rule reads | |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Not eligible | Food fees, before- and after-school care, lodging and meals are prohibited. |
| PEP (home-directed ESA) | Not eligible | Prohibited. |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Not eligible | Prohibited school fees. |
What rules apply to food, lodging & child care purchases?
- School Readiness, run through the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, funds child care for working families, and the same hours cannot also be charged to a scholarship.
What is not allowed for food, lodging & child care?
- Food
- Lodging
- Before- and after-school care
How does this work in Orange County?
Ask the school if it is a School Readiness provider. That program pays for aftercare, not the scholarship.
How do I buy it?
Begin in MyScholarShop, where every listed item already has approval. Next, search the EMA provider directory for tutors, therapists and instructors who can be paid directly. If neither works, buy the item, save an itemized receipt and file for reimbursement. Anything the guide does not name as eligible needs a pre-authorization request before purchase, and the 2026-27 window for those runs until May 28, 2027.
Related questions
- What else can the scholarship buy under not covered?
- How much is the Orange County award?
- Which programs can my child use?
- Can funds pay for transportation?
Build my child's spending plan →
Sources: the 2026-27 Step Up For Students purchasing guides for FES-UA, PEP and the Private School Scholarship. These are summaries and not legal advice; your scholarship funding organization's handbook governs.