Last verified: October 2026
Can an Orange County family pay for music lessons & instruments with scholarship funds?
Private lessons, instruments, rentals, repairs and tuning all count as eligible electives.
Music lessons & instruments: which program pays?
The three programs handle this purchase in different ways.
| Status | How the rule reads | |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Eligible | Lessons are electives; instruments, rentals, insurance, maintenance and tuning form their own category; credentialed music therapy is a further, separate category. |
| PEP (home-directed ESA) | Eligible | Same categories. |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Eligible from leftover funds after tuition | Payable from leftover funds, and a school band or choir fee is an eligible school fee. |
What rules apply to music lessons & instruments purchases?
- An elective instructor needs one of: a relevant credential or degree, enrollment in a program, three years of documented experience, or a Florida educator certificate (current or expired).
- Equipment purchases are limited to one every two years.
What is not allowed for music lessons & instruments?
- Event tickets outside the field-trip categories
How does this work in Orange County?
When you line up lessons with an instructor in the Orlando area, ask if they are listed in the EMA provider directory. If they are, the account pays them and there is nothing for you to submit.
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 electives & enrichment?
- How much is the Orange County award?
- Which programs can my child use?
- Can funds pay for art, drama, foreign-language & other electives?
- Can funds pay for coding, stem & robotics?
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.