Last verified: October 2026
Can an Orange County family pay for tutoring with scholarship funds?
Tutoring can be bought part-time or full-time, so long as the person teaching meets one of the credential tests the guides list.
Tutoring: which program pays?
The three programs handle this purchase in different ways.
| Status | How the rule reads | |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Eligible | Authorized as part-time tutoring or as a full-time private tutoring program; online sessions are allowed. |
| PEP (home-directed ESA) | Eligible | One of PEP's core categories. Pay through a provider in Step Up's directory, or submit receipts for reimbursement. |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Eligible from leftover funds after tuition | Whatever remains after tuition and required school fees can be directed to a credentialed tutor. |
What rules apply to tutoring purchases?
- For part-time work the tutor needs any one of: a Florida educator certificate, a degree in the subject, a recognized structured-literacy credential, a national teaching-board certificate or a recent passing score on a subject exam.
- Full-time private tutoring requires a current Florida certificate for the subject or grade, 720 instructional hours a year for K-3 or 900 for grades 4-12, and no more than five students at a time unless the facility meets the published standards, which raise the limit to 25.
- Funds move through the provider platform or through documented reimbursement. Money handed to a private seller in cash is never paid back.
What is not allowed for tutoring?
- Tutors who hold none of the listed credentials
- Cash payments
- Sessions that another agency already paid for
How does this work in Orange County?
Orange County parents most often start with a reading or math tutor. Before you book, check whether the tutor is already approved in the EMA provider directory; if so, the account pays them directly and you file nothing.
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 academic support?
- How much is the Orange County award?
- Which programs can my child use?
- Can funds pay for reading intervention & dyslexia programs?
- Can funds pay for testing, evaluations & assessments?
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.