Last verified: October 2026
Can an Orange County family pay for reading intervention & dyslexia programs with scholarship funds?
A structured-literacy program might be billed as tutoring, curriculum or a specialized service, and the category follows whoever delivers the lessons.
Reading intervention & dyslexia programs: which program pays?
The three programs handle this purchase in different ways.
| Status | How the rule reads | |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Eligible | Billed as part-time tutoring if the teacher holds a recognized literacy credential, as curriculum if the parent teaches it, or as a specialized service when a licensed speech-language pathologist delivers it. |
| PEP (home-directed ESA) | Eligible | Tutoring credential rules apply, and self-paced online reading programs are filed as curriculum or educational software. |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Eligible from leftover funds after tuition | Funds left once tuition is paid can cover a credentialed reading tutor or an online reading program. |
What rules apply to reading intervention & dyslexia programs purchases?
- Orton-Gillingham and Wilson Reading System training appear by name among the qualifying tutor credentials.
- A provider located outside Florida may teach a Florida child online if the credential is valid.
- Diagnostic assessments, first evaluations and re-evaluations alike, are paid from the testing category.
What is not allowed for reading intervention & dyslexia programs?
- Lessons from a tutor without a listed credential
- Medical evaluations that fall outside the named specialized services
How does this work in Orange County?
The October 28, 2026 state listing shows 92 Orange County schools reporting at least one disability category, 58 of them naming specific learning disability. A child whose school has no reading specialist can still receive structured literacy from an outside tutor the account pays.
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 tutoring?
- 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.