Last verified: October 2026
Can an Orange County family pay for school fees, uniforms & books with scholarship funds?
For a child enrolled at a private school, the scholarship pays tuition first and then a defined set of fees.
School fees, uniforms & books: which program pays?
The three programs handle this purchase in different ways.
| Status | How the rule reads | |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Eligible | Fees on the eligible list include basic uniforms, books, tests, technology, security, registration, application, graduation, club, activity, athletic and academic-services charges, along with other fees tied to the student's needs. |
| PEP (home-directed ESA) | Conditional / pre-authorization | Only part-time private school fees qualify, because a PEP student cannot be enrolled full-time; PEP Hybrid students attend at least two full days a week. |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Eligible | Pays tuition plus that same fee list. Each quarter the school enters enrollment in EMA and the parent approves the payment. |
What rules apply to school fees, uniforms & books purchases?
- Application and registration fees for next year may be paid the spring before.
- Uniform items have to come from the school's required vendor.
What is not allowed for school fees, uniforms & books?
- Annual-giving and fundraising fees
- Food fees
- Before- or after-school care
- Optional fees
- Shoes and accessories
- Scholarship-management fees
How does this work in Orange County?
Comparing two Orange County schools goes faster if each gives you a fee schedule divided into scholarship-eligible lines and family-paid lines. Bishop Moore's posted schedule, for instance, puts uniform, iPad and parking costs outside tuition.
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 at a private school?
- How much is the Orange County award?
- Which programs can my child use?
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.