Last verified: October 2026
Can an Orange County family pay for sensory materials & assistive technology with scholarship funds?
Items such as sensory swings, balance balls and fidgets, plus hearing aids, prescription glasses and similar assistive devices.
Sensory materials & assistive technology: which program pays?
The three programs handle this purchase in different ways.
| Status | How the rule reads | |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Eligible | Sensory materials and assistive technology, including prescription eyeglasses and hearing aids, training on eligible devices and warranties; an unlisted device requires pre-authorization. |
| PEP (home-directed ESA) | Conditional / pre-authorization | Sensory materials qualify and prescription eyeglasses are limited to one pair a year under school supplies, but other assistive devices are not a PEP category. |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Not eligible | Not an authorized category. |
What rules apply to sensory materials & assistive technology purchases?
- Adaptive exercise equipment requires pre-authorization.
- Equine therapy at a PATH-member center, music therapy and art therapy are each separate eligible FES-UA categories.
What is not allowed for sensory materials & assistive technology?
- Medical devices beyond the listed assistive technology
- Smart or AR prescription glasses
How does this work in Orange County?
Before booking an equine or sensory program, ask whether it holds the credential the purchasing guide requires.
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 therapies (fes-ua)?
- How much is the Orange County award?
- Which programs can my child use?
- Can funds pay for speech-language therapy?
- Can funds pay for occupational & physical therapy?
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.