Last verified: October 2026
Can an Orange County family pay for speech-language therapy with scholarship funds?
Florida law lists speech-language pathology among the specialized services open to students on the Unique Abilities Scholarship.
Speech-language therapy: which program pays?
The three programs handle this purchase in different ways.
| Status | How the rule reads | |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Eligible | Billing the account requires a pathologist who holds a Florida license or has approval from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities or as a Specialized Instructional Services provider. Telehealth sessions count. |
| PEP (home-directed ESA) | Not eligible | PEP does not pay for licensed therapies, so a child who needs them generally belongs on FES-UA. |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Not eligible | Not an authorized category, except as a school fee when the school itself provides the service during the school day. |
What rules apply to speech-language therapy purchases?
- Look for a Florida Department of Health license, APD approval or SIS approval.
- A session that insurance or a health savings account already covered cannot be billed a second time.
- A therapist with the right credentials may work with your child by video from another state.
What is not allowed for speech-language therapy?
- Physician visits, exams and medical devices that are not on the list
- Charging one session to both insurance and the account
How does this work in Orange County?
60 private schools in Orange County report serving speech or language impairment. A common arrangement pairs one of those schools with a clinic therapist paid from the same FES-UA account.
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 occupational & physical therapy?
- Can funds pay for aba therapy (autism)?
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.