Last verified: October 2026
What does Step Up For Students pay an Orange County student in 2026-27?
Step Up's 2026-27 Orange County row shows $8,420, $7,831 and $7,639 for the Private School Scholarship and PEP, and $10,584, $9,995 and $9,803 at the FES-UA base tier, by grade band.
The county is whichever one appears on the application. Children in Seminole and Osceola are paid from their own counties' rows, which differ from Orange by a few hundred dollars.
What is the 2026-27 Step Up calendar for Orange County families?
New private-school and Unique Abilities applications close November 15, 2026, with acceptance of the award due by December 15. Quarter 3 enrollment is due December 15, and transfer students have until February 15, 2027 for Quarter 4.
This year, renewals and PEP ran in a February 1 to April 30 window. Step Up had not posted 2027-28 dates as of October 28, 2026, so read February 1, 2027 as an expectation and not a confirmed date.
How does money reach an Orlando school?
EMA, Step Up's portal, handles every step. The school submits the student's enrollment for the quarter, the parent approves it, and funds then follow the quarterly schedule. Missing either step means missing the quarter, which is the most frequent cause of late payment.
Each quarter, families also confirm that the student is not enrolled full-time in a public school.
How many Orange County schools take Step Up scholarships?
The October 28, 2026 state listing flags 218 Orange County private schools for FTC/FES-EO, 215 for FES-UA and 41 for PEP, and every school page here shows all three.
Quarter by quarter: what must happen
The table lays the options side by side.
| Quarter | Enrollment deadline | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter 2 | September 30, 2026 | Students enrolling for the fall |
| Quarter 3 | December 15, 2026 | New students who accept by December 15 |
| Quarter 4 | February 15, 2027 | Transfer students already funded at another private school |
Related questions
- What are all the 2026-27 dates?
- Can I use AAA instead of Step Up?
- What does the award pay?
- How do I find a participating school?
How do I start?
Complete the two-minute funding check and an advisor will call with the amounts and dates that apply to your family.