If you are new to Florida's education scholarship programs, the alphabet soup can be genuinely confusing. PEP, FES-UA, FES-EO, FTC -- they all come from the same place, Step Up For Students, and they all work through the same EMA portal. But they are different programs with different eligibility rules, different funding amounts, and some meaningful differences in what you can spend the money on.
This post focuses on the two scholarships most Florida homeschool families end up with: PEP and FES-UA.
Here is how to tell them apart, figure out which one you have, and understand what each one actually gives you.
The Short Version
PEP (Personalized Education Program) is Florida's homeschool scholarship. It is available to any K-12 Florida student regardless of disability status. Income affects your priority in line, but there is no income cutoff. Most homeschool families who apply for a scholarship end up on PEP.
FES-UA (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities) is Florida's scholarship for children with disabilities or qualifying diagnoses. It covers students from age 3 through 22, pays more money than PEP, and covers a wider range of therapeutic and specialized services. If your child has a qualifying diagnosis, FES-UA is almost certainly the better fit.
The key question is whether your child has a qualifying disability or diagnosis. If yes, FES-UA. If no, PEP.
Who Qualifies for PEP
To qualify for the PEP scholarship, a student must:
- Be age 5 or older on or before September 1 of the school year
- Be younger than 21 years old as of September 1 of the application year
- Be eligible to enroll in grades K-12 in a Florida public school
- Be a Florida resident
There is no income requirement to qualify, but income affects your priority. Applications are reviewed in this order:
- Households at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level, or students in foster care
- Households above 185% but not exceeding 400% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Households above 400% of the Federal Poverty Level
If you choose not to provide income documentation, your application is processed without priority. The program has a capacity cap of 100,000 students for 2025-26, growing by 40,000 per year until the cap is removed in 2027-28. Applying early matters.
Source: PEP Family Handbook, April 2026
Who Qualifies for FES-UA
To qualify for FES-UA, a student must:
- Be age 3 or older (birthday on or before December 31 of the application year), or be eligible to enroll in a Florida public school
- Be younger than 22 years old
- Be a Florida resident
- Have an IEP from the past three years, or a validated diagnosis from a licensed physician, psychologist, or advanced practice registered nurse
The list of qualifying diagnoses includes Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disability, Speech or Language Impairment, Emotional or Behavioral Disability, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Intellectual Disability, Orthopedic Impairment, and many others including rare diseases as defined by NORD.
There is no income requirement for FES-UA. There is an annual cap on new scholarships, so applying early is important here too.
Source: FES-UA Family Handbook, April 2026
How Much Does Each Scholarship Pay?
This is one of the biggest practical differences between the two programs.
PEP Funding
PEP funding is based on your child's grade level and county of residence. For 2025-26, most Florida families receive somewhere between $7,400 and $10,100 per year depending on where they live, with K-3 grades paying more than high school grades.
As a reference point, Orange County families receive about $8,303 for grades K-3, $7,717 for grades 4-8, and $7,565 for grades 9-12. Hillsborough County is similar. Rural counties and some coastal counties tend to run higher.
Rollover balance limit for PEP is $24,000. New funds are not deposited once that balance is reached.
FES-UA Funding
FES-UA pays significantly more than PEP for most students. For 2025-26, most Florida families with a student at matrix levels 1-3 receive between $9,500 and $12,700 per year depending on grade level and county. Students with higher matrix levels (4 or 5) receive substantially more, with level 4 averaging around $21,000 to $25,000 per year and level 5 ranging from around $34,000 to $40,000 depending on county.
The matrix level is assigned by your local school district's special education department based on the intensity of services your child would receive in a public school setting.
For families with a child who qualifies for both PEP and FES-UA, FES-UA will almost always pay more.
Rollover balance limit for FES-UA is $50,000.
Sources: FTC/FES-EO/PEP Award Amounts 2025-26 | FES-UA Scholarship Award Amounts 2025-26
What Each Scholarship Covers
Both PEP and FES-UA cover the core categories most homeschool families need: curriculum, instructional materials, technology and devices, tutoring, enrichment and electives, physical education and sports, online and virtual programs, and standardized testing fees.
FES-UA goes further because it was designed for students who need therapeutic and specialized services. FES-UA adds coverage for:
- Speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and ABA therapy
- Psychotherapy and counseling from licensed mental health professionals
- Music therapy and art therapy from credentialed therapists
- Horse therapy at PATH International member centers
- Vision therapy from a licensed optometrist
- Specialized summer and after-school programs designed for students with unique needs
- Annual home education evaluation fees
- Transition-to-work programs for students ages 17 to 22
- Florida 529 college savings contributions
If your child receives or needs any of these services, FES-UA is the scholarship that pays for them. PEP does not cover clinical therapy services.
For the full breakdown of every approved category for both programs, see our post: What Can You Buy With a Florida PEP or FES-UA Scholarship?
What PEP Requires That FES-UA Does Not
PEP has two participation requirements that FES-UA does not:
Student Learning Plan (SLP). Every PEP family must submit a customized Student Learning Plan in EMA each year before funding is released. The SLP outlines how you plan to guide your child's instruction. It does not limit what you can purchase, but it must be on file and updated annually.
Annual assessment. PEP students are required to take a nationally norm-referenced test each year and submit the results to Step Up For Students before renewal. The results must be submitted by May 31 to be eligible for funding the following school year. Students with disabilities for whom standardized testing is not appropriate can submit an exemption form instead.
FES-UA families do not have an annual assessment requirement or SLP requirement. The main ongoing requirement for FES-UA is submitting updated documentation if your child's diagnosis or matrix level changes.
Source: PEP Family Handbook, April 2026
Can You Have Both?
No. Florida law does not allow a student to hold more than one scholarship at a time. You choose one program per school year.
If your child qualifies for FES-UA, you can still choose PEP instead -- but most families in that situation choose FES-UA because the funding is higher and the approved spending categories are broader.
You can switch programs once per school year during the mid-year period (Quarter 3). Switching has funding implications depending on when it happens, so contact Step Up before requesting a program change.
How to Apply
Both programs use the same application portal at stepupforstudents.org. Applications for 2026-27 opened February 1, 2026.
For PEP, new applicants can apply through the end of the school year but applying early is important because of the capacity cap.
For FES-UA, new applicants can apply through November 15, 2026.
Both programs fund on a quarterly schedule. Students who accept and approve their first quarterly payment by October 15 receive the full annual award. Students who wait until January 15 receive 50% of the annual award for that year.
Finding Vendors for Either Scholarship
Both PEP and FES-UA use the same EMA portal and the same vendor network. Vendors approved for one program are generally accessible to both.
Florida Education Vendors is a free directory for Florida PEP and FES-UA families. Browse by category to find tutors, therapists, curriculum providers, enrichment programs, and more, with service areas and contact information so you can research before going into EMA.
You can also download the free Florida Scholarship Insider's Guide for a full overview of how to get started before August disbursement season.
Quick Comparison: PEP vs FES-UA
| PEP | FES-UA | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Any K-12 Florida student | Students with disabilities or qualifying diagnoses |
| Age range | 5 to 20 (K-12 eligible) | 3 to 21 |
| Income requirement | No (affects priority only) | No |
| Typical annual funding | $7,400 to $10,100 | $9,500 to $12,700+ (higher for elevated matrix levels) |
| Rollover balance limit | $24,000 | $50,000 |
| Therapy services covered | No | Yes |
| Annual assessment required | Yes | No |
| Student Learning Plan required | Yes | No |
| Florida 529 contributions | No | Yes |
| Can you hold both at once | No | No |
Sources
- PEP Family Handbook, April 2026
- FES-UA Family Handbook, April 2026
- FTC/FES-EO/PEP Award Amounts 2025-26
- FES-UA Scholarship Award Amounts 2025-26
- Step Up For Students Provider Handbook, January 2026
Florida Education Vendors is an independent directory for Florida PEP and FES-UA families. We are not affiliated with Step Up For Students or the Florida Department of Education. Always verify current program details directly with your scholarship funding organization.