How to Use the EMA Marketplace to Find and Pay Florida Scholarship Vendors

You got approved for a Florida scholarship. Your funds are sitting in your account. Now what?

This is where a lot of families get stuck. The EMA Marketplace is the system you use to actually spend your scholarship money, but nobody hands you a tutorial when you sign up. It can feel confusing the first time you log in, especially if you are not sure what you are looking at or which payment method to use.

This guide explains exactly how the EMA Marketplace works, what the difference is between direct pay and reimbursement, and how to find vendors that accept your scholarship funds.

What Is the EMA Marketplace?

EMA stands for Education Market Assistant. It is the online portal where Florida scholarship families manage their funds and make purchases.

Think of it as your scholarship bank account combined with an online store. You log in to see your available balance, track what you have spent, and pay providers for educational expenses.

All the major Florida scholarship programs use EMA, including FES-UA (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities) and PEP (Personalized Education Program). So whether your scholarship comes through Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation, you are managing it through the same EMA system.

You access EMA at emalogin.com.

Source: FES-UA Family Handbook, April 2026

The Two Parts of EMA You Need to Know

Inside EMA, there are two different tools for spending your scholarship funds. They serve different purposes and it matters which one you use.

MyScholarShop

MyScholarShop is EMA's built-in online store for purchasing physical and digital educational products. This is where you buy curriculum, books, workbooks, educational software, subscriptions, and instructional materials.

When you order through MyScholarShop, the scholarship funds are paid directly to the vendor and the items ship to the Florida mailing address on your account. You do not pay out of pocket.

Some examples of what families buy through MyScholarShop: curriculum kits, textbooks, educational software subscriptions, learning apps, and instructional materials.

A few things to know about MyScholarShop:

• Your account needs to be funded before MyScholarShop becomes accessible. It activates within a few days after funds are deposited.
• Before purchasing, confirm your mailing address in EMA is current. Orders ship to the address on file, and address updates can take 2 to 3 business days to populate.
• If an item requires pre-authorization, you must get that approved before placing the order.
• Returns go through the individual vendor, not through Step Up For Students.

Find Providers

Find Providers is the service side of EMA. This is where you search for and pay approved service providers directly, such as tutors, therapists, co-ops, and enrichment programs.

When you use Find Providers, the provider must already have an account and service catalog set up in EMA. After the service has been rendered, you request payment through EMA and the funds go directly to the provider. You do not pay out of pocket.

This is the faster option compared to reimbursement because the provider's credentials are already on file in the system.

Source: PEP Family Handbook, April 2026 | FES-UA Family Handbook, April 2026

The Third Option: Reimbursement

If you pay for an eligible expense out of pocket, you can submit a reimbursement request through EMA to get that money back from your scholarship account.

Reimbursement is useful when a provider is not yet set up in EMA, or when you make a purchase before realizing it is an eligible expense. You pay first, then submit the receipt and required documentation through EMA.

A few important rules about reimbursement:

• Reimbursements are year-specific. For the 2025-26 school year, purchases must have been made between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, and reimbursement requests must be submitted by July 31, 2026.
• You will need to provide documentation based on the service or product category. Requirements vary, so check the Purchasing Guide for your specific scholarship before submitting.
• Allow up to 60 days for reimbursement requests to be reviewed and processed after all required documentation is submitted.
• Reimbursements cannot be approved for amounts higher than your available balance.

One important note: if you use reimbursement for a service provider rather than using direct pay through Find Providers, you will need to provide provider credentials every time you submit a request. Setting up direct pay through EMA once is generally faster and less paperwork in the long run.

Source: Step Up For Students Provider Handbook, January 2026

How to Find Vendors in EMA

Here is the honest reality: the Find Providers search inside EMA is functional, but it is not designed to help you discover vendors. It tells you whether a provider is registered in the system. It does not tell you much about who they are, what they offer, whether they serve your area, or whether other families have had a good experience with them.

Most families find their vendors outside of EMA first, then confirm they are approved in the system before starting services.

The typical process looks like this:

1. Find a provider you want to use (through a referral, a Facebook group, a directory, or a Google search)
2. Confirm they are registered in EMA or ask them to register before you start
3. Use Find Providers in EMA to set up direct payment
4. Request payment after services are rendered each session or month

If a provider you want to use is not yet in EMA, they can apply to become an approved vendor through Step Up For Students. This is worth asking about before you rule them out.

Why EMA Vendor Search Is Frustrating (and What to Do About It)

The EMA vendor search was built for payment processing, not for discovery. It does not show reviews, photos, service descriptions, or any context about a provider beyond their registration status.

Families end up searching in Facebook groups, asking in co-ops, and piecing together recommendations from other parents. That works, but it takes time and the quality of information varies.

That is the gap Florida Education Vendors was built to fill.

The directory is specifically for Florida PEP and FES-UA families. You can browse by category, including tutoring, therapy, curriculum, enrichment, technology, and more, and see real listings with descriptions, service areas, and contact information. All vendors in the directory are either already registered in EMA or working toward registration.

Browse Approved Vendors by Category

Think of it as the research step before you go into EMA. Find who you want to work with here, confirm they are in the system, then complete the payment through EMA.

You can also download the free Florida Scholarship Insider's Guide for a broader overview of how PEP and FES-UA work, what you can buy, and what to expect before August disbursement.

Quick Reference: Which Payment Method Should I Use?

When in doubt, check the Purchasing Guide for your specific scholarship before spending. Approved categories and documentation requirements vary between PEP and FES-UA.

Before You Spend: Two Things to Check First

The handbooks are clear on this, and it is worth repeating. Before every purchase, confirm two things:

1. Is this expense eligible? Check the Purchasing Guide or the Authorized Uses chart in your handbook. Something that was approved in a previous year may not be approved now. Rules do change.
2. Do you have enough available balance? Log into EMA and check your balance before ordering. Reimbursements cannot be approved for amounts higher than what is in your account.

Source: FES-UA Family Handbook, April 2026 | PEP Family Handbook, April 2026

Sources

• FES-UA Family Handbook, April 2026
• PEP Family Handbook, April 2026
• Step Up For Students Provider Handbook, January 2026
• Step Up For Students: EMA Login

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.