What Can You Buy With a Florida PEP or FES-UA Scholarship? Approved Spending Categories Explained

One of the first questions every new scholarship family asks is some version of: what am I actually allowed to spend this on?

The official answer lives in a 30-page purchasing guide. Most families download it, scan the first few pages, and close it feeling more confused than when they started.

This post pulls out what you actually need to know. Every major approved spending category for Florida PEP and FES-UA scholarships, explained in plain language, with notes on where PEP and FES-UA differ.

A quick note before we start: approved categories and rules do change year to year. This guide reflects Step Up For Students' 2026-27 PEP Purchasing Guide and Family Handbooks (last updated July 3, 2026). Where a detail still comes from the 2025-26 FES-UA Purchasing Guide, we say so. Always confirm current rules in your scholarship portal before spending.

The Categories Both PEP and FES-UA Cover

Most of the core spending categories are the same across both scholarships. Here is what both programs allow.

Curriculum and Instructional Materials

Both PEP and FES-UA cover curriculum, which the state defines as a complete course of study for a particular content area or grade level, including required supplemental materials and associated online instruction.

This means full curriculum programs, textbooks, workbooks, teachers' manuals, and supplemental materials tied to a course of study. It also includes postsecondary programs aimed at career readiness or trade certification.

Instructional materials also covers a wide range of physical and digital learning tools including books, digital documents, educational software subscriptions, audiobooks, and learning apps.

One thing to know: curriculum materials that are not publicly available require a pre-authorization request before you purchase.

Tutoring

Both PEP and FES-UA cover part-time private tutoring. PEP also covers full-time private tutoring programs as a standalone schooling option.

Tutors must meet credentialing requirements depending on the subject. For most academic subjects, a tutor needs to be Florida-certified, hold an adjunct teaching certificate, or hold a bachelor's or graduate degree in the subject area. The specific requirements are outlined in the Purchasing Guide.

Tutoring is one of the highest-demand categories for Florida scholarship families. If you are looking for tutors who already accept PEP or FES-UA funds, browse Florida tutoring vendors that accept PEP and FES-UA.

Enrichment and Electives

Both scholarships cover a broad range of enrichment activities and elective lessons. Approved elective expenses include:

• Art lessons
• Music lessons
• Drama lessons
• Foreign language lessons
• Cooking lessons
• Photography and videography classes
• Programming and digital production lessons
• Sewing lessons
• Woodworking lessons
• Gardening and horticultural programs
• Mechanical lessons
• Animal husbandry lessons
• Club fees, including Scouts, 4H, and FFA

This is a broader list than many families expect. If your child has an interest that falls outside traditional academics, it is worth checking whether it qualifies before paying out of pocket.

Physical Education and Sports

Both scholarships cover physical education classes and equipment, including sports lessons, fees, and equipment. The equipment must meet the manufacturer's age recommendations.

This means sports lessons, team registration fees, and physical education equipment can all be paid for with scholarship funds.

New for 2026-27: sports-related camps can be submitted under Sports Lessons and do not require provider credentials.

Online and Virtual Programs

Both scholarships cover tuition and fees at approved online and virtual providers. This includes programs approved by the Florida Department of Education, Florida Virtual School enrollment as a private-pay student, and dual enrollment at eligible postsecondary institutions.

PEP funds may not be used for full-time online instruction. For live online courses, PEP families need to use the Tuition and Fees at an Approved Online or Virtual Provider category rather than the Curriculum category.

Standardized Testing Fees

Both scholarships cover fees associated with standardized testing, including Advanced Placement exams, norm-referenced assessments, industry certification exams, placement exams, and career and interest assessments.

Contracted Services From Public Schools

Both scholarships allow families to pay for contracted services provided by a public school or school district. This is useful if your child needs a specific service the district offers but does not receive as a homeschool or private school student.

What FES-UA Covers That PEP Does Not

FES-UA is specifically for students with disabilities and qualifying diagnoses. Because of that, it covers a category of specialized therapeutic and clinical services that PEP does not.

Specialized Therapy Services

FES-UA covers fees for specialized services from approved medical providers or a Florida hospital. Approved services include:

• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst
• Speech-language pathology services
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Listening and spoken language specialist services (for students with hearing impairments)
• Psychotherapy or counseling from a licensed psychologist, mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, or clinical social worker
• Vision therapy from a licensed optometrist
• Music therapy from a therapist certified by the Certification Board for Music Therapists
• Art therapy from a therapist credentialed by the Art Therapy Credentials Board
• Horse therapy at a center that is a member of PATH International

Providers must be licensed or credentialed for their specific service. The provider credentials are verified when you set up direct pay through EMA.

Specialized Summer and After-School Programs

FES-UA covers fees for specialized summer and after-school education programs that are developed specifically for students with special or unique needs. Overnight or day educational camps may also be covered with pre-authorization.

Annual Home Education Evaluation Fees

FES-UA covers the cost of the annual educational evaluation required for students on the scholarship who are not enrolled in a participating private school.

Transition-to-Work Programs

FES-UA covers transition-to-work programs for students ages 17 to 22 who have not yet received a high school diploma. These programs combine academic instruction, work skills training, and volunteer or paid work experience.

Florida 529 College Savings Contributions

FES-UA allows families to contribute scholarship funds to a Florida Prepaid College Program account or a Florida 529 Savings Program. PEP does not include this option.

As of June 30, 2026, the Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program is direct pay only, so it can no longer be reimbursed.

Digital Devices: PEP and FES-UA Rules Differ

Educational software, apps, and digital subscriptions can be purchased as instructional materials with either scholarship. Physical devices are different, and the rules depend on your scholarship.

PEP: Under Florida law, PEP students cannot use scholarship funds for digital devices or related peripherals, including laptops and computers. Step Up's 2026-27 PEP Purchasing Guide (last updated July 3, 2026) lists these as ineligible: cellular phones, desktop computers, e-readers, laptop computers including Chromebooks and Surface tablets, smart watches, computer monitors, digital pencils, external and flash drives, headsets, keyboards, mice and touchpads, printers including 3D printers, speakers, scanners, virtual and augmented reality headsets, Wi-Fi routers, modems and extenders (except rentals from your internet provider that are billed with monthly internet service), and gaming consoles or systems, including Nintendo Switch, even when purchased with educational software. If a device is not on that list, check with Step Up before you buy it.

FES-UA: FES-UA families can use scholarship funds for digital devices. In the 2025-26 FES-UA Purchasing Guide these included laptop and desktop computers, tablets, e-readers, cellular phones, smart watches, drones with educational software, gaming consoles purchased with educational software, and peripherals such as keyboards, monitors, printers, headsets, speakers, Wi-Fi routers and extenders, virtual and augmented reality headsets, and external hard drives. Step Up revised its 2026-27 guides in July, so check the current FES-UA Purchasing Guide for the exact list before you buy.

Most devices have a frequency of purchase limit of once every two years. Replacement sooner than that requires pre-authorization.

What Is Not Covered

A few things families commonly ask about that are not approved expenses:

• General medical services, doctor visits, or medical devices (the therapy services listed above are the exception)
• Food, meals, or snacks
• Fundraising fees, donation fees, or volunteer waiver fees
• General household supplies or home improvements
• Televisions over 55 inches
• Trampolines (except individual exercise trampolines)
• For PEP: digital devices and related peripherals (see Digital Devices above)
• Cash purchases from private sellers
• Items or services paid for by health insurance or an HSA
• Parents cannot be paid from scholarship funds for services they provide to their own child

A Note on Pre-Authorization

Some purchases require you to submit a pre-authorization request before spending. This is not a refusal, it is a review process. If you are unsure whether something qualifies, submit a pre-authorization before buying. Step Up will not consider pre-authorizations for items that are clearly prohibited.

For the 2026-27 school year, pre-authorization requests must be submitted by May 28, 2027, so there is time for approval and purchase before the school year ends on June 30, 2027.

How to Find Vendors for These Categories

Knowing what you can buy is step one. Finding the right provider is step two, and that is where a lot of families lose time.

Florida Education Vendors is a free directory built specifically for Florida PEP and FES-UA families. Browse by category to find tutors, therapists, curriculum providers, enrichment programs, and more, all in one place. Listings include service areas, descriptions, and contact information so you can research providers before going into EMA.

Browse Vendors by Category

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

Quick Reference: PEP vs FES-UA Approved Categories

Sources

• PEP Purchasing Guide 2026-27 (last updated July 3, 2026)
• PEP Family Handbook 2026-27 (last updated July 3, 2026)
• FES-UA Family Handbook 2026-27 (last updated July 3, 2026)
• 2026-2027 Program Handbooks and Purchasing Guides Summary of Changes
• FES-UA Purchasing Guide 2025-26 (device list, confirm current version)
• 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.