The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) provides access to an education savings account (ESA) that functions like a bank account from which you direct funds to pay for tuition and fees for a private school, homeschooling options, therapies, tutoring and more.

 

The  Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) is different than other state scholarships in that it allows parents to personalize the education of their children with unique abilities by directing money toward a combination of programs and approved providers like Dyslexic Einstein Tutoring. 

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.2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR

For the 2023-24 school year, FES-UA is no longer accepting applications.

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2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR - *NOW OPEN*

Families interested may apply here.

You will need these documents to complete your application: Proof of residency, birth certificate, IEP or Doctors Diagnosis with one of the qualifying disabilities, and Sworn Compliance statement (which no longer needs to be notarized).

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MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS

Students receiving McKay Scholarship funds for the 2021-22 school year will transition to the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities program (FES-UA) for the 2022-23 school year. 

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DOES MY CHILD QUALIFY?

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

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 The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA) is for Florida students 3 years old through 12th grade or age 22, whichever comes first, with one of the following diagnoses:

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• Anaphylaxis

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Being a high-risk child

• Cerebral Palsy

• Down syndrome

• Emotional or a behavioral disability

• Hearing impairment, including deafness

• Hospital or homebound

• Identification as dual sensory impaired

• Intellectual disability

• Language impairment

• Muscular dystrophy

• Orthopedic impairment

• Other health impairment (including ADD and ADHD)

• Phelan-McDermid syndrome

• Prader-Willi syndrome

• Rare diseases

• Specific learning disability (conditions may include but are not limited to, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or developmental aphasia)

• Speech impairment

• Spina bifida

• Traumatic brain injury

• Visual impairment, including blindness

• Williams syndrome

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AND

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Meets the age requirement of:

• Students must be at least 3 or 4 on or before Sept 1.

• Students entering kindergarten must be 5 on or before Sept 1.

• Students entering first grade must be 6 on or before Sept 1.

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To document your child’s disability you will be required to submit a copy of the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Doctor’s Diagnosis from a licensed medical doctor, osteopathic physician, or psychologist. You will also need to provide proof of Florida residency. For a list of required documents, click here. 

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I'VE APPLIED. NOW WHAT HAPPENS?

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You can check your application status online at www.stepupforstudents.org.
• On the home page, click on “Logins”
• Click “Parent Login”    
• Enter your user ID and password
• Click "Application Status" 

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What happens next?

Once a student is found eligible for the program, parents/guardians will receive a notification via email that they have been awarded or waitlisted for an FES-UA scholarship for the application year. When a student receives an FES-UA scholarship, the family affirms that they will enroll the student in a private or parochial school or register the student with their district as a home education student.

 

FES-UA scholarship recipients may not be enrolled in a Florida public school, including the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind; or the College-Preparatory Boarding Academy, a developmental research school authorized under s. 1002.32; a charter school authorized under s. 1002.33, s. 1002.331, or s. 1002.332; or a virtual education program authorized under s. 1002.45. Neither may students be utilizing a state-funded VPK program, or any other school choice scholarship such as the Family Empowerment Scholarship Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Hope Scholarship, or New Worlds Scholarship. 

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When can I expect to see funds in my account?

Award amounts are based on the date of award, not the date of eligibility. Funds will be deposited on a quarterly basis in the student’s accounts by Step Up For Students. Step Up For Students will receive funding from the Department of Education by the following dates:
• September 1
• November 1
• February 1
• April 1

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Do I have to apply for a scholarship each year?

Each year, SUFS requires the parent to “RENEW” their child’s scholarship. You will not need to submit documents again, as there is a “Once In, Always In” clause in place. This is simply a process for you to tell SUFS that you wish to continue to participate in the scholarship. Students must complete a renewal application each school year in order to receive additional funding and remain active in the FES-UA program. Students do not have to requalify each year, with the exception of students who have aged out of a High-Risk diagnosis, or some hospital/homebound students.