Florida offers several scholarships to help families create a more personalized K–12 learning path. These programs can be used for private school tuition, homeschool resources, tutoring, and more.
If you're exploring alternatives to your local public school, supporting a child with specific learning needs, or building a home education plan, these scholarships can help fund the path that fits your learner best.
What can Florida scholarships be used for?
Florida scholarships are flexible education funds that families can use for approved learning expenses, like private school tuition, curriculum, tutoring, or online programs.
In Florida, state funding is available through certain scholarship programs. The Family Empowerment Scholarship and the Florida Tax Credit ESA both offer this type of account.
What scholarship options are available in Florida?
Florida offers multiple scholarship programs that provide ESA-style funding. Each one is built to support different student needs, from income-based eligibility to disability diagnoses or academic performance.
Here are the key programs available to families in Florida:
- Florida Tax Credit Education Savings Account (FTC ESA): A privately funded scholarship that can be used for private school or personalized education through a homeschool-style program.
- Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA): A flexible ESA for students with qualifying disabilities, covering a wide range of learning and therapeutic expenses.
- Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO): A tuition-focused scholarship that supports private school enrollment or transportation to an out-of-district public school.
- Florida Tax Credit Personalized Education Program (PEP): A scholarship for K-12 students not enrolled full-time in public or private school, allowing parents to direct funds for educational expenses like tutoring, curriculum, and therapies, funded via tax credits to businesses.
Each program has its own eligibility requirements, approved uses, and rules for how families apply and stay enrolled. We’ll walk through each one in detail below.
Florida Tax Credit Education Savings Account
The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) is privately funded through corporate donations and administered by approved Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFOs) like Step Up For Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation.
Families who qualify can choose to receive their scholarship as an Education Savings Account (ESA), which offers more flexibility than traditional tuition support.
Families who want to use their FTC scholarship to homeschool must enroll in a Personalized Education Program (PEP). This allows them to access ESA funds for curriculum, tutoring, online classes, and more, while creating a custom learning path at home. To participate, families must register with an approved SFO and submit a learning plan.
Eligibiliy
- Residency: The student must be a Florida resident
- Grade Level: Eligible for students entering kindergarten through 12th grade.
- Income: There is no income limit for eligibility. However, priority is given to students whose household income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level, followed by those with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level.
- Special Categories:
– Students in foster care or out-of-home care
– Siblings of students currently receiving the scholarship
– Students who are homeless - Enrollment: Students must be enrolled in or planning to enroll in an eligible private school or participate in a personalized education program.
Rules & Regulations
- Application Process: Families must apply through one of Florida's approved Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFOs), such as Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation.
- Use of Funds:
– Tuition and fees at eligible private schools.
– Transportation costs up to $750 for attending an out-of-district public school.
– Personalized education programs, including homeschooling expenses, tutoring, online courses, instructional materials, and curriculum. - Testing Requirements: Students participating in the scholarship program must take a nationally norm-referenced test approved by the Department of Education annually.
- Continuation: Once awarded, students remain eligible until they graduate high school, return to public school, or turn 21, whichever comes first.
- Restrictions:
– Students cannot receive funding from both the FTC and other state scholarship programs simultaneously.
– Students enrolled full-time in public schools, including charter schools, are not eligible.
– Students enrolled in virtual schools receiving state funding are not eligible.
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA)
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities gives families of students with special needs access to flexible education funding through an Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA).
This scholarship is designed to support customized learning, whether that means private school, homeschooling, therapies, curriculum, or specialized services. Families can use funds for approved expenses that help meet their child’s unique learning goals, all in the environment that works best for them.
Eligibility
- Residency: The student must be a Florida resident.
- Age: Eligible students are between 3 and 22 years old.
- Disability Diagnosis: The student must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a documented diagnosis from a licensed physician or psychologist for one of the following disabilities:
– Autism spectrum disorder
– Cerebral palsy
– Down syndrome
– Intellectual disability
– Spina bifida
– Muscular dystrophy
– Speech or language impairment
– Other health impairments, including rare diseases as defined by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) - High-Risk Category: Students aged 3 to 5 deemed "high risk" due to developmental delays may also be eligible.
- Documentation: An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a diagnosis from a licensed physician or psychologist.
For a comprehensive list of disabilities supported under this program, refer to the official website of the Florida Department of Education.
Rules & regulations
- Application Process: Families must apply through one of Florida's approved Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFOs), such as Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation.
- Use of Funds:
– Tuition and fees at eligible private schools
– Specialized services by approved providers
– Tutoring and therapy services
– Instructional materials and devices
– Curriculum and online education programs
– Home education expenses
– Fees for standardized testing and industry certifications
– Contributions to Florida Prepaid College Program or 529 Savings Plans - Funding: Scholarship amounts vary based on the student's grade level and county of residence. Funds are deposited quarterly into the student's ESA
- Continuation: Students remain eligible until they graduate from high school, reach age 22, or return to public school, whichever occurs first.
- Restrictions:
– Students cannot participate in both FES-UA and FES-EO simultaneously.
– Students enrolled full-time in public schools, including charter schools, are not eligible.
– Funds must be used for approved educational expenses; misuse may result in revocation of the scholarship. - Education Provider Guidelines:
– Must be approved or accredited by the state of Florida
– Background checks for the teachers are mandatory, the teachers must have a bachelor’s degree, 3 years of experience teaching, or special expertise.
– The state does not require curriculum or attendance details.
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO)
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options helps Florida families access funding to support private school enrollment and other approved educational expenses. If you're exploring options beyond your local public school, this scholarship can help cover tuition and approved education costs at participating private schools.
Eligibility
- Residency: The student must be a Florida resident.
- Grade Level: Available to students entering kindergarten through 12th grade.
- Enrollment: The student must be eligible to enroll in a Florida public school.
- Priority Consideration:
– Students whose household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty level.
– Students in foster care or out-of-home care.
– Secondary priority is given to students with household incomes above 185% but not exceeding 400% of the federal poverty level. - Special Categories:
– Siblings of students receiving FES-EO or FES-UA scholarships.
– Dependent children of active-duty military members or law enforcement officers.
– Students who are homeless.
Rules & regulations
- Application Process: Families must apply through one of Florida's approved Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFOs), such as Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation.
- Use of Funds:
– Tuition and fees at eligible private schools.
– Transportation costs up to $750 for attending an out-of-district public school. - Continuation: Once awarded, students remain eligible until they graduate high school, return to public school, or turn 21, whichever comes first.
- Restrictions:
– Students enrolled in public schools (including charter schools) are not eligible.
– Students participating in other state-funded scholarship programs are not eligible.
– Students enrolled in virtual schools receiving state funding are not eligible.
You can visit the official website for Florida’s Department of Education to know more about eligibility and regulations for this program.
How to use your Florida Scholarship funds on Outschool
Outschool is an approved provider for Florida families using the Family Empowerment Scholarship and Florida Tax Credit program. That means you can apply scholarship funds toward eligible live classes, tutoring, or curriculum support.
Use Outschool to build a custom-fit schedule that supports your learner’s needs at home or through hybrid learning.
Families often use scholarship funds on:
- Live, small-group classes led by experienced educators
- Complete curriculums and interest-based learning options
- Flexible scheduling that fits your routine
- Support for homeschooling, private school, or hybrid learning
- Classes that meet Florida scholarship guidelines
Frequently asked questions about Florida Scholarships
Here are some common questions families have when navigating Florida’s Empowerment Scholarship programs—from eligibility to how the funds can actually be used.
Who qualifies for the Scholarships in Florida?
Eligibility depends on which version of the Florida Family Scholarship you're applying for:
- The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO): Open to all Florida K–12 students eligible for public school. As of 2025, this scholarship now uses an ESA model, allowing families to spend funds on private school tuition, curriculum, tutoring, testing, online programs, and more.
- The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) supports students ages 3–22 with a qualifying disability. It offers flexible funding through a Florida Education Savings Account that can be used for private school, therapies, curriculum, and home education.
- The Florida Tax Credit ESA is privately funded and also prioritizes lower-income families. It can be used for private school tuition or for personalized education, including homeschooling
Each program has its own application process and guidelines, but all are designed to give Florida families more options for how and where their children learn.
How do I apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarship in Florida?
To apply for any Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship, families must submit an application through an approved Scholarship Funding Organization (SFO), such as Step Up For Students or the AAA Scholarship Foundation.
The same process applies to the Florida education savings account application—you'll choose your preferred scholarship program and complete the application directly on the SFO's website.
Can I use the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for homeschooling?
Yes. Families using the Family Empowerment Scholarship or the Florida Tax Credit ESA can use their Florida education savings account for homeschoolers, including expenses like curriculum, online courses, instructional tools, and tutoring.
The Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) was recently made available for all Florida K-12 students eligible for public school. The use of funds extends beyond private school tuition, including usage for curriculum, tutoring, testing, online programs, and more.
How much funding will my child receive?
The exact amount depends on the program, your child’s grade level, and your county of residence. For School Choice programs, funds are typically distributed quarterly and may vary each year.
Can my child receive more than one scholarship at the same time?
No, students may only receive one state-approved scholarship at a time. For example, you cannot receive both the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) and Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities or combine a Florida Tax Credit ESA with another scholarship.
Are there any income limits to qualify?
The income limits may vary depending on the program you apply for.
- Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities is based on a qualifying diagnosis, not income.
- Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Choices and Florida Tax Credit ESA prioritize students from lower- and middle-income households, but income is not a hard cutoff for eligibility—just a factor in application priority.
What expenses can the Florida Empowerment Scholarship funds cover?
For families using the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities or the Florida Tax Credit ESA, funds can be used for a range of educational expenses, including:
- Private school tuition
- Curriculum and instructional materials
- Online learning programs
- Tutors and therapists
- Testing fees and learning assessments
- Home education expenses
How long does the scholarship last?
Scholarships are typically renewed quarterly as long as your child remains eligible. Most programs continue through high school graduation or until your child returns to public school or turns 21.
Empowering personalized education choices
Florida’s scholarship programs give families more control over how their children learn—and more options to build an education that fits. Whether you’re looking for private school funding, specialized support for unique learning needs, or a way to make homeschooling more affordable, there’s a scholarship designed to help.
By understanding the differences between each program, you can make an informed choice that supports your goals and your child’s growth. And if you're planning to use scholarship funds, platforms like Outschool make it easy to turn that funding into flexible, high-quality learning at home or beyond.
More resources for Florida homeschoolers
Looking for more details on programs and benefits available in Florida? Start with these guides:
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