Who can qualify for K-12 scholarships in the state of Florida? And how can they be used?

When you think of the state of Florida, many things may come to mind. Heat. Humidity. Beautiful beaches. Theme parks. Maybe even astronauts. One thing that has become more prevalent in the Sunshine State is the wide selection of schooling opportunities for families of Kindergarten through 12th grade students.

Of course there is the traditional public school system, as well as a variety of excellent private schools scattered about the state. Beyond these options, there are a plethora of virtual options including the Florida Virtual School, a public online school. And, becoming increasingly popular are hybrid schools, like the North Park Learning Group, which feature a part-time schedule for homeschooled students.

Parents with neurodivergent children with learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia  often struggle to find the best educational setting. And what about students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Truth be told, many of these students are twice exceptional, meaning they have been diagnosed with two of these challenges! 

There is a popular expression, “Bloom where you are planted.” But for students who think and learn differently, not all bloom just anywhere. They need special soil (school setting), a particular type of fertilizer (instructional approach), water (instructional materials), and lots of sun (positive reinforcement) in order to bloom. 

Given the increased selection of educational settings, parents have more choices now than ever to find the best schooling option for their child. And if private school or a hybrid school or home school are a few of the options being considered, then parents will want to know about the scholarships available to them in the Sunshine State. 

Parents can even use certain funds on tutoring for multi-sensory math instruction, Speech Language therapy, reading services like Orton-Gillingham, and even Executive Functioning coaching.

Accessing the scholarships

To learn about and access the different scholarships available, parents must first apply to a “clearinghouse” of sorts that connects parents to the scholarships. In Florida there are two: Step Up for Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation, both non-profits. 

Step Up for Students is a non-profit organization that manages scholarships for Florida’s Kindergarten through 12th grade students. It provides funding for educational expenses like private school tuition, homeschooling, curriculum materials, and even transportation. Funds may be used for therapists and tutoring.

AAA Scholarship Foundation is similar to Step Up for Students in that it is a non-profit that manages scholarship opportunities for Florida K-12 students. However, they focus on only two scholarships and generally assist economically disadvantaged families in navigating the complex process.

The application processes are fairly straightforward.

The Scholarships Available 

The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA)

Formerly known as the Gardiner and McKay scholarships, the FES-UA helps families of students with special needs, which is funded by the Florida Department of Education.

Structured as an Education Savings Account (ESA), money can used on schools, therapists, specialists, curriculum, homeschool alternatives, and even technology.

It is available to students age 3 through 12th grade with the average scholarship award of $10,000.

The Florida Department of Education provides a Frequently Asked Questions document about this scholarship.

Personalized Education Program (PEP)

Funded through the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTC), it was developed to help serve the homeschool population who would like access to an ESA to help fund their child’s learning.

It is open to Florida K-12 students who are not enrolled in either public or private school, and it provides access to an ESA, like a bank account, which allows families to fund various educational expenses.

The Florida Department of Education provides a Frequently Asked Questions document about this scholarship.

Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO)

This is available for all K-12 students in Florida, regardless of household income, and awards an average of $8,000 for private school tuition and related expenses.

The Hope Scholarship 

According to the Florida Department of Education, a student may receive the Hope Scholarship “if he or she has been subjected to an incident of battery, harassment, hazing, bullying, kidnapping, simple battery, robbery, sexual offenses, harassment, assault or battery, threat or intimidation, or fighting at the public school.” The school must provide information about the Hope Scholarship within 15 days of the incident. 

The scholarship allows a student to transfer to another public school that has capacity or an eligible private school and amounts awarded average between $7,700 and $8,000.

Final thoughts

As the school year creeps to a close in Florida, parents may be considering other schooling options for their child for next school year. Some parents may not know there are scholarships available to help fund different educational settings. Not every child blooms in the typical brick-and-mortar school that follows a rather rigid and repeating schedule. Some students, especially neurodivergent ones, need a different approach, and the various scholarships, like the FES-UA and FES-EO, may help fund the setting a child needs to thrive and blossom into the best version of themselves.

If you have questions about the various Florida K-12 scholarships or would like to discuss different schooling options and how your child could reach their full potential, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to schedule a discovery phone call.