Step Up For Students Application: How to Apply for PEP and FES-UA Step by Step

The Application Timeline

For 2026–27, PEP applications and FES-UA renewal applications were due April 30. PEP award acceptance and its Student Learning Plan were due May 31; FES-UA renewal acceptances were also due May 31. FES-UA new applications could be submitted through November 15, with acceptance due December 15. Check the current schedule for later school years.

For PEP, that capacity question is real. The 2026–27 student cap is 140,000 funded students. Step Up For Students reached its new-student PEP capacity for 2026–27, directing overflow applicants to AAA Scholarship Foundation. Applying early in the February–April window gives you the best shot.

Beginning in 2025–26, the FES-UA scholarship cap increases annually by 5% of Florida's exceptional student education full-time-equivalent membership. If the number of scholarships funded exceeds 95% of available scholarships in a school year, the cap increases by another 1% of that membership in the following year. Students with a current IEP who received VPK specialized instructional services in the prior school year, dependents of active-duty military members, children of law enforcement officers, foster children, adopted children, and students who attended a Florida public school or the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in the prior school year are excluded from the cap.

Documents You Need Before You Start

Gather these before opening the portal:

• Florida residency proof: Two different document types showing Florida residency. Active-duty military families may use the program's military residency documents
• Child's identity: Birth certificate or passport
• Social Security numbers: For both parent and student
• For FES-UA: A copy of the child's district IEP or an FES-UA Medical Diagnosis Form signed by a Florida-licensed physician or a physician licensed in another U.S. state or territory; a Florida-licensed physician assistant legally authorized to sign or certify on behalf of a Florida-licensed physician; a Florida-licensed autonomous APRN; or a Florida-licensed psychologist
• For PEP: A draft Student Learning Plan covering educational goals, subjects, planned purchases, and accommodations

Step-by-Step Portal Walkthrough

Step 1: Choose your SFO. Step Up For Students operates the Education Management Account (EMA) portal. AAA Scholarship Foundation operates the Scholarship Management Platform (SMP). You cannot apply to both for the same child.

Step 2: Create your household account. Register with parent contact details, household address, and the number of students you're enrolling. Multi-child families manage all children under one household account.

Step 3: Upload your documents. The portal walks you through required uploads — residency, identity, SSN verification, and program-specific documentation (IEP/diagnosis form for FES-UA, or SLP for PEP).

Step 4: Submit the application. Once all documents are verified and uploaded, submit. The SFO processes applications in priority-tier order, so your eligibility tier affects how quickly you get a decision.

Step 5: Wait for your award notification. Notifications come through the portal and by email. Processing times vary depending on volume and your priority tier.

Step 6: Formally accept the award. You must accept in the portal within the required timeframe — by May 31 for primary-window applicants. Accepting signals your intent to participate but doesn't release funds yet.

Step 7: Complete withdrawal verification (if applicable). Students leaving public or charter schools must formally withdraw from their district. The SFO cross-checks state enrollment databases. Proof of withdrawal must be finalized in the portal by July 31 to qualify for Quarter 1 funding.

Common Application Mistakes

Missing the acceptance deadline. Getting an award notification isn't enough — you have to formally accept it in the portal before the cutoff. An unaccepted award gets reallocated.

Applying to both SFOs. Families cannot apply to Step Up For Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation for the same student simultaneously. Choose one.

Incomplete diagnosis documentation for FES-UA. The diagnosis must come from an authorized provider and list a qualifying condition under Section 1002.394(2). A general "developmental delay" note from a pediatrician without a specific statutory diagnosis can stall your application.

Submitting the SLP too late for PEP. The Student Learning Plan is required before funding. For 2026–27, it had to be submitted by May 31, even though PEP applications were due April 30.

After You're Approved

Once eligibility is confirmed, scholarship funds are credited to the student's ESA account within two weeks after Step Up For Students receives each scheduled state payment. For 2026–27, the schedule is August 1 for renewing students' PEP Q1 funds, September 1 for new students' PEP Q1 funds, then November 1, February 1, and April 1 for all students. FES-UA follows the same scheduled payment dates.

You'll spend through the SFO portal's marketplace (direct purchases deducted from the account) or submit reimbursement requests for out-of-pocket purchases with proper receipts.

Our Florida FES-UA & PEP Scholarship Parent Guide covers the full application process with document checklists, SLP templates, and the exact receipt format that passes SFO review on the first submission.

See more Florida guides →