Step Up for Students Customer Service: Phone, Chat, and Help Options

Your reimbursement has been "On Hold" for three weeks. Or the portal won't let you complete your renewal. Or your child's award says "Pending" and the school year starts in six weeks. You need to talk to someone, and the Step Up for Students website doesn't make it obvious how to get human help fast.

Step Up For Students Contact Information

Parent Customer Engagement Center: (877) 735-7837

This is the primary phone line for all scholarship inquiries — application status, reimbursement issues, portal problems, account questions, and renewal concerns. Call during business hours (Eastern Time).

Live Chat: Available through the EMA portal after you log into your account. The chat function connects you to a support representative who can see your account status in real time. Chat is often faster than the phone line during peak periods (February through April, when renewal and new applications overlap).

Website: stepupforstudents.org — the FAQ section covers common questions, but for account-specific issues, you'll need to log in or call.

AAA Scholarship Foundation Contact Information

If your child is enrolled through AAA Scholarship Foundation rather than Step Up:

Parent Support Line: (888) 707-2465

Online: Contact form available through the Scholarship Management Platform (SMP) after login. AAA's portal also has a direct inquiry option for submitting documentation questions.

Website: aaascholarships.org

Florida Department of Education

For issues that your SFO cannot resolve — eligibility disputes, policy clarification, complaints about SFO handling of your account:

FDOE Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice

• Toll-Free Hotline: (800) 447-1636
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/

The FDOE oversees SFO operations statewide. They handle escalated complaints, policy interpretation, and administrative appeals.

When to Call vs. When to Use the Portal

Use the portal for routine actions: submitting reimbursements, uploading documents, checking your balance, viewing transaction history, and completing renewal steps. The portal has self-service options for most standard operations.

Call or chat when:

• A reimbursement is On Hold and the portal does not explain the reason or requested next step
• Your application status hasn't changed after you submitted all required documentation
• The portal shows an error or won't let you complete a required step
• You received a rejection and the reason code doesn't make sense
• You need to switch SFOs or have questions about transferring between Step Up and AAA

Contact the FDOE when:

• Your SFO has not responded after multiple contact attempts
• You believe your application was incorrectly denied
• You want to file a formal complaint about SFO processing
• You need official guidance on a policy question the SFO representatives are unsure about

Peak Season Wait Times

The busiest period for SFO customer service runs from January through May — the renewal and new application window. Phone wait times during peak weeks can exceed 30 minutes. Strategies to get through:

• Call early in the day (before 10 AM Eastern)
• Use live chat instead of phone — chat queues are typically shorter
• Avoid calling the week of February 1 and the last week of April (window opening and deadline)
• Send a detailed portal message with your student ID if the issue isn't time-sensitive — written requests create a documented trail and don't require hold time

For families navigating their first year with Step Up or AAA, our Florida FES-UA & PEP Scholarship Parent Guide includes a troubleshooting section covering the most common portal problems, how to read On Hold and rejection codes, and when to escalate to the FDOE.

See more Florida guides →