Step Up For Students Purchasing Guide: Approved and Prohibited Expenses for PEP and FES-UA

The Basic Rules for Both Programs

PEP and FES-UA are both Education Savings Accounts, but they follow different spending rules under Florida Statutes. The official purchasing guides from Step Up For Students update every July 1. What follows are the core categories as of the current program year.

Both programs cover:

• Core curriculum materials and workbooks
• Part-time tutoring from credentialed providers (Florida Educator Certificate, bachelor's degree in subject area, or national accreditation)
• Standardized testing fees and college entrance exams
• Choice Navigator services from certified navigators
• Part-time public school course fees
• Field trips with documented educational objectives

Family members living in the household cannot receive scholarship payments for tutoring or instructing their own child.

Where PEP and FES-UA Diverge

This is where parents get tripped up — assuming the rules are the same across both programs.

Laptops and digital devices. FES-UA allows eligible devices subject to the applicable two-calendar-year purchase-frequency rule. PEP prohibits all digital devices outright — no laptops, no tablets, no desktop computers. This is one of the most common rejected claims for PEP families.

Clinical therapies. FES-UA covers ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy from licensed providers. PEP does not cover any clinical therapies. If your child needs funded therapy, FES-UA is the path — PEP funds cannot be used for it.

Sensory materials and adaptive equipment. Covered under FES-UA for therapeutic use. Prohibited under PEP.

Florida Prepaid 529 and ABLE Account contributions. FES-UA allows them within statutory limits. PEP does not.

Annual home education evaluation fees. FES-UA covers certified teacher portfolio reviews. PEP does not — PEP students complete an annual assessment using an approved nationally norm-referenced test or statewide assessment instead of a portfolio evaluation.

Spending Caps and Pre-Approval Rules

Extracurricular and PE cap (PEP). Physical education classes, sports programs, and extracurricular activities are capped at 25% of your annual PEP award. Pre-approval is required before the purchase. A family with an $8,000 PEP award has a $2,000 ceiling on these categories combined.

Device frequency cap (FES-UA). Digital devices are subject to a two-calendar-year purchase-frequency rule. For example, after a laptop purchase on November 10, 2026, another laptop purchase is not eligible before November 11, 2028. A replacement inside that period requires preauthorization.

Florida theme park admission (PEP). A PEP student may submit one reimbursement request per school year for a Florida theme park ticket or annual pass. Reimbursement covers the student's basic admission, up to $299 before tax; an eligible pass may include more than one park within the same resort family. The ticket or pass must be paid in full or have at least $299 paid before submission. Food and parking add-ons don't qualify.

What's Prohibited Across Both Programs

These items are never reimbursable regardless of which scholarship you hold:

• General home improvement materials or structural modifications
• Appliances and general household goods
• Chicken coops, irrigation systems, and agricultural equipment
• Family theme park passes that bundle food, parking, or accommodation
• General sports equipment without explicit curriculum integration
• Cash purchases (all transactions must go through credit card, debit card, or check for an audit trail)

How to Avoid Rejected Purchases

Most rejections come from three mistakes:

1. Buying something that's PEP-prohibited but FES-UA-allowed. The tech device restriction catches the most families. A parent in an FES-UA Facebook group mentions buying a laptop, a PEP parent does the same, and it gets immediately denied.

2. Missing receipt details. Submitted receipts must show vendor name, transaction date, detailed item description (not just a total), amount paid, and the student's name. A store receipt showing only a dollar total without line items gets placed on hold.

3. Submitting without sufficient payment proof. A PEP Florida theme park ticket or pass must be paid in full or have at least $299 paid before submission. For other prepaid services, check the current category-specific documentation rules.

For 2026–27 PEP reimbursements, purchases must be made by June 30, 2027, and requests must be submitted by July 31, 2027. Late requests are not eligible for reimbursement.

Our Florida FES-UA & PEP Scholarship Parent Guide includes the complete category-by-category comparison table, receipt formatting examples, and a pre-submission checklist that catches the errors before the SFO portal does.

See more Florida guides →