How to Withdraw from Public School for a Florida Scholarship

You've been awarded a PEP or FES-UA scholarship and the portal says your child needs to withdraw from public school before funds release. But withdraw how? The wrong sequence can trigger a truancy inquiry from the district, delay your first quarterly payment, or create a gap in your child's attendance record that causes problems later.

Here's the exact withdrawal sequence that keeps you in compliance with Florida compulsory attendance law and gets your scholarship funded on schedule.

The Correct Withdrawal Sequence

Order matters. Withdrawing your child from public school before securing your scholarship award can leave a period where the child isn't covered by any recognized education program — which is a compulsory attendance violation under Section 1003.21, F.S.

Step 1: Apply and secure your award. Complete your PEP or FES-UA application through your SFO portal (Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation). Wait until you receive a formal award notification and formally accept the award in the portal.

Step 2: Complete your program requirements. For PEP, submit your Student Learning Plan through the portal. For FES-UA, upload your child's qualifying documentation (district IEP or Medical Diagnosis Form) if you haven't already.

Step 3: Withdraw from public school. Contact your child's school to initiate the formal withdrawal process. Request a withdrawal form from the school's front office or registrar. Specify the reason as "transferring to a private education choice program" or "home education" depending on your local district's form options.

Step 4: Verify withdrawal in the SFO portal. Upload proof of withdrawal or verify that the SFO's automated cross-check with state databases confirms your child's non-enrollment status. This verification must be finalized in the portal by July 31 to qualify for Quarter 1 funding in September.

Step 5 (PEP only): File your Letter of Termination. PEP participants who were previously registered as home educators under §1002.41 must terminate that registration with the county school district superintendent. This step doesn't apply if you're coming directly from public school — you were never a registered home educator.

The July 31 Deadline

This date is critical for families transitioning from public school. To receive your first quarterly disbursement on or around September 1, your child's withdrawal must be verified in the SFO portal by July 31. If verification isn't complete by that date, your Quarter 1 funding is held until verification clears.

This isn't just about submitting paperwork. The SFO's system (Step Up uses the Odyssey eligibility engine) cross-checks against state enrollment databases. If the school hasn't processed the withdrawal on their end, the SFO's automated check will still show your child as enrolled — and your funds stay on hold.

Ask the school to confirm when the withdrawal will be reflected in the state student database. Some districts process withdrawals within days; others take two to three weeks.

Mid-Year Withdrawal

Families don't have to wait for the start of the school year. You can withdraw a child mid-year and apply for a scholarship during a later application window. But the funding math changes:

• Mid-year enrollees receive prorated funding based on remaining active quarters
• A student who joins in Quarter 3 receives two of the four quarterly payments, not the full annual award
• You must still verify withdrawal and complete all SFO requirements before the mid-year application cutoff dates

Mid-year PEP applications submitted after the priority window are processed on a space-available basis. The 140,000-student statutory cap is not the only capacity constraint; SFO capacity also varies, so check whether the SFO is accepting applications.

Avoiding Truancy Problems

Florida's compulsory-attendance law applies during transitions between recognized education programs. A gap between public school withdrawal and scholarship enrollment can create attendance issues.

The safest approach: don't withdraw until your SFO confirms your scholarship award. The SFO portal shows your application status — wait for it to move from "Pending" to "Awarded" before contacting the school.

If your school asks for a specific enrollment destination on the withdrawal form, ask the school district and your SFO what information to provide. PEP is a distinct private education choice program administered through an SFO, not traditional home education registration.

What About Charter School Students?

The same withdrawal rules apply to charter school students. Charter schools are public schools under Florida law, and your child must formally withdraw and verify non-enrollment status before scholarship funds release. Contact the charter school's office to initiate a standard withdrawal — the process mirrors district public school withdrawal.

For the complete withdrawal and transition workflow — including the county-specific notice requirements and how to handle the district if they question your withdrawal — see our Florida FES-UA & PEP Scholarship Parent Guide.

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