Step Up for Students is a nonprofit in Florida that provides scholarships for educational choice. It helps families access funds for homeschooling, private schools, and more.
As of 2024, 12 states have enacted universal or near-universal Education Savings Account (ESA) programs, with Arizona's program alone serving over 75,000 students — making state-funded homeschooling more accessible than ever (EdChoice, 2024). According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), approximately 3.3 million students were homeschooled in the United States as of 2023, representing roughly 6% of the school-age population.
What is Step Up for Students?
Step Up for Students is Florida's biggest nonprofit scholarship group. They manage most of the state’s education choice scholarships. Founded in 2002, they’ve given out over a million scholarships. Based in Jacksonville and St. Petersburg, they offer programs like the Personalized Education Program (PEP) for homeschool families, Florida Tax Credit Scholarships for private school tuition, and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities.
The pep scholarship for homeschoolers
The Personalized Education Program (PEP) is like an Education Savings Account just for families who aren’t full-time in public or private schools. Over 76,000 students are enrolled right now, with a goal of 100,000 by 2025-26. The funds can be used for curriculum, tutoring, educational therapies, online classes, and more. Families access their funds through MyScholarShop, an online marketplace where they can buy approved educational materials without paying out of pocket. If they choose other vendors, they can submit for reimbursements.
Scholarship amounts by grade level
Scholarship amounts depend on grade level and county in Florida. For the 2025-26 school year, K-3 students get between $8,193 and $9,999 based on their district. High school students receive a bit less, from $7,462 to $9,235. There are minimum awards too: $6,519 for K-5, $6,815 for grades 6-8, and $7,112 for grades 9-12. Step Up also manages the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities, giving around $10,000 for students with specific diagnoses. Those with higher scores can get between $22,000 and $34,000.
The bottom line
Step Up for Students has opened doors for over 500,000 students in Florida. For homeschool families, the PEP scholarship provides great financial help without the out-of-pocket stress seen in other state programs. The MyScholarShop makes it easy to buy what you need, and you have the freedom to choose how to educate your child. With universal eligibility now, any Florida family thinking about homeschooling should check out PEP early on.
