Question 1

I got an "action needed" message in EMA — what do I do?

Accepted Answer

It usually means FDOE's crosscheck flagged your child as possibly enrolled in a public school, and the account is temporarily suspended until you upload an approved document before the crosscheck deadline. Accepted proof is FDOE's Standard Withdrawal Form signed by the district or charter, or a signed letter or email from the district or assigned school saying the student "is not enrolled as a full-time public school student." Late documents are not reviewed.

Question 2

Does "cleared" mean my child will definitely get funded?

Accepted Answer

No. "Cleared" means SUFS submitted your child to FDOE; funding isn't guaranteed. "Denied / No Response" means the student was not sent to FDOE and is not eligible. FDOE runs the crosscheck twice a year, in October and February.

Question 3

I answered "yes" on the public school attestation by mistake, how do I fix it?

Accepted Answer

SUFS says to upload a Standard Withdrawal Form to correct the record. Completing the attestation does not guarantee funding. SUFS's current handbook (revised 9/16/2026) limits the attestation to families getting Q1 funding in September, and later quarters use withdrawal proof; this is an SFO/FDOE procedure, not a statute.

Question 4

My reimbursement is "on hold" — what now?

Accepted Answer

Read the reason in the SUFS email or in EMA and upload what's missing; if you don't respond within 30 days, it is automatically denied and you'll need to submit a new request. The 60-day review clock restarts once SUFS has the information. If the hold is for proof of payment that newer rules no longer require, re-upload the same receipt to move it back to Submitted.

Question 5

Why is my Step Up reimbursement taking so long?

Accepted Answer

SUFS's review can take up to 60 days after your documentation is complete (its goal is 7 business days), and approved claims are paid within 7 days by ACH, PayPal or check. Check EMA and your email, including spam, for an On Hold notice. Requests are judged under the rules in force on the processing date.

Question 6

My child's school says it hasnt been paid — what should I check?

Accepted Answer

At SUFS, check that both approvals happened: the school approves the quarterly invoice, then you approve it within 30 days. Payment starts within 7 business days of both approvals and can take up to 5 more business days to reach the school; if a school transfer hasn't been withdrawn after 5 business days, call SUFS at (877) 735-7837. At AAA Scholarship Foundation, payments go out on fixed ACH dates after the Verification Report, and mismatches delay payment.

Question 7

I missed the 30 days to approve my school's invoice, what happens?

Accepted Answer

The invoice is deleted and the money goes back to its source: FTC to the funding source, FES-EO to FDOE, FES-UA to the student's account. Not approving an invoice required for enrollment makes the student ineligible for the rest of the year, and by law a parent who doesn't approve payments forfeits the scholarship. Call SUFS right away at (877) 735-7837.

Question 8

The november deposit hasnt shown up in EMA yet?

Accepted Answer

November 1 is the date funds arrive at SUFS, and accounts are credited up to 2 weeks later. A missed attestation or withdrawal proof means the student isn't presented for that quarter. If a scheduled deposit is late, SUFS "may" provide supplemental funding later and will email affected families.

Question 9

I missed the withdrawal proof deadline — will we lose funding?

Accepted Answer

SUFS says a late document means no Q1/Q2 funding; the deadline was September 15, 2026, with an extension to September 22 only for families SUFS notified. The next deadline is December 9, 2026 for Q3 (withdrawal dated on or before December 31). Call SUFS about your specific case.

Question 10

My status says "scholarship choice confirmed" but theres no money, why?

Accepted Answer

"Scholarship Choice Confirmed" means eligible and accepted but not yet funded; it replaced "Awarded" in 2026. For private-school students, funding also needs a completed EMA enrollment by the quarter's deadline; the next is December 15, 2026, for February 1 funding. Accepting signals intent but doesn't guarantee funding.

Question 11

Why was my MyScholarShop order denied?

Accepted Answer

Common reasons are a device bought or reimbursed within 24 months, multiple tablets, sales-tax errors, the wrong student ID, items ordered more than 2 weeks earlier that are no longer available, and ineligible items. The reason appears in the order comments.

Question 12

My new student doesn’t have access to MyScholarShop?

Accepted Answer

Access starts after the account is funded: "within a few days" per the handbook, about 7 business days per the Help Center. New students' first deposit comes September 1 or later (then November 1), plus up to 2 weeks to post.

Question 13

I think my income should have qualified for priority, can Step Up review it again?

Accepted Answer

No. SUFS says income-priority determinations can't be reconsidered or updated after review for 2026-27.

Question 14

What can make my child lose the scholarship?

Accepted Answer

Being found enrolled full time in a public school after accepting forfeits the scholarship for the whole year. Not approving required tuition payments, staying unenrolled from a private school for 30 days, two fiscal years with no spending, or misuse (including accepting a refund or rebate from a provider) can also end it. Sharing your EMA login with a school or provider can cost the scholarship, and misusing funds "may be a crime."

Question 15

Step Up says theres a funding error on my account and keeps trying to contact me?

Accepted Answer

SUFS makes three attempts to contact the family about a funding error; after the third, the application is set to declined or withdrawn for the year. Call back on SUFS's published number, (877) 735-7837; SUFS says it will never ask for a password, SSN or banking details by email, phone or text. Money deposited in error is recovered, possibly from future deposits, so don't spend it.

Question 16

My FES-UA matrix shows "pending" in EMA?

Accepted Answer

SUFS says a "Pending" matrix is routine and doesn't affect FDOE's amount. Matrix levels are set by your school district, not SUFS; if you requested an IEP and matrix, the district must finish within 30 days and report the level to you and FDOE within 10 days.

Question 17

If I do the homeschool evaluation early and apply for PEP but don’t get it, will my kid be truant?

Accepted Answer

SUFS advises not ending home education until PEP is funded, and completing the annual evaluation as a precaution. PEP is closed to new 2026-27 students.

Question 18

Does Step Up have someone who speaks spanish or haitian creole?

Accepted Answer

SUFS publishes 2026-27 Spanish handbooks, award charts, checklists and how-to videos; its website's Spanish and Creole pages are machine translations, and the English version is official. Whether any SFO offers Creole phone help is not published as of Oct 19, 2026; AAA Scholarship Foundation’s flyer says "se habla español!" and SSK's application is English-only. FDOE's School Choice hotline, 1-800-447-1636, takes calls in Spanish and Haitian Creole.

Question 19

How do I contact Step Up, AAA Scholarship Foundation or Sunshine State Kids?

Accepted Answer

Step Up For Students: (877) 735-7837, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, or live chat. AAA Scholarship Foundation: 888-707-2465 (leave a message for a callback; ext. 5 for FES-UA), or help@aaascholarships.org for SMP technical help. Sunshine State Kids: info@sskf.org or web chat; FDOE's list gives 954-353-6660.

Question 20

Why was my pre-authorization denied, and can I appeal it?

Accepted Answer

At SUFS, a denied pre-authorization can't be appealed, and SUFS won't consider pre-authorization for prohibited items. An approval applies only to the school year it was approved in and doesn't confirm the provider's eligibility or that funds are available. At AAA Scholarship Foundation, PEP/FTC appeals go by email to PEP@aaascholarships.org.

Question 21

Our account got closed for not using it — can we get the money back?

Accepted Answer

After two consecutive fiscal years with no spending (one year for New Worlds), the account closes and the money reverts: FES to the state, and FTC/PEP to the SFO since July 1, 2026. We found no published process for restoring reverted funds. For FES-EO, the statute makes a student ineligible after two inactive fiscal years; for FES-UA, SUFS says a closed account doesn't bar a new application later.

Florida K-12 scholarship FAQ: account problems