Question 1

Do I need a teaching certificate to tutor Step Up students?

Accepted Answer

No, not for part-time tutoring. By statute a part-time tutor needs any one of: a Florida educator certificate, an adjunct teaching certificate, a bachelor's or graduate degree in the subject taught, demonstrated subject mastery under s. 1012.56(5), or certification by a research-based training program approved by FDOE. SUFS also accepts, among others, an out-of-state professional certificate, NBPTS or ABCTE certification, an FTCE subject-area pass, an ACTFL report or a district no-exam form. Full-time private tutoring, which counts as school attendance, is different: it requires a valid Florida teaching certificate for the subjects and grades taught.

Question 2

Does any bachelor's degree qualify me to tutor scholarship students?

Accepted Answer

Only a degree in the subject area you tutor counts. SUFS asks for a separate upload, such as a list of the tutoring services you offer, showing the credential matches the subject, and it "will request transcripts if the degree is not subject-area specific." For elective courses (not tutoring), a degree in the subject is also one accepted route.

Question 3

Can I tutor scholarship students with an out of state teaching certificate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SUFS accepts a valid out-of-state professional standard teaching certificate for part-time tutoring, and s. 1012.56(5) lists a valid standard certificate from another state as proof of subject mastery. If you deliver services virtually, you may also live outside Florida. Full-time private tutoring is the exception: it requires a valid Florida certificate.

Question 4

My Florida teaching certificate expired can I still be a scholarship provider?

Accepted Answer

For elective courses, yes: SUFS accepts a valid or expired Florida educator certificate. For tutoring, the certificate route needs a valid certificate, so you would qualify through another route, such as a degree in the subject. Since July 1, 2026, Florida law makes a temporary certificate available to holders of expired professional certificates.

Question 5

Does orton-gillingham, wilson or barton certification count for tutoring?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SUFS lists Barton Reading & Spelling, the Orton-Gillingham Approach, Wilson Reading System, MACTE, PCET (National Institute for Learning Development) and ALTA Certified Academic Language Therapist as examples of research-based training programs. SUFS's PEP Purchasing Guide lists only the first four. The statute says such programs must be "approved by the department," but an FDOE list is not published as of Oct 19, 2026, so SUFS's names are examples, not a closed list.

Question 6

How old can my ftce score report be for tutoring?

Accepted Answer

An official FTCE subject-area score report with a passing score counts if it is no more than 10 years old. For master's-level subjects such as Reading, SUFS asks for an FTCE pass plus a Statement of Status of Eligibility for a Temporary or Professional certificate.

Question 7

How do I qualify to tutor a foreign language for scholarship students?

Accepted Answer

For languages other than French, German or Spanish, SUFS accepts an ACTFL oral and written report above intermediate, no more than 10 years old; any other accepted tutoring credential also works. Section 1012.56(5) also counts completion of a Defense Language Institute program or a passing DLPT score, but these routes do not appear in SUFS's lists, so confirm with SUFS before relying on them. Elective language lessons follow the broader elective-instructor rules (see V028).

Question 8

Is there a limit on hours or number of students for a part-time tutor?

Accepted Answer

Part-time tutors have "no minimum hour requirements and no maximum number of students they may serve at one time." Each student is capped at 720 hours (grades K-3) or 900 hours (grades 4-12) of part-time tutoring a year; above that, the service must be submitted as Full-Time Tutoring. Part-time tutoring "does not qualify as regular school attendance."

Question 9

What do I need to be a full-time private tutor for scholarship students?

Accepted Answer

You need a valid Florida teaching certificate for the subjects and grades you teach, and you must provide 720 hours (K-3) or 900 hours (4-12) per student per year. You may teach up to 5 students at once, or up to 25 in a qualifying facility such as a commercial building, library or church. SUFS asks for your certificate, a certificate of occupancy (commercial-building option), the signed Full-Time Private Tutoring Program Participation Agreement, a tuition and fee schedule that is "published and publicly available," and an annual W-9. Only FES-UA and PEP students can pay for full-time tutoring.

Question 10

What is a choice navigator and what credentials do I need?

Accepted Answer

A choice navigator advises families on school selection, applications and enrollment, curriculum choices and career or postsecondary options, and may meet online. You need the same credentials as a part-time tutor. Navigators "may not oversee or exercise control over the curricula or academic programs." FES-UA, FTC, FES-EO and PEP can pay, with FTC and FES-EO paying only from funds left after tuition.

Question 11

What credentials do enrichment or elective instructors need for Step Up?

Accepted Answer

Any one of: part-time-tutor eligibility; a valid or expired Florida educator certificate; at least 3 years of experience in the subject (a resume or LinkedIn profile is accepted); current postsecondary enrollment in the subject; a degree in the subject (with transcripts); or a certification or national accreditation in the subject. SUFS's Elective Courses service types include art, music, drama, foreign-language, cooking, programming and woodworking lessons, among others. FES-UA, FTC, FES-EO and PEP can pay, with FTC and FES-EO paying only from leftover funds.

Question 12

Do sports, dance or martial arts programs need credentials for scholarships?

Accepted Answer

No individual credential is required. You need a business offering a program with a description and fee schedule, delivered in person in Florida. Service types include dance lessons, sports lessons, sports participation or team fees, fitness classes and stand-alone athletic event fees. Sports camps can be submitted under Sports Lessons with no credentials.

Question 13

What license do I need to provide speech, OT, PT or ABA therapy for FES-UA?

Accepted Answer

You need a Florida DOH license for the service, or approval as an APD provider or an Office of Early Learning SIS provider, and you must practice within your licensed specialty. For ABA, SUFS requires a BCBA, and FCSUA allows services "provided by or under the supervision of" a BCBA. Florida does not issue a state behavior-analyst license; APD must recognize certification by a national credentialing body under s. 393.17. When you submit the service, SUFS asks for your name and "a copy of their FLDOH license number."

Question 14

Can rbts or therapy assistants list their own services in EMA?

Accepted Answer

No. Assistants, interns and technicians (SLPA, COTA, PTA, RBT and similar) must be "submitted under a fully credentialed, supervising therapist," and SUFS says RBTs "cannot be listed independently." FCSUA's FES-UA guidelines allow ABA services delivered under a BCBA's supervision.

Question 15

How do music and art therapists qualify for scholarship funds?

Accepted Answer

Music therapists need Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) certification, and art therapists need an Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) credential. Only FES-UA pays for music and art therapy, and SUFS lists it as an in-person service.

Question 16

Does equine therapy or horseback riding qualify for FES-UA?

Accepted Answer

Equine therapy qualifies for FES-UA only at a center that holds PATH International membership or accreditation; individual membership is not accepted. Plain riding lessons are treated as physical education, not therapy. Horse Therapy is approved at the business level, without linked Personal accounts.

Question 17

How do job coaches qualify for FES-UA transition services?

Accepted Answer

Any one of: hired as a job coach by a private school or district; hired through a credentialing agency (VR vendor, APD, CareerSource, Florida Centers for Independent Living); meeting FARF criteria or training; ACRE, APSE or ICI certification; or being a VR Employment Specialist vendor. The service is FES-UA only, for students ages 12–22. SUFS documents conflict on payment method (Appendix B says reimbursement only, while the guide documents a direct-pay account setup), so confirm with SUFS.

Question 18

Who can proctor tests or do annual home education evaluations for scholarship students?

Accepted Answer

For testing, an individual needs a Florida or out-of-state professional teaching certificate, a psychologist's DOH license, or training documentation as an approved proctor for a DOE-listed assessment; eligible private schools, approved HEIPs and approved VIPs can also offer testing as businesses. Annual home-education evaluations require a valid Florida educator certificate (portfolio review) or a certified teacher giving a nationally normed test, and the statute calls for "a state-certified teacher." Testing can be paid by FES-UA, FTC, FES-EO and PEP; annual evaluations are FES-UA only.

Question 19

Can I tutor scholarship students online or from another state?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Part-time tutoring may be delivered in person or virtually, and credentialed providers who deliver virtually (tutors, choice navigators and licensed therapists) may be located outside Florida. All other services must be delivered in Florida. AAA Scholarship Foundation’s purchasing handbook has the same exception for credentialed virtual tutors and choice navigators.

Question 20

Do my credential documents have to be in english?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SUFS requires credentials to be documented in English, both for EMA and for family reimbursement claims. SUFS's older set-up deck says EMA accepts up to 5 documents per upload. HEIP agreement documents must be PDFs.

Question 21

Do I need a background check to be a Step Up provider?

Accepted Answer

No background-screening requirement for non-school providers appears in SUFS's 2026-27 provider handbook, external guides or provider FAQ, or in the scholarship statutes; whether SUFS screens providers internally is not published as of Oct 19, 2026. Many providers are screened anyway: Florida certified educators are fingerprinted and rescreened every 5 years, and DOH-licensed practitioners in professions under parts of chapter 468 and chapters 486, 490 and 491, among others, must submit fingerprints. Private schools are different: owners and staff or contractors with direct student contact must be screened.

Question 22

Do I need liability insurance to be a scholarship provider?

Accepted Answer

An insurance requirement is not published in SUFS's provider documents as of Oct 19, 2026. The rules do address insurance billing: products or services paid by insurance, an HSA or another agency may not also be reimbursed from an FES-UA account, and NWSA providers "may not bill an insurance company, Medicaid, or any other agency for the same services."

Florida K-12 scholarship provider FAQ: credentials and screening