Question 1

How do I get paid by Step Up For Students?

Accepted Answer

The family reserves funds for your service in Find Providers, you deliver the service, and then you go to Billing → Service Orders, enter the service dates and submit the invoice under Service Invoicing; you can invoice only after the family reserves funds. Payment goes by ACH to your Business account's bank. For reserved Marketplace orders, SUFS says the provider can submit invoices "without further guardian approval" (stated for part-time private school tuition). You track invoices in Reporting.

Question 2

How long does EMA take to pay providers?

Accepted Answer

A payment deadline for non-school providers is not published as of Oct 19, 2026. SUFS self-reports that in 2025-26, "99.7% of 839,048 payments to product vendors and service providers" were paid within 2.1 days, down from 2.9 the year before (press release, Feb 20, 2026). An invoice in "Creating Invoice" status "usually resolves in a few business days." Private-school tuition runs on a separate statutory clock (see V098).

Question 3

What do the EMA invoice statuses mean?

Accepted Answer

Pending means the family has reserved funds; In Process means you have submitted the invoice; Approved means payment is pending; Paid is the final status. Deleted means the invoice was removed before payment, and Creating Invoice is a temporary status that "usually resolves in a few business days."

Question 4

Can I invoice a Step Up family before I deliver the service?

Accepted Answer

No. "Parents and guardians cannot request direct payment to a provider until after the service has been rendered," and you invoice only after delivery. If a family wants to pay ahead, the route is the family paying you and claiming an advance reimbursement (see V065).

Question 5

How long does bank and W-9 validation take in EMA?

Accepted Answer

IRS and bank validation of your Direct Pay details "may take up to 24 hours," after which a green banner confirms it. If the company name doesn't match your IRS EIN Verification Letter exactly, including DBA and c/o lines, correct that first.

Question 6

How do I release a reservation a family no longer needs?

Accepted Answer

A provider can remove an unfilled reservation with the "red X," which releases the family's reserved funds. Whether a family can cancel a reservation itself is not published as of Oct 19, 2026. A family switching providers reserves funds with the new provider.

Question 7

I’m not in EMA can Step Up families still pay me?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by reimbursement: the family pays you and submits a claim with your credentials attached, and SUFS notes that EMA approval "will allow for faster processing." Most claims are processed within 60 days. Cash paid to unaffiliated private sellers, explicitly including "private tutors, private therapists," is denied, and cash paid to a provider business needs a signed letter on its letterhead. NWSA families cannot be reimbursed at all, so they can pay only direct-pay providers in EMA.

Question 8

What does my receipt need to show for a family's scholarship reimbursement?

Accepted Answer

For tutoring or choice navigator services: business letterhead, the student's name as on the scholarship, the tutor's or navigator's name, your company, service type, service period, hourly rate, total and method of payment. SUFS also needs proof of payment with the full date, and the provider name must match the credentials. Credentials must be documented in English.

Question 9

Can I refund a scholarship family directly?

Accepted Answer

No. Refunds go back to SUFS for the student's account, and families may not receive any payment, refund or rebate from a provider. A parent accepting a payment, refund or rebate from a provider is grounds for closing the scholarship account. Private-school tuition refunds after a withdrawal follow the same rule.

Question 10

Can a parent be paid to tutor or teach their own child with scholarship funds?

Accepted Answer

No. Parents "are prohibited from being paid from scholarship funds for services provided to their own scholarship student." Sunshine State Kids' purchasing handbook also bars immediate relatives and household members as providers.

Question 11

What can get my provider status suspended or my payments stopped?

Accepted Answer

SUFS "reserves the right to suspend or revoke a provider's status, and the release of any payments will cease in any case of misuse, misrepresentation, or fraudulent activity." Asking for or using a family's EMA credentials can cost you participation, and failing to follow SUFS policies under a participation agreement "may result in a loss of payment or loss of eligibility." At the state level, FDOE may suspend or revoke an approved provider's participation, recover funds, and investigate written complaints against providers. Providers also "may not limit, restrict, or attempt to control a parent or guardian's use of student funds."

Question 12

How do I dispute a payment or appeal a Step Up decision as a provider?

Accepted Answer

A provider dispute or appeal process is not published as of Oct 19, 2026; the documented appeal is the family's one-time APPEAL button on a denied reimbursement in EMA. Provider questions go to 877-735-7837 or provider@sufs.org. By statute, SFOs must collect parent, school and provider input before making substantial changes to their reimbursement processes.

Florida K-12 scholarship provider FAQ: getting paid