EMA login help (independent guide)

Independent guide. Scholarship.Guide is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any scholarship funding organization or the Florida Department of Education. This site does not ask for your login or password.

To sign in to EMA, Step Up For Students' scholarship platform, go to apply.stepupforstudents.org. Scholarship.Guide is an independent guide: we can't reset your password, unlock your account or see your child's scholarship. Most sign-in problems are fixed on Step Up For Students' own site or by calling its Customer Engagement Center. Below are common problems and what Step Up For Students' own materials say to do.

This site does not ask for your EMA password

Scholarship.Guide does not ask for your EMA username or password, and no school or tutor should sign in for you.

• Step Up For Students says it never asks for a password by email, phone or text⁴.
• It says using third-party services to access your account violates its user agreement⁵.
• A provider that asks for or uses a family's EMA username or password can lose its place in the program⁶, and sharing your login with a school or provider can cost your child the scholarship⁷.

If anyone asks for your login, don't share it. Call Step Up For Students at the number in the box above.

Common problems and fixes

I forgot my password or username

Start with the password reset on the EMA sign-in page. If the reset email doesn't arrive, check your spam folder, then call or chat with Step Up For Students.

My two-step verification code doesn't arrive

Step Up For Students' Help Center has an article titled "How do I reset my Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for my EMA account?"⁸. If that doesn't solve it, call the Customer Engagement Center or use live chat.

I'm locked out, or the sign-in page won't load

If the sign-in page shows a maintenance notice, EMA is down for everyone; try again later. Otherwise, try another browser or device. If EMA says your account is locked, only Step Up For Students can unlock it, so call during its hours (Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET).

My student shows "Action Needed"

FDOE checks scholarship students against public-school enrollment twice a year (October and February survey weeks)⁹. A flagged student shows "Action Needed" in EMA, and the account is temporarily suspended¹⁰. Step Up For Students asks families to upload an approved withdrawal document before its deadline, and it doesn't review late documents¹¹. More in the account problems FAQ.

It says "Scholarship Choice Confirmed," but there's no money

That status means approved but not yet funded¹². Private-school students also need the school's enrollment in EMA finished, and money arrives by quarter; see payment dates.

My child is in the wrong program

Step Up For Students allows one program switch¹³ per school year. The fall window runs October 2, 2026 to October 30, 2026¹⁴ and funds the third and fourth quarters only. Switching into PEP closed on April 30, 2026¹⁴. Unfunded PEP applicants in "Pending Review" may decline PEP and apply for FES-UA until October 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET¹⁵. See the switching FAQ.

I can't find MyScholarShop or Find Providers

MyScholarShop opens after the account is first funded: within a few days (handbook) / ~7 business days (Help Center)¹⁶. Find Providers is at Marketplace → Find Providers → select your student¹⁷. Our EMA guide explains both.

Not a Step Up For Students family?

EMA is only for Step Up For Students scholarships. If your child's scholarship is with AAA Scholarship Foundation, you sign in to its Scholarship Management Platform instead: see the guide to AAA Scholarship Foundation's SMP. Sunshine State Kids Foundation families use Odyssey: see the Odyssey guide. Not sure which organization you're with? Check who sent your award email, or see Florida scholarship organizations.

Related

• Contact Step Up For Students: phone, hours, email and address
• FAQ: using EMA, SMP and Odyssey