Independent guide to Florida K-12 scholarships · Not affiliated with any scholarship organization or the Florida Department of Education
Scholarship.GuideFlorida

Scholarship organization

Sunshine State Kids Foundation

Verified 24 sourcesIndependent · not affiliated

Sunshine State Kids Foundation is a nonprofit scholarship funding organization (SFO) based in Hollywood, FL1, one of three organizations running Florida K-12 scholarship accounts in 2026-27, and the only one approved for the first time this year. Its website offers two programs, FES-EO and FES-UA. Its State Board approval also covers FTC, but its website does not present FTC as a separate program, and it does not offer PEP. Families apply and manage funds in Odyssey, a separate company's platform the foundation uses. The programs themselves are created by Florida law; Sunshine State Kids Foundation runs the applications and accounts.

Sunshine State Kids Foundation at a glance
ItemDetail
Legal nameSunshine State Kids Foundation, Inc.1
HeadquartersHollywood, FL1
Websitesskf.org2
State Board approval for 2026-27First approved on February 20, 20263
Family platformOdyssey, run by a separate company4
Website languagesEnglish, Hebrew, Russian and Spanish5
Employer ID (EIN)41-24641461

Programs Sunshine State Kids Foundation runs in 2026-27

The State Board of Education approved Sunshine State Kids Foundation for the FTC and Family Empowerment Scholarship programs6. Its website presents two of them7.

Sunshine State Kids Foundation programs and their 2026-27 status
ProgramStatus at Sunshine State Kids Foundation
FES-EOOffered7; the foundation says it pays the private school directly8
FTCApproved by the State Board6; not presented as a separate program on the foundation's website (see below)
FES-UAOffered7; funds go into a digital wallet in Odyssey2
PEPNot offered9
New Worlds Scholarship AccountsNot offered6
Transportation StipendNot offered; Step Up For Students is the only SFO that runs it10

What each source says about FTC

  • The State Board of Education approved the foundation for FTC as well as the Family Empowerment Scholarships3.
  • Sunshine State Kids Foundation's home page compares two programs, FES-EO and FES-UA7.
  • Its FAQ lists the program as "EO (also called FTC or Educational Options)"11.
  • State law sets up FTC (s. 1002.395) and FES-EO (s. 1002.394) as separate programs1213.

If it matters to you which program would fund your child, ask the foundation. The FES-EO and FTC page explains how the two differ. The "Hope" link on the foundation's website is a contribution portal for car dealers that fund FTC through a sales-tax credit14, not a scholarship application.

Odyssey, the platform Sunshine State Kids Foundation uses

The "Apply now" link on sskf.org leads to Odyssey, where families apply, receive decisions, manage funds and keep receipts2. Sunshine State Kids Foundation describes these ways scholarship money moves8:

  • Private-school tuition (FES-EO): the foundation pays the private school directly, from payments the parent starts in the wallet8.
  • Products: purchases through a marketplace in Odyssey.
  • Reimbursement: claims are due by July 31 following the school year15, and pre-authorization requests by May 2916.
  • Funding: its application to the state plans quarterly deposits in September, November, February and April17.

Our Odyssey guide covers what is public about the platform and where to get sign-in help.

Languages

Sunshine State Kids Foundation's website is available in English, Hebrew, Russian and Spanish5, with no Haitian Creole version5. Its Spanish pages say the Odyssey application and sign-in are in English only, and its purchasing handbook is offered in English18.

How to apply

  1. Start from the "Apply now" link on Sunshine State Kids Foundation's own website, which opens the application in Odyssey2.
  2. Apply for one scholarship at a time: state law bars applying for FES and FTC for the same student at once19.
  3. Check dates with the foundation. Its website publishes no 2026-27 application deadlines or capacity limits20. State law requires every SFO to accept new FES-EO and FES-UA applications through November 15, 202621.

For documents and steps, see how to apply for a Florida K-12 scholarship and the deadlines calendar.

Contact

Sunshine State Kids Foundation takes questions by email and web chat1: info@sskf.org22, or the chat on its contact page. FDOE's list also gives a phone number. The Sunshine State Kids Foundation contact page lists the phone number and street address, with where each comes from.

The federal tax credit

Sunshine State Kids Foundation's approval covers state programs. The federal Education Freedom Tax Credit runs through scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) on a state list, a separate kind of organization23. Florida's first list is due February 15, 202724. See the Education Freedom Tax Credit page.

The other scholarship organizations

Two other SFOs serve Florida K-12 families in 2026-27: Step Up For Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation. A family works with one SFO per student. See the side-by-side comparison of Florida scholarship organizations or all scholarship organizations.

Sources

  1. FDOE — Scholarship Funding Organizations 2026-2027 · FDOE list + SBE items + Sunbiz · as stated by Florida Department of Education · verified on
  2. Sunshine State Kids Foundation homepage · "Which Scholarship Is Right…", "How It Works" · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  3. SBE Action Item Feb 20, 2026 — Approval of Sunshine State Kids Foundation, Inc. as SFO for 2026-2027 · p.1 Proposed Board Action · as stated by State Board of Education · verified on
  4. Sunshine State Kids Foundation — homepage · Who We Are; Apply now link · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  5. Sunshine State Kids Foundation — Español · language switcher; Spanish notice · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  6. SBE Action Item Feb 20, 2026: Approval of Sunshine State Kids Foundation, Inc. as SFO for 2026-2027 · Proposed Board Action, p.1 · as stated by State Board of Education · verified on
  7. Sunshine State Kids Foundation — homepage · Side-by-side comparison of the 2 scholarship programs · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  8. Sunshine State Kids Foundation — homepage · comparison table "How it is Managed" · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  9. Sunshine State Kids Foundation — FAQ · "We do not currently offer the PEP program." · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  10. 2026-27 Transportation Stipend Family Handbook · §Stipend Overview · as stated by Step Up For Students · verified on
  11. SSK — Preguntas frecuentes · "Nuestras becas" · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on · sources disagree
  12. s. 1002.395, F.S. (2026) — Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program · section text (2026 F.S.) · as stated by Florida Statutes · verified on
  13. s. 1002.394, F.S. (2026) — Family Empowerment Scholarship Program (Educational Options) · section text (2026 F.S.) · as stated by Florida Statutes · verified on
  14. Sunshine State Kids — Motor Vehicle Tax Credit Portal · full page · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  15. SSK Florida Scholarship Purchasing Handbook 2026-2027 · §5.1 · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  16. SSK Florida Scholarship Purchasing Handbook 2026-2027 · §5.2 · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  17. Florida SFO Application 2026-2027 — Sunshine State Kids Foundation, Inc. · §6.B · as stated by State Board of Education · verified on
  18. SSK — Spanish home page · language switcher; hreflang tags · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on
  19. s. 1002.394, F.S. (2026) — The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program · s. 1002.394(10)(c); s. 1002.395(7)(c) · as stated by Florida Statutes · verified on
  20. Sunshine State Kids Foundation — homepage · Apply now link (live) · as stated by Sunshine State Kids Foundation · verified on · not published
  21. s. 1002.394, F.S. (2026) — The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program · s. 1002.394(11)(a)2., (b)2. · as stated by Florida Statutes · verified on
  22. FDOE, Scholarship Funding Organizations (2026-2027) · SFO list · as stated by Florida Department of Education · verified on
  23. s. 1002.395, F.S. (2026) — Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program · ss. 1002.394(2)(f); 1002.395(2)(g); 1002.411(3); 1002.31(7); 1002.40; 1003.485(1)(a); IRC 25F(c)(5) · as stated by Florida Statutes · verified on
  24. Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, Temporary regs T.D. 10057, 91 FR 62655 (Oct 2, 2026) · §1.25F-5T(c)(3)(ii)(B) · as stated by Internal Revenue Service · verified on