Private School Scholarship (FES-EO and FTC)

The Private School Scholarship is one application that covers two Florida programs: the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC). The scholarship funding organization (SFO) you apply to decides which program pays, and most students are now funded through FES-EO. For 2026-27, Step Up For Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation take new applications through November 15, 2026²³. Awards range from $7,463⁴ to $12,217 a year, depending on county and grade.

What "Private School Scholarship" means

"Private School Scholarship" is not a name used in Florida law. It is the label Step Up For Students uses for two programs that share the same eligibility rules, the same award table and a single application⁵:

• FES-EO (s. 1002.394) is paid with state money through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), the same budget that funds public schools⁶.
• FTC (s. 1002.395) is paid from donations businesses make to SFOs in return for Florida tax credits⁷.

You don't pick one. You apply once, and the SFO decides which program funds your child. The award is the same either way⁴. Both programs are open to new applicants for 2026-27¹.

Why most students are on FES-EO now

FTC was once Florida's main private-school scholarship. Today most FTC money pays for the Personalized Education Program (PEP), an education savings account for students not enrolled full time in a school. A Florida Senate staff analysis counted students funded in 2025-26, as of November of that year: 307,993⁸ on FES-EO, 84,140⁸ on PEP and 7,560⁸ on the FTC private-school track. For 2026-27, the state's Office of Economic and Demographic Research forecasts only 1,013⁹ FTC private-school scholarships statewide.

How each SFO splits the two programs is its own practice. AAA Scholarship Foundation says it awards FTC first, until its FTC money runs out¹⁰. Step Up For Students ties the choice to a Social Security number:

We did not find a published Social Security number rule from AAA Scholarship Foundation or Sunshine State Kids Foundation. Ask the SFO before you apply if this affects your family.

Who qualifies

• Where you live: a Florida resident, or the dependent of an active-duty service member with permanent change of station (PCS) orders to Florida¹¹.
• Grade: eligible to enroll in a Florida public school in kindergarten through grade 12, or a Hope Scholarship holder in 2023-24¹¹. Your child does not have to have attended a public school first.
• Age at Step Up For Students: kindergartners must be 5 on or before September 1, and students must be younger than 21 on September 1⁵.
• School: the student must attend an eligible Florida private school full time. A student can't hold the scholarship while enrolled full time in a public school (including charter, virtual and lab schools) or while holding another state scholarship¹³.
• Income: there is no income limit¹⁴. Income only sets the order for new applicants: renewing students first, then households at or below 185%¹⁵ of the federal poverty level (or children in foster or out-of-home care), then up to 400%¹⁶, then everyone else¹⁷. See income priority limits by household size.

For every program side by side, see who qualifies for each Florida K-12 scholarship.

How much it pays in 2026-27

The state sets the amount by county of residence and grade band. FTC, FES-EO and PEP use the same table. The amount is fixed when your child is first submitted for funding in the school year; a later move or grade change doesn't alter it¹⁸.

Money you don't spend rolls over to the next year, but the state stops making new deposits into an account whose balance is above $24,000¹⁹. If tuition costs more than the award, the family pays the difference¹³.

How the money reaches the school

FDOE releases FES-EO money to the SFOs four times a year, no later than September 1, 2026; November 1, 2026; February 1, 2027; April 1, 2027²⁰ for new students (renewing students' first payment comes earlier, by August 1, 2026²¹). Before each payment, the SFO must confirm your child is still eligible²².

By law, scholarship money goes to private-school tuition and fees first²³. Money left after tuition and fees can pay for part-time tutoring²⁴ and other approved items; full-time tutoring is not an allowed use²⁵. See the spending FAQ.

Each SFO pays schools its own way:

• Step Up For Students: the school bills through EMA, then the school and the parent each approve the invoice. Payment is started within 7 business days of school and parent approval²⁶. See the EMA guide.
• AAA Scholarship Foundation: pays schools by direct deposit on four set dates, after the school files a School Commitment Form and the school and parent complete a Verification Report: September 9, 2026; November 4, 2026; January 20, 2027; April 21, 2027²⁷. See the SMP guide.
• Sunshine State Kids Foundation: says it pays the private school directly²⁸, through its Odyssey platform. See the Odyssey guide.

All dates are on the 2026-27 scholarship payment dates page.

How to apply and key dates

• The law's floor: SFOs must accept new FES applications through at least November 15, 2026³¹, and new families confirm by December 15, 2026³².
• Enrollment cutoff at Step Up For Students: your child must be eligible, accepted and enrolled at the school in EMA by January 15, 2027³³ to receive any 2026-27 funding.
• Late exceptions: military families, children in foster or out-of-home care, and public-school students with a Hope notification form can apply to Step Up For Students until April 15, 2027³⁴.
• Renewals: the 2026-27 renewal window ran February 1, 2026 to April 30, 2026². Dates for 2027-28 are not published yet³⁵.
• One application at a time: you can’t apply for FES and FTC for the same child at the same time³⁶. Step Up For Students allows only one active application per student³⁷, so apply with one SFO.

Apply on the SFO's own website: Step Up For Students’ Private School Scholarship page, AAA Scholarship Foundation’s FTC and FES-EO page or Sunshine State Kids Foundation’s website. Our step-by-step application guide covers documents and what happens next, and the deadlines page lists every date.

How it differs from nearby programs

• FES-UA (Unique Abilities) is for students with a disability, starts at age 3, has no tuition-first rule and pays more for higher matrix levels.
• PEP is the FTC-funded account for students not enrolled full time in a school. It is closed to new students for 2026-27³⁸.
• The Hope Program is no longer a scholarship. It refers students who report bullying or violence at a public school to FES-EO and FTC.
• The Transportation Stipend is for public-school students, not private-school students.
• The federal Education Freedom Tax Credit is a separate federal program that starts in 2027.

Related

• All Florida K-12 scholarship programs
• Family Empowerment Scholarship: FES-EO and FES-UA explained
• Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) and how it funds PEP
• FAQ: private schools and the scholarship
• FAQ: eligibility · FAQ: amounts and balances · FAQ: deadlines
• Compare the scholarship funding organizations
• Step Up For Students · AAA Scholarship Foundation · Sunshine State Kids Foundation