PEP applications are closed for 2026-27. Here's what to do now.
If you have been searching for how to apply for PEP this year, here is the answer nobody puts at the top of the page:
Applications for the 2026-27 school year are closed. The deadline for both new and renewing students was 30 April 2026.
That is worth knowing before you spend an afternoon on an application form that will not be accepted.
What you can do right now
1. Get on the notification list. Step Up For Students lets you sign up to be told when 2027-28 applications open. Do this today rather than trying to remember in the spring — the window closed at the end of April last cycle, and missing it costs a full school year.
2. Understand priority order before you need to. Priority goes first to households at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, and to students in foster or out-of-home care. Next come households above 185% but not exceeding 400%. Beyond that, K-12 Florida students benefiting from parent-directed education are eligible regardless of household income. Knowing which band you fall into tells you how much urgency the deadline really carries for you.
3. Start the paperwork trail now. Proof of Florida residency and your child's age or grade eligibility do not change between now and next spring. Gathering them in August is a calm task. Gathering them in April is not.
4. Cost the year without it. Plan the coming year on the assumption that no scholarship arrives. If PEP later comes through, it is a relief rather than a rescue. Families who commit to a full curriculum and a co-op on the assumption of funding are the ones who get hurt when timing slips.
5. Talk to providers about the next cycle. Ask the co-ops and tutors you are considering how they handled PEP families last year and whether they expect to again.
If you already have an award
This post is about the application window, not your funds. If you were approved for 2026-27, your scholarship is not affected by the deadline having passed — see what PEP actually covers for what you can spend it on.
Meanwhile
You do not need a scholarship to start. Florida has co-ops, tutors, microschools and testing evaluators who work with families paying out of pocket, and plenty of them cost less than people assume. Browse the directory and filter by what you actually need.
Last checked: August 2026.