Step Up For Students Payments 2026-27: When Funds Arrive

For 2026-27, Step Up For Students expects first-quarter state funds by August 1, 2026, for renewing students and by September 1 for new students. Accounts are funded up to two weeks after that. Its published schedule says reimbursement requests can take up to 60 days to review once all documents are in, and approved payments go out within seven days.

This explainer covers the Private School (FTC/FES-EO), Unique Abilities (FES-UA) and Personalized Education Program (PEP) scholarships that Step Up administers. Dates come from Step Up's 2026-27 Scholarship Schedule, which notes that dates can change.

When do 2026-27 scholarship funds arrive?

Scholarship money moves in two steps. First, the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) sends the money to Step Up. Then Step Up deposits it into each student's account in EMA, its online account system. Step Up says the second step can take up to two weeks after it receives the state funds.

Quarter	Covers	Funds arrive from FLDOE to Step Up by
Quarter 1	July 1 to September 30	August 1, 2026 (renewal students); September 1, 2026 (new students and renewals who missed deadlines)
Quarter 2	October 1 to December 31	November 1, 2026
Quarter 3	January 1 to March 31	February 1, 2027
Quarter 4	April 1 to June 30	April 1, 2027

Students must meet every program requirement and deadline to be considered for each payment. Step Up's schedule states that accepting a scholarship does not guarantee funding.

What new steps could delay a first payment in 2026-27?

Public school withdrawal: To be considered for Quarter 1 funding, a student must be withdrawn from public school by July 31, 2026.
Public school attestation: New students presented for the September Quarter 1 payment must complete an attestation in EMA by September 15, 2026, confirming whether the student is in public school.
State cross-checks: If FLDOE's cross-check shows a student enrolled in a public school, Step Up will tell the family what additional steps are required.

How are private school tuition payments handled?

For students enrolled at a participating private school in EMA, Step Up creates a tuition invoice when the student is funded. The school has 30 calendar days to approve it, and then the parent has 30 calendar days.

Florida law requires tuition and fee payments for full-time enrollment to be made within 7 business days after both the parent and the school approve. Step Up says the money may take up to five more business days to reach the school's account.

How long do Step Up reimbursements take?

When you pay for an approved item or service yourself and ask to be paid back, that is a reimbursement request. For 2026-27, Step Up's schedule says:

A request may take up to 60 days to review and process, counting from when all required documents are received.
If a request is put "on hold" for more documents or changes, the 60-day period starts over once Step Up gets what it asked for.
After approval, payment goes out within seven days by direct deposit (ACH), PayPal or check.
All 2026-27 reimbursement requests are due by July 31, 2027.
Purchases made through MyScholarShop, Step Up's online store, are also reviewed and can take up to two weeks to process.

Families must buy 2026-27 items and services between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Step Up's handbooks list the exceptions.

What did state auditors find about payment times?

The Florida Auditor General must audit scholarship-funding organizations regularly. Its most recent operational audit of Step Up, Report No. 2025-185 (April 2025), covered July 2023 through March 2024.

Auditors reviewed 69 reimbursements. All 19 FES-UA reimbursements were processed within 60 days. Eight FTC and FES-EO reimbursements were paid 62 to 138 days after the request, an average of 90 days. Step Up staff told auditors the delays came from technology backlogs and workload. The audit also found that some private school tuition and transportation payments were not processed promptly.

In its written response to the reimbursement finding, Step Up said it had already implemented the auditors' recommendations. It reported that the average time to approve a reimbursement fell from 28 days in September 2024 to six days in January 2025. It also said that as of February 6, 2025, 0.97 percent of reimbursements had taken more than 60 days and 2.51 percent had taken 30 to 60 days. These are Step Up's own figures from its response; the auditors did not report on them.

A later Auditor General report, No. 2026-046 (November 2025), looked at statewide education funding for 2024-25. It described delays in student surveys, scholarship cross-checks and funding calculations. It recommended changes, including a separate funding category for the Family Empowerment Scholarship and better enforcement of account balance limits.

What does state law require on reimbursement reporting?

Sections 1002.394 and 1002.395, Florida Statutes, require scholarship-funding organizations to send quarterly data to the Department of Education. The data must include the average number of days to review a reimbursement and the average number of days to approve one. Organizations must also collect input from parents, schools and providers before making substantial changes to the reimbursement process.

Separately, the 2026-27 budget implementing bill (Chapter 2026-233) directs the Department of Education to seek information by September 1, 2026, on a statewide data platform. The platform would cross-check Family Empowerment Scholarship payment files against public school attendance records before each quarterly payment.

Are there limits on account balances?

Yes. To receive more funding, a student's available balance must be at or below a set amount by each quarterly deadline: $24,000 for the Private School and PEP scholarships, and $50,000 for Unique Abilities. If an account has no spending for two consecutive fiscal years (July 1 to June 30), it is closed and the remaining funds must be returned.

If you are choosing tutors, classes or curriculum providers for the year, you can browse Florida homeschool providers in our directory.

FAQ

How long does a Step Up For Students reimbursement take in 2026-27?

Up to 60 days for review after all documents are received, according to Step Up's 2026-27 schedule. Payment is issued within seven days of approval.

When will Quarter 1 scholarship money be in my EMA account?

FLDOE funds are scheduled to reach Step Up by August 1, 2026, for renewal students and by September 1, 2026, for new students. Step Up says accounts are funded up to two weeks after that.

What happens if my reimbursement request is put on hold?

The 60-day review period restarts once Step Up receives the documents or changes it asked for.

What is the deadline to submit 2026-27 reimbursement requests?

July 31, 2027, for purchases made between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027.

Where to follow updates

Step Up's handbooks, its 2026-27 Scholarship Schedule and its Help Center are where it announces date changes. Its phone line is 1-877-735-7837.

Sources

Last checked: July 2026