Quick answers.
- Is the Florida PEP scholarship full for 2026–27?
- None of the Step Up pages we read on October 11, 2026 says PEP reached capacity for 2026–27. Step Up’s PEP page says 2026–27 applications are closed and the deadline was April 30, 2026. The handbook warns that applications may close before the published deadline if the program reaches capacity.
- How many PEP scholarships are available?
- Florida law says that for 2023–24 no more than 20,000 PEP scholarships could be funded, and that the number “may increase by 40,000 in each subsequent school year.” Step Up’s handbook says up to 100,000 students may receive PEP in 2025–26, growing by 40,000 each year.
- When does the PEP scholarship cap end?
- The statute says the subparagraph that sets the limit “is repealed July 1, 2027.” Step Up’s handbook says the cap is removed in the 2027–28 school year. One answer in Step Up’s FAQ says that for 2026–27 and beyond the student cap is being removed altogether. Ask Step Up if the timing matters for your family.
- Do military and foster families skip the PEP cap?
- No. Step Up’s FAQ says military family and foster or out-of-home-care students can apply outside the PEP deadline, but that exceptions from the application deadline don’t exclude students from the PEP program’s capacity.
The short version.
- There is a legal limit on PEP scholarships for now. Florida law allowed up to 20,000 in 2023–24 and says the number may grow by 40,000 each year.
- The limit is set to end. The statute says that limit is repealed on July 1, 2027. Step Up’s handbook says the cap is removed in the 2027–28 school year.
- One Step Up FAQ answer says something different: that the student cap is removed for 2026–27 and beyond. We show all three below rather than pick one.
- 2026–27 applications are closed. Step Up’s PEP page says the deadline was April 30, 2026.
- Being eligible isn’t the same as being funded while a cap applies, so Step Up asks families to apply early.
What the law says.
Section 1002.395, Florida Statutes, is the law behind PEP. In the 2026 version on the Florida Senate’s site, the scholarship-funding organization’s obligations for PEP students include this limit:
“For the 2023-2024 school year, may fund no more than 20,000 scholarships for students who are enrolled pursuant to paragraph (7)(b). The number of scholarships funded for such students may increase by 40,000 in each subsequent school year. This subparagraph is repealed July 1, 2027.”
Paragraph (7)(b) is the part of the statute that covers PEP students. The statute doesn’t list a separate number for each later year; it says the number “may increase” each year.
What Step Up’s pages say.
| Step Up page | What it says about the PEP cap |
|---|---|
| PEP Family Handbook (2026–27), Capacity Limitation | “For the 2025–2026 school year, up to 100,000 students may receive the scholarship. The number of scholarships may grow by 40,000 each year until the cap is removed in the 2027–2028 school year.” |
| Step Up FAQ, answer for foster and out-of-home-care families | “For the 2026-27 school year and beyond, the student cap is being removed altogether.” |
The handbook’s timing (cap removed in 2027–28) lines up with the statute’s repeal date of July 1, 2027. The FAQ answer describes the cap ending a year earlier. We haven’t found a Step Up page that explains the difference. If it affects a decision you’re making, ask Step Up directly.
The handbook also tells families what the cap means for them:
- Submit your application and required documents as early as possible.
- Applications may close before the published deadline if the program reaches capacity.
Who gets funded first while there’s a cap.
Renewal students are funded before new applicants. Among new applicants, household income affects the order. The income limits and the full priority order are on is PEP free? income and funding.
Deadline exceptions don’t skip the cap. Step Up’s FAQ lets military family and foster or out-of-home-care students apply for PEP outside the normal deadline, but it says “exceptions from the application deadline do not exclude students from the PEP scholarship program capacity.”
Is Step Up itself at capacity?
Each Step Up scholarship has its own rules. For FES-UA, Step Up’s handbook says “each year, Florida law sets a maximum number of FES-UA scholarships that can be distributed,” and that some eligible students may not be funded if applications reach that limit. For how FES-UA differs from PEP, including its 2026–27 deadlines, see PEP vs FES-UA.
Already funded for 2026–27? The next steps are about spending and timing: see PEP payment dates and what’s new for PEP in 2026–27.
Funded? Keep every purchase in one place.
The Florida PEP Tracker keeps each student’s purchases, statuses, and balance together, checks receipts before you upload them, and can add any deadline to your calendar.
One payment, no subscription: $49 for one student or $69 for a family. See pricing.
More Florida PEP guides.
Eligibility and yearly rules
- Can you lose PEP?
The reasons Step Up lists for losing a Florida PEP scholarship, including public school enrollment and moving, what happens to the money, and whether you repay it.
- PEP testing and SLP
Florida PEP’s yearly requirements: the norm-referenced test, who must test (including K–2), the Student Learning Plan, deadlines, and exemptions.
- PEP vs FES-UA
What the FES-UA scholarship is, who qualifies, and how it differs from Florida PEP: diagnosis, ages, home education, therapies, devices, and deadlines.
- PEP and homeschooling
Is Florida PEP for homeschoolers? How PEP differs from a home education program: registration, letter of intent, testing, and when to end home education.
- What’s new for PEP in 2026–27
Florida PEP 2026–27 changes: new public school attestation and withdrawal deadlines, deposit dates, switching rules, and purchasing guide updates.
Payments, balances, and deadlines
- Do PEP funds roll over?
What Step Up for Students and Florida law say about unused PEP money: rollover, the $24,000 balance limit, inactive accounts, and switching programs.
- PEP payment dates for 2026–27
Step Up for Students PEP payment dates for 2026–27: the quarterly funding schedule, how long deposits take to post, and what can hold a payment back.
- Is PEP free? Income and funding
Is Florida PEP free or income based? What Step Up and Florida law say about application fees, income priority, and where PEP scholarship money comes from.
- PEP deadline checklist (Oct 31)
Florida PEP families have until October 31, 2026 to request reimbursement for 2025–26 purchases. A step-by-step checklist to find, check, and submit every receipt in EMA.
Spending and reimbursements
- What is EMA?
What EMA (Education Market Assistant) is for Florida PEP families: what you can do in it, account setup, MyScholarShop, and the account rules.
- PEP for private school, college, VPK
Can Florida PEP pay for private school, college classes, VPK, or preschool? What Step Up’s PEP pages and Florida law say, and which program fits instead.
- PEP for tutoring
Can Florida PEP pay for a tutor? Step Up’s credential rules for part-time and full-time tutors, what a tutoring invoice needs, and how tutors get paid.
- Does PEP cover it?
Does Florida PEP cover swim lessons, summer camp, sports, printers, headphones, transportation, or uniforms? Answers in the words of Step Up’s purchasing guide.
- PEP reimbursement guide
How Step Up reimburses Florida PEP purchases: receipt rules, proof of payment, EMA steps, the Educational Benefit form, review time, holds, and appeals.
Sources.
All read on October 11, 2026. We re-check them when new editions are published.
- Section 1002.395, Florida Statutes (2026)
The Florida Senate, read October 11, 2026: the limit on PEP scholarships (no more than 20,000 for 2023–24, may increase by 40,000 each year) and its repeal on July 1, 2027.
flsenate.gov - PEP Family Handbook, 2026–27
Step Up for Students web page, last modified September 16, 2026, read October 11, 2026: Capacity Limitation section.
stepupforstudents.org - Step Up for Students FAQs
Read October 11, 2026: the foster and out-of-home-care answer on the PEP student cap, and that deadline exceptions don’t exclude students from PEP capacity.
stepupforstudents.org - Personalized Education Program
Step Up for Students web page, read October 11, 2026: 2026–27 applications closed; the deadline was April 30, 2026.
stepupforstudents.org - FES-UA Family Handbook, 2026–27
Step Up for Students web page, read October 11, 2026: Florida law sets a maximum number of FES-UA scholarships each year.
stepupforstudents.org