How to apply for the Florida PEP scholarship.

• Who can apply: Florida students who are at least 5 by September 1, younger than 21, eligible for grades K-12 in a Florida public school, and not enrolled full time in a public or private school. Household income doesn’t decide eligibility.
• Where: online, in Step Up for Students’ EMA account. One parent or guardian account covers all your children.
• What to gather: two different proof of Florida residency documents from the same guardian, plus proof of age for young first-time applicants.
• When: for 2026–27, applications ran February 1 to April 30, 2026 for new and renewal students. 2027–28 dates aren’t posted yet (checked October 21, 2026).

Step Up’s PEP Family Handbook lists these eligibility requirements for the FTC-PEP Scholarship:

• Age: “Be age five (5) or older on or before September 1st of the school year of the scholarship application,” and “Be younger than twenty-one (21) years old on or before September 1st of the year the application is submitted.”
• Grade: “Be eligible to enroll in grades K-12 in a Florida public school.”
• Residency: be a Florida resident, or qualify under one of two military exceptions: a first-time applicant whose active-duty parent is stationed outside Florida but has PCS orders to Florida, or a renewing applicant whose active-duty parent has relocated outside Florida but keeps Florida as their home of record.

Step Up’s PEP page adds that PEP is for students “who are not enrolled full time in a public or private school” and that it’s “Open to all families, regardless of household income.” Income still matters for the order in which new applicants are funded; see PEP income limits and who funds it.

PEP is a scholarship, not the same thing as a home education program with your district. If you’re weighing the two, see how PEP differs from home education. If your child might attend school part time, PEP for private school, college, or VPK explains which options fit.

From Step Up’s 2026-27 Scholarship Application Checklist and the handbook:

Accepted residency documents on the checklist include a Florida driver’s license or state-issued ID, a utility bill (electric, gas, water), a residential internet bill, a mortgage statement or residential lease, homeowners or renters insurance, automobile or health insurance statements, a paystub, and proof of current government benefits. Step Up’s apply page adds that an expired driver’s license or ID card will not be accepted.

Step Up’s pages word the proof-of-age rule differently, so read the one you’re given when you apply:

• The handbook’s eligibility section says first-time applicants who are age five on September 1st must upload a birth certificate or non-expired passport.
• The handbook’s documents section says first-time applicants between ages three (3) and five (5) on or before September 1st must upload one.
• The checklist PDF asks for one for PEP “rising kindergarten and first-grade students (five or six years old on or before September 1, 2026)”.

Military families have their own residency documents (PCS orders and a Leave and Earnings Statement); those are covered in PEP for military families.

1. Create your EMA account (or log in to the one you have). The handbook says to go to stepupforstudents.org, click Apply/Login, select “Log In to EMA,” then “Sign Up.” Use the phone number, address, and email of the primary or secondary parent or guardian.
2. Don’t create extra accounts. One account covers every child, renewal families should use their existing account, and a student can be linked to only one parent or guardian account. Step Up says duplicates may delay processing or funding.
3. Start the PEP application. Step Up’s apply page says to go to the “Available Scholarships” section of your dashboard and make sure every child you’re applying for is added: you can submit only one application per scholarship program.
4. Choose the school type. Select “Florida Home School” or “Hybrid eligible private school” as the expected school type, and declare a grade level, which the handbook says is used to determine eligibility and funding amounts.
5. Upload your documents and list all household members, and all income sources for members 18 and older if you want priority.
6. Review and submit. You agree to the Terms and Conditions and sign the Sworn Compliance Statement. The handbook warns that false or misleading information may lead to revocation and may be punishable as a crime.

One rule to know before you start: the handbook says you can’t apply for PEP and another scholarship program for the same student at the same time. What to do if you change your mind is covered in PEP application statuses.

• Step Up emails you on a rolling basis about whether the student is eligible. If it needs more documents, the application goes on hold and you’re notified by email.
• When the student is eligible, you log in to EMA to accept or decline the scholarship. For 2026–27, the decision was due by May 31, 2026.
• To be funded for 2026–27, the handbook says the Student Learning Plan had to be submitted in EMA by May 31, 2026. What the SLP and yearly testing involve is in PEP testing and Student Learning Plan requirements.
• Eligible isn’t the same as funded while a cap applies. The handbook says applications may close before the published deadline if the program reaches capacity; see is the PEP scholarship full? Once funded, money arrives in quarterly deposits: PEP payment dates.

These are the 2026–27 dates, which have passed. Step Up hadn’t posted 2027–28 dates when we checked on October 21, 2026. Its PEP page says 2026–27 applications are closed and offers a sign-up to be notified when 2027–28 applications become available. We’ll update this page when they’re posted.

Unlike Step Up’s Private School and Unique Abilities scholarships, whose 2026-27 Scholarship Application Dates PDF shows a new-application season running to November 15, PEP closes to new students on April 30 too. Step Up’s FAQ says that after that date, “we’re unable to accept additional applications for the PEP scholarship.”

New or renewal? The handbook defines a renewal student as one who was funded for Quarter 4 of the same scholarship and whose scholarship wasn’t revoked; everyone else applies as new. Renewal applications are funded first.

The handbook lists two groups who can apply after the regular deadline: dependents of active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces and students in foster care or out-of-home care. For the 2026–27 school year, families in these groups applying after April 30, 2026 must:

• apply no later than April 15, 2027,
• submit required documents no later than April 22, 2027, and
• accept the scholarship and submit the SLP (and prior-year test scores, if applicable) no later than May 15, 2027.

Step Up says these families need to call it at (877) 735-7837 to have an application opened outside the application season, and that a deadline exception doesn’t automatically mean the scholarship is confirmed.