PEP pre-authorization: what needs it, and how to ask.

• Ask first for anything the purchasing guide doesn’t list as eligible, plus the items in its Appendix B.
• Prohibited items can’t be pre-authorized. Step Up “will not consider or approve pre-authorization requests for items that are prohibited.”
• Submit in EMA once your student’s account has been funded for the school year.
• Allow up to 60 days for review after all documents are in.
• Last day for 2026–27 requests: May 28, 2027. Approvals are good only for purchases in the school year they were approved.

The PEP Purchasing Guide sets the general rule: “Items or services not listed as eligible in this Purchasing Guide require pre-authorization approval before purchasing the item or service.”

Its Appendix B, Items Requiring Pre-Authorization, then names:

1. Curriculum that is not publicly available.
2. Items or services outside the frequency-of-purchase limits in the P.E., Electives, or At-Home Classroom Furnishings sections.
3. Field trips not affiliated with a school that take place outside Florida but inside the United States.
4. P.E. activities outside Florida.

Approved military families living outside Florida don’t need pre-authorization for the last two; the handbook says they “may submit reimbursement requests directly with the required documentation.” See PEP for military families. Appendix C spells out the out-of-state activities, such as dance and sports lessons, gym memberships, museum and zoo admission, and ticketed events.

The guide and handbook also call for pre-authorization in a few specific spots:

• Replacing something early. Several categories, including P.E. equipment, elective equipment, and prescription eyeglasses, say an item “may be eligible for replacement sooner with pre-authorization.”
• Lost, stolen, or broken items. For a broken item, the handbook asks for a pre-authorization request plus documentation from a repair shop or service technician; “Photos of the damaged item do not qualify as sufficient documentation.” For a stolen item, it asks for a request and a police report.
• Not sure if something is eligible. The handbook says parents “should submit a pre-authorization form if they are unsure if an item is eligible.”

For a walk-through of the whole guide, including what’s prohibited, see the PEP Purchasing Guide, explained. For common items like camps and swim lessons, see what PEP covers.

Two Step Up lists that don’t match

Step Up’s Guardians Reimbursement Guide PDF has its own, longer pre-authorization list. It includes things the 2026–27 purchasing guide’s Appendix B doesn’t, such as “Overnight or day educational camps with documentation of educational benefit,” adaptive exercise equipment, multiples of a single item that exceeds $50, and “Televisions over 55 inches.” The 2026–27 purchasing guide lists “Televisions over 55”” among prohibited items instead.

We can’t tell you which list Step Up applies to a given purchase. If your item is on one list and not the other, ask Step Up before you buy.

From the purchasing guide and the handbook:

• Where: the guide says “Pre-authorizations are submitted through the scholarship portal once a student’s account has been funded for the current school year.” The handbook says to log into EMA to check a request’s status. For finding your way around EMA, see the Step Up EMA guide.
• When: the handbook says requests “can be submitted for expenses planned in the future.” For 2026–27, they’re accepted until May 28, 2027, which the guide says leaves time to buy and request reimbursement before the school year ends on June 30, 2027.
• What to include: the guide says a request “should be specific to the student and contain as much detail about the specific item or service being requested, including the approximate cost of the item or service.” It may need “Supporting documentation and an explanation of how the item is an eligible expense and benefits the student’s education.”
• Keep payment details current: the handbook says “Payment method information must be kept up to date in EMA to complete a pre-authorization.”

Is there a form or PDF?

Step Up’s pages use both words. The purchasing guide says parents “must submit a pre-authorization request form for curriculum materials that are not publicly available,” and the reimbursement guide PDF says “A Pre-Authorization form must be completed and submitted prior to the submission of a reimbursement request” for the items on its list. Both the guide and the handbook describe that request being submitted and tracked in the scholarship portal (EMA). The 2026–27 handbook and purchasing guide we read don’t link a separate PDF form to print or mail.

• Review time. Step Up’s FAQ says to allow up to 60 days for reimbursement requests and pre-authorizations to be reviewed after all required documentation has been submitted. The guide says requests are reviewed in the order received, and the outcome comes by email.
• On hold. The handbook says to log into EMA, see why it was put on hold, provide what’s needed, and re-submit.
• Denied. The reason is listed in EMA, and “Denied pre-authorization requests may not be appealed, so no further action may be taken.”
• Case by case. The guide says approvals “are decided on a case-by-case basis and depend on the needs of the individual student.”

The guide says that if a request is approved, “you will have the opportunity to purchase the item/service and submit for reimbursement or purchase directly off of MyScholarShop.”

• Buy what was approved. The handbook says the item or service on the proof of purchase must match the approved pre-authorization, “otherwise, the request may be denied.”
• Reimbursement: the reimbursement guide PDF says to “provide the pre-authorization request number in the Educational Benefit box when requesting the reimbursement.” Receipt details are in the PEP reimbursement guide.
• MyScholarShop: the handbook says the request must be approved before you order, and “The approved pre-authorization number must be included in the appropriate field to avoid a delay or denial of the purchase.” More in how MyScholarShop works.
• Not a funding promise. “An approved pre-authorization request is not confirmation of the provider’s eligibility or the funding available for the reimbursement.”
• One school year only. “An approved pre-authorization is valid for purchases in the school year in which it was approved.” For 2026–27, purchases must be made between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027.

For the other 2026–27 deadlines, see what’s new for PEP in 2026–27.