Quick answers.
- Can I use the PEP scholarship for tutoring?
- Yes. Step Up’s PEP Purchasing Guide says “tuition and fees for part-time tutoring or fees for Choice Navigator services is an eligible expense under PEP,” as long as the tutor meets the credential rules. Full-time private tutoring programs are also listed, with stricter rules.
- What qualifications does a tutor need for PEP?
- For part-time tutoring, the purchasing guide lists options such as a valid Florida educator’s certificate, an adjunct teaching certificate, another state’s professional teaching certificate, or a bachelor’s or graduate degree in the subject being taught. A full-time private tutor must hold a current, valid Florida teaching certificate for the subject or grade level.
- What does a tutoring invoice need for Step Up reimbursement?
- Step Up’s 2026–27 handbook asks for an invoice on business letterhead with the student’s and tutor’s first and last names, the type of service, the time period, the hourly rate, the total due, and the payment method, plus the tutor’s license number or credentials in English if the tutor isn’t already approved in EMA.
- Can a tutor be paid directly through Step Up for Students?
- Yes, if the tutor sets up as a provider in EMA. Step Up’s handbook says Find Providers lets families buy services such as tutoring from pre-approved vendors, and that payment to a provider may only be approved after the service has been rendered.
- Can I pay a tutor in cash and get reimbursed?
- Step Up’s handbook says cash purchases from private sellers not affiliated with a company or institution, and it names private tutors, will be denied. Step Up’s reimbursement guide PDF describes a signed, dated letter on the provider’s letterhead for cash paid to a provider, so ask Step Up before paying cash.
The short version.
- Tutoring is an eligible PEP expense, but the tutor has to meet Step Up’s credential rules. Someone without one of the listed credentials doesn’t meet the part-time tutoring rules.
- Part-time and full-time tutoring are different categories with different rules. Most families using a tutor for a subject or two are in the part-time category.
- The invoice matters as much as the tutor. Step Up lists what a tutoring invoice must show, including the tutor’s name and credentials. Missing details put requests on hold.
- Tutors can be paid two ways: you pay and request reimbursement, or the tutor sets up in EMA and is paid directly after the service is delivered.
Which tutors qualify for PEP.
Florida law lists tutoring among the authorized uses of PEP funds. Section 1002.395, Florida Statutes, says part-time tutoring must be provided by a person who holds a valid Florida educator’s certificate, holds an adjunct teaching certificate, has a bachelor’s or graduate degree in the subject being taught, has demonstrated mastery of subject area knowledge, or is certified by a nationally or internationally recognized research-based training program approved by the Department of Education. The statute adds that part-time tutoring “does not qualify as regular school attendance.”
Step Up’s PEP Purchasing Guide spells out the options in more detail. A part-time tutor is a person who:
- Holds a valid Florida educator’s certificate
- Holds an adjunct teaching certificate
- Holds a valid professional standard teaching certificate issued by another state
- Has a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree in the subject area of instruction
- Is certified by an approved research-based training program; the guide’s examples are the Barton Reading & Spelling System, the Orton-Gillingham Approach, and the Wilson Reading System, and it also lists the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE)
- Holds a valid certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) or the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE)
- Has an official FTCE score report showing a passing score on a Florida subject area exam, not more than 10 years old
- Meets one of the other options in the guide, such as an ACTFL foreign language score report, a signed school district form, or a valid Statement of Status of Eligibility from Educator Certification
Choice Navigators follow the same credential rules. The guide describes them as people who advise on choosing and enrolling in educational options, curriculum selection, and career and postsecondary opportunities, and says a Choice Navigator may not oversee or exercise control over a student’s curricula.
Online tutors outside Florida: the purchasing guide says services must be delivered in Florida, except for credentialed providers whose services may be delivered virtually, and it names tutors as an example.
Checking a certificate: Step Up’s reimbursement guide shows how to look up a teacher’s credentials in the Florida Department of Education’s public search at flcertify.fldoe.org, by the educator’s name or license number.
Note: Step Up’s reimbursement guide PDF gives a shorter summary of part-time tutor credentials (a college degree in the subject area, a Florida Department of Education license number, or a Florida Teacher Certification Exam score). The purchasing guide’s list is longer. If your tutor’s credential is on one list but not the other, ask Step Up before you pay.
Full-time private tutoring.
Full-time private tutoring is its own category. The family handbook describes it as an option for students to satisfy state attendance requirements under section 1002.43, Florida Statutes. From the purchasing guide:
| Rule | What the guide says |
|---|---|
| Tutor’s credential | A current, valid Florida teaching certificate for the subject or grade level |
| Hours, grades K–3 | Full-time tutoring is considered 720 hours per school year |
| Hours, grades 4–12 | Full-time tutoring is considered 900 hours, equivalent to 180 teaching days |
| Paperwork | The tutor certifies compliance with the relevant statutes and files a W-9 with the scholarship funding organization every year |
| Group size | No more than five students at one time, or up to 25 in certain facilities listed in the guide |
Step Up’s reimbursement guide adds that students receiving those hours need a full-time tutoring agreement, and the handbook says full-time tutors not previously paid with scholarship funds must submit a Step Up Full-Time Tutor Participation Agreement and a W-9.
What the tutoring invoice needs.
Step Up publishes two versions of this checklist. They overlap but aren’t identical, so it’s simplest to ask your tutor to include everything on both.
| Step Up’s 2026–27 family handbook (part-time tutoring) | Step Up’s reimbursement guide PDF (tutoring invoice) |
|---|---|
| On business letterhead | Student’s full name |
| Student’s first and last name | Date(s) of service, with month, day, and year |
| Tutor’s first and last name, and company name if any | Hourly rate and quantity of hours |
| Type of service rendered | Type of service rendered |
| Time period of service (a date range or a term like “Semester 1”) | Provider’s full name and business address |
| Tutor’s hourly rate | License number |
| Total amount due and method of payment | Amount due |
The handbook also says the provider’s name on the invoice must match their submitted credentials, and that each request should include documentation in English of the tutor’s license number or credentials if the tutor hasn’t already been approved in EMA. The reimbursement guide shows a sample tutoring invoice that would be placed on hold because it has the tutor’s name but no license number and no dates of service.
For the general receipt and proof-of-payment rules, see the Florida PEP reimbursement guide.
Paying a tutor in advance or in cash.
- In advance: the handbook says you can request reimbursement for services up to four months in advance. Its example: a parent can apply on August 15 for tutoring fees paid through December 15. Longer prepaid periods, up to one year, may be approved if the provider attests in a signed, dated letter (or published policy) that the payment is non-refundable.
- In cash: the handbook says requests for reimbursement of cash purchases from private sellers that are not affiliated with a company or institution will be denied, and it lists private tutors as an example. Step Up’s reimbursement guide PDF separately describes a signed, dated letter from a provider on letterhead for cash payments to a provider. These two documents don’t say the same thing, so check with Step Up before paying a tutor in cash.
- Refunds: the handbook says parents and guardians may not receive a payment, refund, or rebate of scholarship funds from a provider.
How tutors get paid directly.
Instead of paying and waiting for a reimbursement, families can pay some providers directly in EMA. The handbook says Find Providers “allows you to purchase services, such as tutoring, from pre-approved vendors,” and that requests for payment directly to a provider may only be approved after the service has been rendered. For more on EMA and its Marketplace, see what EMA is.
If you’re a tutor, Step Up’s provider page says providers must create an account in EMA, that businesses need a Business Account to receive direct payments, and that each employee providing a credentialed service creates a Personal Account to submit their credentials. It also says “all payments are issued to the Business Account, not to individual employees.” Step Up decides which providers are approved, so start with its provider page.
Keep every tutoring invoice in one place.
The Florida PEP Tracker keeps each student’s purchases, statuses, and balance together, and checks receipts before you upload them.
More Florida PEP guides.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- What is EMA?
What EMA (Education Market Assistant) is for Florida PEP families: what you can do in it, how to set up an account, and the account rules.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Sources.
All read on October 10, 2026. We re-check them when new editions are published.
- PEP Purchasing Guide
Step Up for Students web page, last modified October 7, 2026, read October 10, 2026: Part-Time Tutoring & Choice Navigator Services, Full-Time Private Tutoring Program, out-of-state service providers, home education instructional programs, and elective provider qualifications.
stepupforstudents.org - PEP Family Handbook, 2026–27
Step Up for Students web page, last modified September 16, 2026, read October 10, 2026: tutoring invoice requirements, advance payments for services, cash purchases, Find Providers, and direct payment to providers.
stepupforstudents.org - Reimbursement Guide for Parent(s)/Guardian(s)
Step Up for Students PDF, read October 10, 2026: tutoring invoice requirements, an on-hold tutoring invoice example, tutor credentials, how to look up a teaching certificate, and the full-time tutoring agreement.
PDF - Partner with Step Up For Students as a Provider
Step Up for Students web page, read October 10, 2026: how service providers set up Business and Personal Accounts in EMA.
stepupforstudents.org - Section 1002.395, Florida Statutes (2026)
The Florida Senate, read October 10, 2026: part-time tutoring services and choice navigator services as an authorized use of PEP funds, and who may provide them.
flsenate.gov