What is EMA, and what do PEP families use it for?

• EMA stands for Education Market Assistant. It’s Step Up for Students’ online account for its scholarships, including PEP.
• You use it to apply, upload documents, track funds, shop in MyScholarShop, request reimbursement, and find service providers.
• One account per family. One parent or guardian account can hold several children, and each student can be linked to only one account.
• Don’t share access. Step Up’s handbook says letting anyone else manage your EMA account is prohibited.

EMA is short for Education Market Assistant. In the 2026–27 PEP Family Handbook, Step Up describes it as “Step Up For Students’ secure online platform where you can manage everything related to your child’s scholarship.”

The handbook says you set up an EMA account before you apply, so it’s usually the first thing a new PEP family does.

The handbook lists these, word for word:

Other yearly steps happen in EMA too. Step Up’s FAQ says PEP funding consideration is satisfied when the student’s current-year Student Learning Plan (SLP) and prior-year test scores, if applicable, “are submitted in EMA.” It also says PEP students don’t need the separate EMA school enrollment that private school scholarship students complete.

The handbook’s “How to Get Started” steps, condensed:

1. Go to stepupforstudents.org and choose the apply/login option. Step Up recommends a Chrome or Firefox browser.
2. Select “Log In to EMA.” You’ll land on the EMA home page.
3. Select Sign Up and follow the prompts.

When you create the account, the handbook says you must use the phone number, physical address, and email address of either the primary or secondary parent or guardian listed on the student’s account. It also links a video tutorial and a step-by-step PDF from the same section.

Already have a child on a scholarship? The handbook says parents of renewal applicants must log in to their existing account, and not create a new one for the same child.

The handbook calls the EMA Marketplace “an online store and service finder” with two options:

• MyScholarShop allows you to purchase eligible instructional materials and curriculum. The handbook says it becomes accessible within a few days after funds are deposited into a student’s account.
• Find Providers allows you to purchase services, such as tutoring, from pre-approved vendors. Payment to a provider may only be approved after the service has been rendered.

A few MyScholarShop rules from the handbook:

• Make sure there are enough available funds to cover the entire purchase.
• If an item needs pre-authorization, it must be approved before you order, and the pre-authorization number goes in the matching field.
• Orders ship to the mailing address in your guardian profile in EMA. If you change it, allow 2–3 business days for the new address to reach MyScholarShop.
• Orders “remain subject to review and may take up to two (2) weeks for processing.”
• Returns go through the vendor, not Step Up.

Being in MyScholarShop doesn’t settle whether an item is eligible: the handbook says an item there “may not be an eligible item for all scholarship programs,” and an item missing from it may still be eligible. For what PEP covers, see what PEP covers.

Paying out of pocket instead? Reimbursement requests are also submitted in EMA. The PEP reimbursement guide covers receipts, proof of payment, and the submission steps.

Beginning in 2026–27, families may need to confirm in EMA that their student isn’t enrolled full-time in public school. Step Up’s two pages describe it differently:

• Step Up’s FAQ says parents and guardians of scholarship choice confirmed students “must complete a Quarterly Attestation in EMA before each quarter.”
• The handbook says “only families receiving their Quarter 1 funding payment in September must complete a public school attestation,” and that families will be notified if it’s needed for their student.

We don’t know which applies to your family; watch your email and EMA, and ask Step Up if you’re unsure. For more on this change, see what’s new for PEP in 2026–27.

From the handbook’s “Creating Your EMA Account” section:

• One account for all your children. Don’t create a separate account for each child.
• One account per student. “A student can only be linked to one parent or guardian account in EMA.” If a student appears on more than one account, processing or funding may be delayed.
• No one else at the keyboard. Allowing another party, including a provider or school representative, to access or manage your account is prohibited and could result in the loss of the scholarship.
• Changes in guardianship go through Step Up’s Customer Engagement Center.

Step Up’s security reminder on the same page says it “will never ask for your SUFS account credentials or banking information by phone, text or email,” and that using third-party services to access your account violates its user agreement. For account help, Step Up lists 1 (877) 735-7837.