Step Up for Students reimbursement guide.

• If you paid out of pocket for an eligible PEP expense, you can ask Step Up to repay you from your student’s account through EMA, Step Up’s online account system.
• Upload a receipt or paid invoice (PNG, JPG, or PDF) showing the seller, the full date with the year, what you bought, the price breakdown, and proof you paid.
• 2025–26 purchases can be submitted until October 31, 2026. 2026–27 purchases can be submitted until July 31, 2027.
• Step Up says to allow up to 60 days for review once all required documents are in.
• A denied request can be appealed once, inside EMA.
• Check the PEP Purchasing Guide before you buy. Anything not listed needs pre-authorization, and some things, like laptops and tablets, are prohibited.

Step Up sets a purchase window and a request window for each year. A purchase has to fall inside the purchase window, and the request has to be submitted inside the request window.

Source: Step Up’s PEP Reimbursement page. The tracker’s reminder tool can put either date on your calendar.

Step Up’s reimbursement guide for parents lists these for store and online receipts (for example Amazon, Walmart, Target, or Best Buy):

1. The seller’s name. A receipt without the retailer’s name is placed on hold.
2. The date of purchase, including the year.
3. The item purchased, named specifically. Step Up’s guide shows “subscription charges” as too vague.
4. The price breakdown: subtotal, taxes, shipping, and grand total.
5. Proof of payment, if the receipt doesn’t already show how you paid. See the next section.

Only asking for some items on a receipt? Step Up asks you to highlight or circle the items you want reimbursed, or cross out the ones you don’t, so the reviewer can see your selection.

A receipt that shows the payment method can count as both the receipt and the proof. Otherwise, add one of these:

• A copy of the credit card receipt
• A cleared check, front and back
• A copy of the whole money order, made out to the provider
• A receipt from a payment app such as Cash App, PayPal, Zelle, or Venmo
• An invoice that shows the funding source
• A copy of the bank or credit card statement

Details that trip people up

• Paid invoices must show they’re paid in full: a paid stamp, the invoice and payment amounts, or a zero balance.
• ACH vs. EFT: Step Up accepts a receipt or invoice that says ACH, but documents that only say EFT need another proof of payment.
• PayPal: Step Up’s example asks for a PayPal invoice that includes the funding source.
• Payment plans: you’re reimbursed only for what you’ve actually paid when you submit. The purchase date is the date it was paid in full.
• Cash paid to a provider: ask for a signed, dated letter on their letterhead with the provider’s name, the student’s first and last name, the service, the payment dates (mm/dd/yy), the amounts, and the payment method.

Services need more on the invoice than a store receipt does. From Step Up’s reimbursement guide:

Part-time tutors must meet Step Up’s credential rules, such as a Florida educator’s certificate or a degree in the subject they teach. Step Up’s guide shows how to look up a tutor’s certificate in the Florida Department of Education’s public search.

Condensed from Step Up’s “How to Request Reimbursement in EMA” instructions.

1. Set up how you’ll be paid (first time only). In EMA, open your profile, choose Edit Profile, and find Payment Method. Pick direct deposit (ACH), check, or PayPal. Step Up notes the change can take up to 12 hours to show.
2. Start a request. Choose Reimbursements on the left of the dashboard, then New, then pick your student.
3. Upload the receipt or invoice. PNG, JPG, or PDF. Wait for the document to be verified.
4. Choose the items and amounts. Select the purchases to be reimbursed, confirm each item’s name and amount, and add any items that weren’t picked up.
5. Add extra documents if needed, such as proof of payment.
6. Review the summary (purchase date, amount, educational benefit, category), then select Submit for Approval.

Step Up’s support line is 1 (877) 735-7837.

• Review time. Step Up says to allow up to 60 days for a request to be fully reviewed once all required documents have been submitted.
• Watch your email and EMA. Step Up sends updates there.
• On hold. Step Up’s examples show requests placed “On Hold” when a receipt or invoice is missing required information. Upload what’s missing.
• Denied. You can appeal a denial once. Find the denied request in EMA and select the red Appeal button to resubmit with more documentation. Appeals are only reviewed through EMA, not by email.

Every example below comes from the “on hold” samples in Step Up’s reimbursement guide.

• The receipt doesn’t show the retailer’s name.
• The item is described vaguely, like “subscription charges.”
• There’s no price breakdown (subtotal, taxes, shipping, grand total).
• A tutoring invoice has the tutor’s name but no license number or dates of service.
• A school invoice is missing the school’s address.