ESA Funds TrackerFlorida PEP tracker Try the Florida demo
Menu

Florida PEP

Florida PEP tracker PEP testing and SLP What’s new in 2026–27 PEP reimbursement guide PEP purchase guide

Arizona ESA

Arizona ESA guide ClassWallet spending guide

More

Updates All states About Privacy
News & Policy Update

Can Step Up pay for religious curriculum? Florida rules.

For parents beginning home education with Florida’s Personalized Education Program (PEP), one of the most common questions is whether scholarship funds can be used for faith-based curriculum. Unlike traditional school vouchers in other states, Florida law explicitly protects parental choice in instructional materials. Here is what Step Up authorizes, how to submit publisher invoices, and what remains prohibited.

  • ProgramFlorida PEP, through Step Up for Students
  • Checked

For Florida PEP families whose scholarship is managed by Step Up for Students. Sourced from Section 1002.395, Florida Statutes, and Step Up’s official purchasing guide. Independent guide, not affiliated with Step Up; when anything here differs from Step Up’s current pages, Step Up is right.

A Florida parent and child sitting together at a wooden table reviewing open textbooks and study notes in a bright room
Under Section 1002.395, Florida Statutes, parents have the right to select academic curriculum for their student, including faith-based textbooks and instructional materials.

Quick answers.

Does Step Up for Students allow religious homeschool curriculum?
Yes. Florida law and Step Up’s purchasing guidelines permit parents to choose faith-based curriculum, textbooks, and workbooks for their student. Academic materials covering core subjects qualify for reimbursement regardless of whether they are published by secular or religious organizations.
Can I buy faith-based textbooks directly from Christian publishers?
Yes. Parents can purchase textbooks, student workbooks, and teacher editions directly from publishers or third-party sellers and submit the itemized invoice for reimbursement in EMA.
Are religious devotionals or church materials covered under PEP?
No. General church supplies, devotional books, religious ministry tuition, and worship services are not eligible. Reimbursements are restricted to academic curriculum and instructional materials that serve an educational purpose.
Does MyScholarShop sell religious curriculum or only secular materials?
Step Up’s MyScholarShop vendor catalog primarily features secular school supplies and curriculum vendors. However, families who prefer faith-based programs can purchase them out-of-pocket directly from the publisher and request reimbursement in EMA.

When parents begin educating at home using the Florida Personalized Education Program (PEP), curriculum selection is typically their first major investment. Because traditional public school voucher systems in many states prohibit religious materials, families frequently ask if purchasing Christian, Catholic, Classical, Jewish, or other faith-based curricula will trigger an audit or reimbursement denial.

In Florida, the answer is clear: parents can use Step Up PEP scholarship funds to purchase religious and faith-based academic curriculum.

Under Florida law and Step Up’s official purchasing guidelines, the state does not dictate whether your child’s educational curriculum is secular or religious. However, understanding the administrative boundaries between eligible academic coursework and prohibited non-educational items is essential for smooth claim approvals in EMA.

What Florida law says about curriculum choice.

Florida’s Personalized Education Program is governed by Section 1002.395 of the Florida Statutes. Unlike traditional school district purchasing rules, Florida’s scholarship framework is built on parental empowerment.

The statute protects the right of parents to select the pedagogical approach, learning materials, and courses that best meet their child's academic needs. Scholarship-funding organizations such as Step Up for Students are authorized to approve:

  • Curriculum materials: Textbooks, digital courses, student workbooks, teacher manuals, and supplemental instructional packages.
  • Academic core subjects: Instruction covering mathematics, science, language arts, reading, history, and social studies.
  • Electives and specialized coursework: Foreign languages, fine arts, music theory, and health education.

Whether a publisher incorporates a religious worldview, biblical principles, or sectarian philosophy into its science, history, or math textbooks does not disqualify the material from being recognized as an eligible instructional curriculum.

What qualifies versus what is prohibited.

While faith-based academic curriculum is fully authorized, Step Up draws a strict line between educational learning materials and personal religious expenses:

Category Eligible with Step Up PEP Prohibited by Step Up PEP
Textbooks & Workbooks Math, science, literature, and history curricula from faith-based publishers Religious devotional books, prayer guides, or personal reading materials lacking a course syllabus
Instruction & Courses Online academic courses, video lessons, and curriculum subscriptions Church attendance fees, worship services, or religious ministry tuition
Instructional Supplies Science experiment kits, educational manipulatives, and timeline charts Church donations, tithes, religious ceremonial items, or altar supplies
Testing & Assessments Standardized norm-referenced tests administered through Christian or secular testing providers Evaluations conducted by non-qualified personnel

The standard Step Up reviewers apply is educational purpose. If a book is part of a structured academic program designed to teach reading, grammar, algebra, biology, or historical events, it qualifies under the Curriculum category. If an item is intended exclusively for personal worship or devotional practice, it is excluded.

MyScholarShop vs. direct publisher reimbursement.

When purchasing faith-based materials, parents have two primary routes:

  1. Direct reimbursement (a common route for faith-based curricula): Many prominent religious curriculum publishers (such as Abeka, BJU Press, Apologia, Sonlight, Seton, or Memoria Press) are not direct vendors inside Step Up’s MyScholarShop portal. Parents purchase books directly from the publisher's website or retail distributors, pay out-of-pocket, and upload the invoice into EMA for reimbursement.
  2. MyScholarShop: Step Up’s direct-pay portal partners primarily with major national educational distributors and secular suppliers. While you will find broad reference books, lab equipment, and general school supplies in the portal, specific faith-based instructional packages are rarely stocked.

For a detailed comparison of processing turnaround times between these two purchasing options, see our guide on MyScholarShop versus reimbursement.

How to submit publisher invoices in EMA.

To ensure your curriculum claims are approved without delay, follow these 3 invoice practices:

  1. Require itemized titles: The receipt must list the exact book or subject package name, such as Grade 4 Arithmetic Student Edition or Physical Science Textbook. Generic descriptions such as Educational Kit or General Book Order will be placed On Hold for clarification.
  2. Show proof of payment: Step Up requires evidence that the transaction was completed. Ensure the receipt displays a zero balance due, a Paid stamp, or the last four digits of the payment card.
  3. Publicly available curricula: Step Up’s purchasing guide notes that standard curricula available to the public can be submitted directly. If you are creating a custom independent curriculum that is not commercially published, review our guide on PEP pre-authorization rules before buying.

If a reviewer ever questions a specific curriculum component, attaching the publisher’s table of contents or course syllabus to your claim provides immediate verification of its academic purpose.

Track your curriculum orders and reimbursement claims.
The Florida PEP Tracker keeps your purchases, receipt statuses, and remaining scholarship allocations organized in one private place.
One payment, no subscription: $49 for one student or $69 for a family. See pricing.

Open PEP tracker

Sources.

All read on October 30, 2026. We re-check them when new editions are published.

  • Fla. Stat. 1002.395, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (2026)

    Florida Senate, read October 30, 2026: parent choice in education, authorized expenditures, and program requirements.

    flsenate.gov
  • PEP Family Handbook (2026–27)

    Step Up for Students web page, read October 30, 2026: curriculum selection, student learning plan guidelines, and reimbursement documentation.

    stepupforstudents.org
  • PEP Purchasing Guide

    Step Up for Students web page, read October 30, 2026: Curriculum category, instructional materials, publicly available curricula, and prohibited expenses.

    stepupforstudents.org