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PEP-FLORIDA’S FIRST SCHOLARSHIP FOR HOMESCHOOL

Florida Personalized Education Program (PEP) – Official Parent Guide

Florida Personalized Education Program (PEP): Official Parent Guide to Florida’s ESA Homeschool Scholarship

The Florida Personalized Education Program (PEP) is an Education Savings Account (ESA) option under the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, designed for K–12 students who are not enrolled full-time in public or private school. PEP provides families with access to scholarship funds to support a parent-directed education, including curriculum, tutoring, online programs, hybrid options, and more.

This guide explains how PEP works using only official information from:

  • The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE)
  • Step Up For Students (SUFS)
  • AAA Scholarship Foundation (AAA)

It is written for Florida parents seeking clear, unbiased, and accurate information about the PEP scholarship.

What Is the Florida Personalized Education Program (PEP)?

PEP is an ESA pathway under the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. Families who participate:

  • Direct their child’s education
  • Receive access to a scholarship-funded ESA
  • Use funds on authorized educational expenses
  • Submit required annual documentation (Student Learning Plan and testing)

PEP is not the same as district home education under section 1002.41, Florida Statutes. PEP students are registered with a Scholarship Funding Organization (SFO), not their local school district.

Official FLDOE PEP FAQ: FLDOE – Personalized Education Program (PEP) FAQs

Who Oversees the PEP Scholarship?

PEP is administered exclusively by two state-approved Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFOs):

Step Up For Students (SUFS)

Official PEP information and interest list:
Step Up For Students – Scholarship Interest List (includes PEP description)

AAA Scholarship Foundation (AAA)

Official PEP information:
AAA Scholarship Foundation – Florida Personalized Education Program (PEP)

These organizations are responsible for:

  • Processing applications
  • Determining eligibility
  • Managing ESA accounts
  • Reviewing purchases and reimbursements
  • Ensuring parent compliance with PEP rules

School districts do not manage or oversee the PEP program.

Who Qualifies for PEP?

According to the Florida Department of Education, a child may qualify for the PEP scholarship if they:

  • Are a Florida resident
  • Are eligible to enroll in grades K–12 in a Florida public school
  • Are not primarily enrolled full-time in a public or private school
  • Meet priority categories set out in Florida law
  • Fall within the program’s participation cap for that school year

Full official eligibility details and priorities are explained here:
FLDOE – PEP FAQs

How Much Money Do PEP Students Receive?

PEP award amounts vary by:

  • County
  • Grade band (K–3, 4–8, 9–12)

The Legislature sets award values each year. Step Up For Students publishes the official funding chart that shows Florida Tax Credit / FES-EO / PEP amounts by county and grade level. Typical awards are in the range of approximately $7,000–$8,500 per student, depending on district and school year.

Scholarship funds are usually distributed quarterly into the ESA account.

What Can PEP Scholarship Funds Be Used For?

Florida law outlines the categories of eligible expenses for ESA funds. These include (not an exhaustive list):

  • Curriculum and instructional materials
  • Tutoring by a certified educator or approved provider
  • Hybrid homeschool programs or part-time private school classes
  • Online courses / virtual programs
  • Postsecondary or pre-apprenticeship programs
  • Contracted public school services (for part-time enrollment)
  • Norm-referenced tests and statewide assessments
  • Annual educational evaluations by a certified teacher
  • Choice Navigator services

Each purchase or reimbursement request is reviewed by the SFO to confirm that it falls within the authorized categories in law and SFO guidelines.

Parents may always purchase additional materials privately that are not submitted for ESA reimbursement.

Your Curriculum Choices Under PEP

Official documentation from FLDOE and the SFOs confirms that:

  • Parents choose their own curriculum and instructional resources.
  • The Student Learning Plan (SLP) does not limit what parents may purchase.
  • SFOs do not approve or deny “curriculum” itself.
  • SFOs determine whether ESA funds may be used for a particular purchase, based on the eligible categories in law.

In other words, PEP maintains parental decision-making about what and how children learn, while ensuring that ESA funds are used only for authorized educational purposes.

The Student Learning Plan (SLP)

1. The SLP is completed inside the SFO’s online portal

The SLP is a required part of PEP participation, but it is not something parents create as a separate document and upload.

  • Step Up For Students uses the EMA portal.
  • AAA uses its own scholarship management portal (SMP).

Parents complete the SLP directly inside the portal using structured questions, drop-downs, and checkboxes. There is no open essay or free-form document submission; the plan is filled out using the options provided.

2. What the SLP includes

According to Step Up’s official SLP FAQ, the SLP:

  • Is a customized learning plan created by the parent to guide instruction and identify goods and services needed.
  • Includes a list of academic priorities and character/personal growth priorities.
  • Asks parents to select up to six learning priorities and rate how their child is doing in those areas.
  • Is completed and updated in the EMA portal (or AAA’s portal) at least once per year.

Step Up SLP FAQ (PDF):
PEP Scholarship Student Learning Plan – Step Up For Students

3. What the SLP does not do

Step Up’s FAQ clarifies that the SLP:

  • Does not mandate how a child must be educated.
  • Does not determine what a parent can purchase with scholarship funds.
  • Does not affect the amount of scholarship funding a student receives.

The SLP is a planning and tracking tool required by law, but it is not a curriculum approval process.

4. Step Up SLP video

Step Up offers an official video that shows parents how to complete the Student Learning Plan inside EMA. You can find it in their YouTube video list:

Step Up For Students – How To Videos (includes SLP walkthrough)

Annual Testing Requirement for PEP Students

Every PEP student must complete one approved assessment each year and submit the results to the SFO before scholarship renewal:

  • A Florida-approved norm-referenced test, or
  • A Florida statewide assessment under section 1008.22, Florida Statutes.

The full, official list of approved norm-referenced tests is here:

FLDOE – Annual Assessment Requirement (approved norm-referenced tests)

Commonly used FLDOE-approved tests

From the FLDOE’s approved list, many families use:

  • Iowa Assessments
  • Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10)
  • NWEA MAP Growth
  • TerraNova 3

Other approved tests listed on the FLDOE website may also be used. Parents should always confirm the test is on the current FLDOE list.

Where to upload test results (Step Up)

Step Up provides documented instructions for uploading PEP assessment results inside EMA:

Personalized Education Program – Assessment Upload Instructions (Step Up For Students)

How to Apply for the PEP Scholarship

Step Up For Students (SUFS)

Families can begin the process or join the interest list for the upcoming year here:

Step Up For Students – Scholarship Interest List / PEP Information

Step Up also provides application and portal tutorials, including how to apply for the scholarship:

Step Up For Students – How To Apply & Portal Videos

AAA Scholarship Foundation

AAA’s PEP page explains their application process, required documents, SLP responsibilities, and reimbursement system:

AAA Scholarship Foundation – Florida PEP Program

Parent Responsibilities Under PEP

Based on FLDOE and SFO documentation, PEP parents are responsible for:

  • Applying through a participating SFO (Step Up or AAA)
  • Completing and updating the Student Learning Plan each year in the SFO portal
  • Ensuring the student is not enrolled full-time in a public or private school
  • Using ESA funds only for authorized categories of educational expenses
  • Arranging for and completing the annual norm-referenced test or statewide assessment
  • Submitting test results to the SFO before renewal
  • Signing the annual sworn compliance statement
  • Renewing participation each year within SFO deadlines
  • Retaining receipts and documentation when required
  • Paying any educational expenses that exceed the scholarship amount

PEP vs. District Home Education (Clear Comparison)

PEP – ESA Scholarship Program

  • Registered with an SFO (Step Up or AAA)
  • Must complete an annual Student Learning Plan
  • Must complete and submit an approved annual assessment
  • ESA funds can be used only for eligible categories defined by law
  • Purchases are reviewed for eligibility by the SFO
  • District does not oversee the program

District Home Education (Section 1002.41, F.S.)

  • Registered with the local school district
  • Requires an annual evaluation submitted to the district
  • Parent must maintain a portfolio of records and materials
  • No ESA funds; purchases are not reviewed by an SFO
  • District does not approve curriculum but does receive evaluations
  • Testing is one of several evaluation options, not always required

Both options allow parents to direct their child’s education. The main difference is that PEP offers ESA funding with SFO-managed requirements, while district home education offers full independence from ESA rules but no scholarship funds.

Official Links for Parents to Verify Information

Florida Department of Education (FLDOE)

Step Up For Students (SUFS)

AAA Scholarship Foundation

Read more: PEP-FLORIDA’S FIRST SCHOLARSHIP FOR HOMESCHOOL