Last verified: October 2026
What is the Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) for Broward students?
The Unique Abilities Scholarship, abbreviated FES-UA and sometimes called the disability ESA or the successor to the McKay Scholarship, is a Florida education savings account for students ages 3 to grade 12 with a qualifying disability. Unlike the standard award, it funds an account the parent directs rather than a payment to one school.
A Broward family can divide that account among a private school, an outside speech-language pathologist, a reading specialist and an occupational therapist, within the purchasing rules.
How much is FES-UA for a Broward student in 2026-27?
For students at matrix levels 1 to 3, or with a qualifying diagnosis, the Broward figures are $10,658 for ages 3 to 4 and grades K-3, $10,060 for grades 4-8 and $9,865 for grades 9-12. Matrix level 4 is $21,941 and level 5 is $35,295.
Those come from Step Up's county table. A student who held the scholarship in 2020-21 receives the higher of the table amount or the 2020-21 amount.
Who qualifies for FES-UA in Broward County?
A Florida resident who turns 3 by December 31 of the application year and has not reached 22 (or finished grade 12) qualifies when a diagnosis on the state's list is documented. The list includes autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disability, speech and language impairment, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other health impairment, among others.
The diagnosis must come from an authorized licensed professional, and Florida also accepts an existing IEP as documentation.
Which Broward private schools take FES-UA students?
244 of the 357 Broward schools in the October 28, 2026 directory carry the FES-UA participant flag, and 99 report at least one disability category they serve.
Participation does not promise a seat. Each school page lists the categories the school reported so a parent can match a diagnosis before calling.
When is the FES-UA deadline for a new Broward applicant?
New FES-UA applicants for 2026-27 must apply by November 15, 2026 and accept the award by December 15, 2026. Unlike the standard scholarship, FES-UA does not need quarterly EMA enrollment submitted by a school.
A family that misses November 15 waits for the next application season.
What is FES-UA for a Broward student, and what is it not?
FES-UA is a parent-directed education savings account for students with a documented diagnosis, and it is not a payment limited to one school.
| FES-UA is | FES-UA is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | A parent-directed account | A payment sent only to a school |
| Pays for | Tuition, licensed therapy, tutoring, curriculum, assistive technology | Medical exams, insurance deductibles or doctor visits |
| Combined with the standard award | No; a student holds one or the other | Stackable with the Private School Scholarship |
| Documentation | A listed diagnosis or an IEP | An income test |