What can Broward families buy with a Florida scholarship?
Florida's scholarships do more than pay tuition. Unique Abilities and PEP accounts, and any Private School Scholarship money left after tuition, can cover tutoring, therapies, curriculum, internet, music, sports, museum visits, testing and college credit. Each category below states the rule for each program, what is excluded and how Broward families use it. Broward awards: $8,494 K-3 · $7,896 4-8 · $7,701 9-12.
Last verified: October 2026
Academic support
Tutoring
A Broward parent can pay a part-time tutor from a scholarship account, provided the tutor holds one of the credentials Step Up lists.
Rules →Academic supportReading intervention & dyslexia programs
Structured-literacy programs such as Orton-Gillingham or Wilson can be bought as tutoring, curriculum or a specialized service, depending on who delivers them.
Rules →Academic supportTesting, evaluations & assessments
Norm-referenced tests, AP exams, industry certification exams, career assessments and repeat evaluations are payable.
Rules →Therapies (FES-UA)
Speech-language therapy
Florida statute names speech-language pathology as one of the specialized services a Unique Abilities student can receive.
Rules →Therapies (FES-UA)Occupational & physical therapy
Occupational and physical therapy are covered specialized services under FES-UA when Florida-licensed providers deliver them.
Rules →Therapies (FES-UA)ABA therapy (autism)
Applied Behavior Analysis is named in the FES-UA statute and tends to be the largest single therapy cost in the program.
Rules →Therapies (FES-UA)Sensory materials & assistive technology
This category takes in sensory swings, balance balls, fidgets, hearing aids, prescription glasses and similar assistive devices.
Rules →Learning materials
Curriculum & curriculum materials
Full curricula, single courses and self-paced online programs are all purchasable, with one distinction to watch: publicly available versus custom.
Rules →Learning materialsOnline courses & virtual school
Florida separates self-paced courses (curriculum), live classes from an approved online provider, and full-time virtual school.
Rules →Learning materialsAt-home classroom furnishings & school supplies
Covered items include desks, chairs, shelves, whiteboards, televisions up to 55 inches, calculators, backpacks and ordinary supplies.
Rules →Technology
Laptops, tablets & digital devices
Devices changed more than anything else for 2026-27: PEP now prohibits them, while FES-UA still allows a defined list.
Rules →TechnologyHome internet
Scholarship money can pay a family's home internet bill, which is unusual among state programs.
Rules →TechnologyEducational software & subscriptions
Learning apps, graphics and photo editing software, educational streaming and subscription kits all have a place in the guides.
Rules →Electives & enrichment
Music lessons & instruments
Lessons, instruments, rentals, repairs and tuning all qualify as elective expenses.
Rules →Electives & enrichmentArt, drama, foreign-language & other electives
Cooking, drama, foreign languages, photography, sewing, woodworking and art, plus their supplies and equipment, all sit under electives.
Rules →Electives & enrichmentCoding, STEM & robotics
Coding classes, digital-production supplies, lab fees, drones and STEM kits qualify, either as electives, lab fees or subscription kits.
Rules →Electives & enrichmentSports lessons, P.E. & equipment
Physical education is treated generously: lessons, team fees, a student's gym membership, sport shoes and home exercise equipment all qualify.
Rules →Experiences
Museums, field trips and Florida theme parks
Student admission to museums, zoos, aquariums, parks and ticketed performances is eligible, as is one Florida theme park visit per year.
Rules →ExperiencesSummer & after-school programs
Specialized summer and after-school programs can be paid for, while general camps need extra documentation.
Rules →High school & career
Dual enrollment & college credit
Tuition and fees at eligible Florida postsecondary schools, dual enrollment and approved pre-apprenticeships are all payable.
Rules →High school & careerIndustry certifications & career training
Fees for certification exams, tuition for a pre-apprenticeship and career-interest assessments are all authorized.
Rules →At a private school
Not covered
Transportation
Florida's scholarships do not pay for getting to school, a frequent question in a county as wide as Broward.
Rules →Not coveredFood, lodging & child care
Claims for lunch plans, aftercare and camp lodging are rejected most often.
Rules →Which Florida program lets a Broward family buy what?
Unique Abilities has the widest list, PEP is the next widest, and the Private School Scholarship only reaches extras once tuition and fees are paid.
| Spending area | Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | PEP | Private School Scholarship (leftover) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed therapies | Yes | No | No |
| Tutoring and curriculum | Yes | Yes | From leftover funds |
| Laptops and tablets | Yes, with limits | No in 2026-27 | No |
| Transportation | No | No | No |
How do purchases actually happen?
MyScholarShop
This is Step Up's own catalog. Every listed item is already approved and is delivered to the Florida address on your application, and when you find the same product cheaper elsewhere, the funding organization is required to refund the lower price.
Find Providers / direct pay
A tutor, therapist or enrichment instructor already approved in EMA gets paid straight from the account, so you never front the cost.
Reimbursement
Pay up front, hold on to an itemized receipt showing a Florida delivery address, and then file the claim. Cash handed to a private seller will not be refunded. Claims for 2026-27 must be in by July 31, 2027.
Want a spending plan for your child's account?
An advisor lines the award up against the spending categories that fit and the Broward providers who take direct payment.