Last verified: October 2026
Can a Broward family pay for tutoring with Florida scholarship money?
It depends on the program: Unique Abilities: eligible; PEP: eligible; Private School Scholarship: eligible from leftover funds after tuition. A Broward parent can pay a part-time tutor from a scholarship account, provided the tutor holds one of the credentials Step Up lists.
What are the rules for tutoring in 2026-27?
These rules come from Step Up's 2026-27 purchasing guides and its September 16, 2026 summary of changes.
- A part-time tutor qualifies with any one of the following: a Florida educator certificate (adjunct and out-of-state professional certificates are accepted), a bachelor's or graduate degree in the tutored subject, a research-based reading certification the state approves, an NBPTS or ABCTE credential, or a recent passing FTCE score.
- A full-time tutor who replaces school needs a current Florida teaching certificate for the grade or subject, must deliver 720 hours a year in K-3 or 900 in grades 4-12, files an annual W-9 with the funding organization, and may teach no more than 5 students (25 in a facility that meets the published standards).
- Cash paid to a private individual is never reimbursed, so use Find Providers or keep an itemized receipt.
What is not allowed for tutoring?
The items below are excluded or need approval first.
- A tutor with none of the listed credentials
- Cash payments
- Sessions another agency has already paid for
How do Broward families use tutoring?
It is common for Broward parents to add a reading or math tutor to an ordinary school day. Ask whether the tutor already appears in EMA's Find Providers, since the account then pays that person directly.
How does a Broward family pay for tutoring?
Begin with MyScholarShop, where listed items need no further approval, and next try Find Providers in EMA so tutors, therapists and instructors are paid directly. If neither works, pay by card, save the itemized receipt and ask for reimbursement. Something the guides leave out must be approved before you buy it, and requests for 2026-27 approval stop on May 28, 2027.
Which programs allow tutoring, and which do not?
Each program treats tutoring differently, and the table gives the status for all three.
| Program | Status | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Eligible | Part-time tutoring and full-time private tutoring programs are both authorized categories, and sessions may be held online. |
| PEP (home-directed ESA) | Eligible | Tutoring is a core PEP purchase, paid to a pre-approved provider or reimbursed. |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Eligible from leftover funds after tuition | After tuition and required fees reach the school, what remains can pay a credentialed tutor. |
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Based on the FES-UA Purchasing Guide (FCSUA and Step Up For Students) and the PEP Purchasing Guide for 2026-27, plus Step Up's "Program Handbooks and Purchasing Guides: Summary of Changes" dated September 16, 2026. Treat this as a plain-language summary and not legal advice, since the handbook of your funding organization governs.