Step Up for Students

Required Documents

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Eligibility

Families eligible for the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program have two scholarship options: one that helps cover private school tuition and fees or one that assists with transportation costs to attend a public school in another county. More than 1,800 schools statewide accept this scholarship. If a family's household income qualifies for the free or reduced-price school lunch program (185% of the federal poverty guidelines), or if the family receives SNAP (food stamps), TANF, or FDPIR, the student may be eligible. Children entering kindergarten must be 5 on or before September 1 and children entering first grade must be 6 on or before Sept. 1. The Gardiner Scholarship helps families customize education plans for their children with certain special needs and is available for qualified Florida students ages 3 through 22. Pre-K through 12 children may qualify for the Gardiner Scholarship if diagnosed with one of the following: anaphylaxis, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, deaf, Down syndrome, dual sensory impaired, hospital or home-bound, muscular dystrophy, Phelan McDermid syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, rare disease or condition, spina bifida, traumatic brain injured, visually impaired, Williams syndrome or an intellectual disability (severe cognitive impairment). Also, students deemed "high risk" due to developmental delays and not older than 5 on Sept. 1 may be eligible for the year they apply. Children must be 3 or 4 on or before Sept. 1st. Children entering kindergarten must be 5 on or before Sept. 1 and children entering first grade must be 6 on or before Sept. 1. Parents can direct scholarship money toward a combination of approved programs and providers that best meet their children's unique learning needs. These include approved private schools, therapists, specialists, curriculum and technology-even a college savings account. The Hope Scholarship Program was created by the Florida Legislature in 2018 to provide the parent of a public-school student who is bullied or a victim of violence an opportunity to transfer the student to another public school or to request a scholarship for the student to enroll in and attend an eligible private school. To qualify, the incident must have taken place at a public K-12 educational institution, any school-related or school-sponsored program or activity, or while riding on the school bus or waiting at the bus stop. The Reading Scholarship Accounts is an education savings account program for third- through fifth-grade students enrolled in public schools who scored a 1 or 2 on the grade three or four English Language Arts section of the Florida Standards Assessment in the prior year. The program offers parents access to educational savings accounts, worth $500 each, to pay for tuition and fees related to part-time tutoring, summer and after-school literacy programs, instructional materials and more. Students who are classified as English Language Learners (ELL) and who are enrolled in a program or receiving services that are specifically designed to meet the instructional needs of English Language Learner students are also eligible and will receive priority.

Fees

No fees

Intake Procedure

Please visit www.StepUpForStudents.org/211 to learn more.

Languages

English, Spanish and Creole

Geography Served

Telephone Numbers