How to Use Your Step Up Scholarship to Find the Right Vendor

Florida's scholarship programs have opened doors for thousands of homeschool families — and the numbers keep growing. In the 2025–26 school year alone, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options covers up to $8,000 per student with no income cap, making it one of the most accessible education savings programs in the country. Whether you hold a Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES), Florida Tax Credit (FTC), Hope Scholarship, or Unique Abilities award, the same question usually comes first: how do I actually find vendors who accept my funds?

Here's exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Know What Your Scholarship Covers

Not every scholarship works the same way, and the difference matters when you're shopping for curriculum or services. Here's a quick breakdown:

Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) and Florida Tax Credit (FTC) These are the most flexible scholarships in the program. Both cover a wide range of educational expenses including curriculum, textbooks, tutoring services, online courses, educational technology, STEM and enrichment programs, and standardized testing fees. If it's educational and you can document it, chances are it qualifies. The FES is administered as an Education Savings Account (ESA), meaning funds are held on your behalf and released when you make approved purchases.

Hope Scholarship Designed specifically for students who have experienced bullying, harassment, or violence at a Florida public school. The Hope Scholarship gives families the means to transfer to a private school or homeschool setting, covering many of the same educational expenses as the FES. If your child is transitioning out of a difficult public school situation, this scholarship can fund the curriculum and services that make that transition successful.

Unique Abilities (FES-UA) This scholarship is for students with an IEP or documented disability, and it goes further than the standard FES in one important way: it covers therapeutic and specialized services that other scholarships typically don't. Occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, applied behavior analysis (ABA), neurofeedback, and brain-training programs all fall within the FES-UA umbrella. Providers under this track are paid directly through the EMA system — which means no out-of-pocket cost and no reimbursement waiting period.

Step 2: Understand How Vendors Get Paid — and Why It Matters

This is the part most families don't know until it costs them time or money.

Step Up for Students operates two separate payment tracks, and which one your vendor is on determines how quickly your family gets access to what you purchased.

MyScholarShop (the Marketplace) MyScholarShop is Step Up's built-in vendor marketplace. When a curriculum company or education provider is listed on MyScholarShop, families can purchase directly using their ESA balance — zero out of pocket, no paperwork, and no waiting. Think of it like shopping with a dedicated debit card that only works at approved stores. Vendors on our platform who carry the Verified MyScholarShop badge are confirmed participants in this system.

Reimbursement Track Here's where it gets important: hundreds of the most popular homeschool curriculum vendors — including some of the biggest names in the industry — are Step Up eligible but are not yet on MyScholarShop. That means families can still use their scholarship funds with these vendors, but they pay out of pocket first and then submit receipts for reimbursement. Reimbursements can take up to 60 days to process. Vendors like Abeka, BJU Press, Teaching Textbooks, Rainbow Resource Center, Classical Conversations, Saxon Math, and Institute for Excellence in Writing all fall into this category. They accept Step Up funds — you'll just need to follow the reimbursement process.

On  MyLearningSource  .com, every vendor listing clearly shows which track applies so you know what to expect before you buy.

FES-UA Service Provider Track Therapy and specialized service providers operate on a third track entirely. Families don't purchase from these providers through MyScholarShop or the standard reimbursement process — instead, providers are paid directly from the student's ESA through the EMA portal. Huntington Learning Center, BrainHarmony, Braincore Neurofeedback, Renewed Rhythms Speech-Language Pathology, and Sertoma are examples of FES-UA service providers you'll find in our directory.

Step 3: Browse Our Marketplace by Scholarship Type

MyLearningSource.com is built around one goal: making it fast and easy for Florida families to find vendors who work with their specific scholarship. Every vendor listing on our platform shows:

• Which scholarships they accept (FES, FTC, Hope, FES-UA)
• Which payment track they're on (MyScholarShop, Reimbursable, or FES-UA Direct)
• What categories they serve — curriculum, tutoring, STEM, therapy, test prep, arts, electives, and more
• Their contact information — direct email and a link to their contact page so you can reach out before you commit

Look for the Verified badge on vendor profiles. That means our admin team has confirmed the vendor's scholarship eligibility and their listing information is current. Unverified listings may still be accurate, but we recommend contacting the vendor directly to confirm before purchasing.

You can filter by subject, grade level, scholarship type, and payment method — so if you need a math curriculum that works on MyScholarShop with an FES scholarship for a 4th grader, you can find exactly that in under a minute.

Step 4: Reach Out to Vendors Directly

Found a vendor you're interested in? Each profile has a Send Inquiry button that routes your message directly to the vendor's contact team. You don't need to hunt down emails or fill out a generic form — it goes straight to the right person.

A few things worth asking when you reach out:

• Do you accept Step Up for Students scholarship funds?
• Are you currently on MyScholarShop, or do families need to use the reimbursement process?
• What documentation do you provide for Step Up reimbursement submissions?
• Do you offer any discounts or bundles for Step Up families?

Many vendors are actively working toward MyScholarShop integration and welcome families who ask about it — your inquiry may actually help move that process along.

Step 5: Stay Connected for Scholarship Tips

When you send an inquiry or create a free account on MyLearningSource.com, you'll be automatically subscribed to our newsletter. We send regular updates on:

• New vendors added to the platform
• Step Up policy changes and scholarship deadlines
• Reimbursement tips and documentation guides
• Convention and curriculum sale alerts by state

Florida's scholarship landscape changes every legislative session, and staying informed is one of the most practical things you can do as a homeschool parent. We track the changes so you don't have to.

A Note for Vendors

If you're a curriculum company, tutoring provider, or educational service that accepts Step Up scholarship funds and you're not yet listed on MyLearningSource.com — we want to hear from you. We've built a network of over 1,200 homeschool vendors across 11 states, with a dedicated Florida directory focused specifically on Step Up scholarship integration. Getting listed is free, and we can connect you directly with families searching for exactly what you offer.

Visit our vendor registration page or use the contact form to get started.

MyLearningSource.com is an independent homeschool vendor marketplace. We are not affiliated with Step Up for Students or the Florida Department of Education. Always verify current scholarship eligibility directly with your scholarship funding organization before making purchases.