FES-UA: Florida's Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities

By My Learning Source · August 25, 2026 · Scholarships, Special Needs, Guides

The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities — FES-UA — is Florida's largest-award program, and one fact about it surprises many families: no private school enrollment is required. It is a pure education savings account, which makes it a genuine option for families educating at home.

Who qualifies

Students ages 3 through 22 with either a district-issued IEP written within the last three years, or a qualifying diagnosis from an eligible licensed professional. The qualifying list is long — it includes autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, hearing and visual impairments, traumatic brain injury, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, rare diseases, and more. There is no income requirement.

Why award sizes vary so much

For 2026–27, FES-UA awards run from roughly

0,484 to $37,493 depending on the student's matrix level, county and grade. The matrix level — a rating of service need from 251 to 255 — is assigned only by your school district, not by Step Up. If your child's needs have grown since their last evaluation, you may request a re-evaluation; districts operate on statutory timelines once notified.

What it covers that other programs don't

Speech, occupational, physical and behavioral therapies from credentialed providers
Music, art and equine therapy
Physical education — dance, gym and sports instruction
Educational field trips: museums, zoos, aquariums and ticketed events
Home internet service and hotspots at your Florida address
Contributions to Florida Prepaid and Florida 529 college savings
Plus everything the other programs cover: curriculum, tutoring, testing, part-time private school

Compliance items to calendar

Quarterly attestations begin with 2026–27: before each deposit you confirm your student isn't enrolled full-time in public school. Miss one and that quarter's funding can hold.
Renewals close in spring, months before new applications do — a late renewal is processed as new and loses priority.
Accounts with no spending activity across two consecutive fiscal years can be closed and returned to the state.
Services generally must be delivered in Florida, credentialed virtual providers excepted.

Action items

If your child has a diagnosis but no IEP, ask an eligible licensed professional about documentation before the application window.
Locate your child's most recent IEP and check its date — it must be within three years.
Compare FES-UA against PEP before applying: one pending application per student, and for qualifying students FES-UA is usually the larger award by a wide margin.
Browse therapy and special-needs providers in our directory who work with FES-UA families.

My Learning Source is an independent marketplace and is not affiliated with Step Up For Students or the Florida Department of Education. Program rules and amounts change every cycle — confirm details on the official program pages before making financial decisions.

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