The Florida Homeschool Voucher: FES Explained for 2026

What Is the Family Empowerment Scholarship?

If you homeschool in Florida, you've probably heard people talk about "the voucher" or "the FES." They're referring to the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, and it's one of the most generous school choice programs in the country. For the 2025-2026 school year, eligible families can receive up to $8,000 per child to spend on approved educational expenses. That includes curriculum, tutoring, therapy services, and even some technology.

The program is administered through Step Up For Students, a nonprofit scholarship funding organization. Florida doesn't send you a check. Instead, you get a ClassWallet account (basically a digital debit card) loaded with your scholarship funds. You use it to purchase approved items from approved vendors throughout the year.

Here's the important part: this isn't limited to low-income families. Florida expanded the program in 2023 through HB 1, making every K-12 student in the state eligible regardless of household income. That was a massive change. Before the expansion, there were income caps and waitlists. Now, if your child is school-age and a Florida resident, they can qualify.

Who Is Eligible?

The eligibility requirements are straightforward. Your child must be between the ages of 5 and 18 (or kindergarten through 12th grade). They must be a Florida resident. And they cannot be enrolled full-time in a traditional public school at the same time they're receiving the scholarship.

You don't need to have previously attended public school. You don't need to demonstrate financial need. You don't even need to have homeschooled before. New homeschool families are welcome to apply.

One thing that trips people up: you DO still need to file a Letter of Intent to homeschool with your county school district. The FES scholarship and your homeschool registration are two separate things. You need both. File your letter of intent with the district, and apply for FES through Step Up For Students. They're parallel processes.

How to Apply Through Step Up For Students

The application process happens online at stepupforstudents.org. Here's what to expect:

Step 1: Create an account. You'll need a parent or guardian email address and some basic information about your family.

Step 2: Complete the application. You'll enter each child's information, including date of birth, grade level, and Social Security number. Yes, they require the SSN for verification purposes.

Step 3: Upload documents. You'll need proof of Florida residency (utility bill, lease agreement, or mortgage statement) and your child's birth certificate or passport. If you've already filed your homeschool letter of intent, have a copy of that ready too.

Step 4: Wait for approval. Processing times vary. During peak application periods (usually spring and early summer), it can take 4-8 weeks. Off-peak, it's sometimes faster. You'll get email updates on your application status.

Step 5: Access your ClassWallet. Once approved, you'll receive login credentials for your ClassWallet account. Your funds will be loaded in quarterly installments, not all at once.

What Can You Spend the Money On?

This is where people get excited, and also where they get into trouble. The FES covers a wide range of educational expenses, but there are rules. Here's what's approved:

Curriculum and textbooks. This is the big one. You can purchase complete curriculum packages from vendors like Sonlight, BJU Press, Math-U-See, or The Good and the Beautiful. Individual textbooks, workbooks, and teacher guides all qualify.

Online courses and programs. Subscriptions to programs like Teaching Textbooks, IXL, Outschool classes, and other online learning platforms are covered.

Tutoring services. If your child needs one-on-one help in a specific subject, you can pay a tutor through your ClassWallet. The tutor needs to be registered as an approved vendor.

Therapy services. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other educational therapies for children with special needs are covered.

Technology. One computer or tablet per child, per year. There's a dollar cap on this (usually around $1,000), and it has to be purchased from an approved vendor.

Testing fees. Standardized testing, AP exam fees, SAT/ACT registration, all covered.

What's NOT covered: general household supplies, food, clothing (even school uniforms), field trip admission fees, and co-op fees paid to individuals rather than registered organizations. The rules can be granular, so when in doubt, check the approved expense list on the Step Up website before you buy.

Important Deadlines for 2026

Florida accepts FES applications on a rolling basis, but there are practical deadlines you should know:

February 1: The application window opens for the upcoming school year. If you want funds available by August, apply as early as possible.

July 1: The soft deadline. Applications submitted after this date may not be processed in time for the start of the school year. You can still apply, but you might not see funds until October or November.

Quarterly fund disbursements: Funds are loaded into your ClassWallet in four installments, roughly aligned with school quarters. If you apply mid-year, your first disbursement will be prorated.

June 30: End of the fiscal year. Any unspent funds from the current year do NOT roll over. Use them or lose them. I've seen families scramble in June trying to spend down their balance. Don't be that family. Plan your purchases throughout the year.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

After talking to dozens of Florida homeschool families, I've seen the same mistakes come up repeatedly:

Not filing your Letter of Intent. The FES scholarship does not replace your homeschool registration. You need both. Some families apply for FES and forget to register with the district, which can cause problems down the line.

Buying from unapproved vendors. ClassWallet will only process purchases from vendors in their approved marketplace. If you buy curriculum from a random website and try to get reimbursed, it won't work. Always check the vendor list first.

Waiting too long to apply. I know I keep saying this, but it matters. The earlier you apply, the sooner your funds are available. Families who apply in February often have funds by August. Families who apply in August might wait until November.

Not keeping receipts. Even though ClassWallet tracks your purchases, keep your own records. If there's ever a dispute or audit, you'll want documentation.

Forgetting the spending deadline. Unspent funds expire on June 30. Set a reminder for May to review your balance and plan any remaining purchases.

FES vs. Florida Virtual School

This is a question I get a lot. Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is a free, public online school. The FES is a scholarship for private education options, including homeschooling. They're different programs with different trade-offs.

With FLVS, you get free curriculum and certified teachers, but your child is technically enrolled in a public school. They follow the state's scope and sequence, take state assessments, and have deadlines set by their FLVS teachers. You don't have the same freedom to choose your own curriculum or set your own pace.

With FES, you get funding to choose your own materials and approach, but you're responsible for selecting curriculum, teaching (or hiring tutors), and meeting Florida's homeschool evaluation requirements. You have more freedom but also more responsibility.

Some families actually use both. They homeschool with FES funds for most subjects and enroll in a few FLVS courses (like a lab science or foreign language) to supplement. That's perfectly allowed as long as the FLVS enrollment is part-time, not full-time.

Is It Worth It?

For most Florida homeschool families, absolutely. $8,000 per child is real money. It can cover a full year of quality curriculum, online programs, testing, and even a laptop. The application process takes some effort, and you do need to follow the spending rules, but the financial benefit is substantial.

If you're already homeschooling in Florida and you haven't applied, you're leaving money on the table. And if you're thinking about starting, the FES makes the financial barrier to entry much lower than it used to be.

Get your Letter of Intent filed, apply through Step Up For Students, and start planning how you'll put those funds to work.

For the full picture of homeschooling in the Sunshine State, including evaluation options and legal requirements, see our Florida homeschool guide.

The official application and eligibility details are available through Step Up For Students, the state-approved scholarship funding organization.