What can a Jacksonville family buy with a Florida scholarship?
Beyond tuition, Unique Abilities and PEP accounts, and money left on a Private School Scholarship, can pay for tutors, therapies, curriculum, internet, lessons, sports, museum visits, testing and college credit. Each category below states the rule for all three programs, what is excluded and how Duval families use it. Duval awards: $8,409 K-3 · $7,821 4-8 · $7,629 9-12.
Last verified: October 2026Learning help: what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Private tutoring
Part-time tutoring is among the commonest ways a Duval family uses leftover scholarship money, and it comes with credential rules the tutor must meet.
Rules →Learning helpReading support and dyslexia programs
Structured-literacy help can be bought as tutoring, curriculum or a specialized service depending on who delivers it and how.
Rules →Learning helpTests, evaluations and assessments
Norm-referenced tests, AP exams, industry certification exams and re-evaluation assessments are covered.
Rules →Therapy services (FES-UA): what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Speech and language therapy
Speech-language pathology is one of the specialized services Florida names for Unique Abilities students.
Rules →Therapy services (FES-UA)OT and PT sessions
Occupational and physical therapy are covered by FES-UA as long as a licensed therapist delivers them.
Rules →Therapy services (FES-UA)Applied behavior analysis for autism
Applied Behavior Analysis is named in the FES-UA statute and is among the largest single therapy uses of the account.
Rules →Course materials: what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Curriculum and course materials
Full curricula, single courses and self-paced online programs are allowed in all three programs, with a rule about material that is not publicly available.
Rules →Course materialsOnline classes and virtual schools
Florida separates self-paced online courses (curriculum), live instruction from an approved provider and full-time virtual school.
Rules →Tech and connectivity: what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Computers, tablets and devices
Devices are the rule that changed most for 2026-27: PEP now excludes laptops and computers, while the FES-UA guide still lists digital devices and assistive technology.
Rules →Tech and connectivityInternet at home
Florida is one of the few states where scholarship money can pay a family's home internet bill.
Rules →Tech and connectivityLearning software and subscriptions
Learning apps, graphics and photo-editing software, and educational streaming can be bought as software or subscriptions.
Rules →Enrichment and electives: what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Music teachers and instruments
Private lessons, instruments, rentals, repairs and tuning can all qualify as electives.
Rules →Enrichment and electivesArt, drama, languages and other electives
Cooking, drama, foreign languages, photography, sewing, woodworking, coding and art lessons count as electives, as do their supplies.
Rules →Enrichment and electivesSports coaching, P.E. and gear
Physical education is treated generously: lessons, team fees and sports equipment can qualify.
Rules →Outings and programs: what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Outings to museums, zoos and parks
Student admission to museums, zoos, aquariums, parks and certain performances can qualify, with a short list of exclusions.
Rules →Outings and programsSummer and after-school programs
Specialized educational summer and after-school programs can qualify; general camps need documentation.
Rules →Older students and careers: what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Dual enrollment and college credit
Tuition and fees at eligible Florida postsecondary institutions and dual-enrollment courses can be paid from an account.
Rules →Older students and careersCareer certifications and training
Certification exam fees and pre-apprenticeship tuition are authorized.
Rules →Inside a private school: what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Excluded costs: what does a Duval scholarship cover?
Getting to school
Rides to school are not payable from any of Florida's scholarships, which matters in a county as large as Duval.
Rules →Excluded costsMeals, lodging and child care
Claims for lunch, aftercare and overnight camp stays are rejected more than any others.
Rules →How does a Duval family actually pay for a purchase?
MyScholarShop
Step Up's online store. Each item has already been approved and ships to the Florida address on the application; if the same product costs less somewhere else, Step Up will reimburse only the lower price.
Find Providers / direct pay
A tutor, therapist or instructor who is approved in EMA is paid directly from the account, and the family spends nothing up front.
Reimbursement
Buy it yourself, hold on to an itemized receipt showing a Florida delivery address and file a claim. Money handed to a private seller is never repaid. Requests for pre-approval in 2026-27 must arrive by May 28, 2027.
| Category | FES-UA | PEP | Leftover Private School funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapies | Yes | No | No |
| Tutoring and curriculum | Yes | Yes | From what is left after tuition |
| Laptops and computers | Per the FES-UA guide | No (2026-27) | No |
| Transportation and food | No | No | No |
Want a spending plan for your child's account?
An advisor matches your award to the categories that fit and to Jacksonville providers who take direct payment.