If your child has ADHD, dyslexia, autism, or another learning challenge, you may be looking for specialized tutoring support for them. Individualized academic instruction can make an immense difference in your child’s academic performance and self-esteem.
Florida offers some robust scholarships that can help you pay for specialized tutoring for your child. In this guide, you’ll learn about the best scholarships available in Florida and how you can use them to access them to fund academic support for your child.
Which Florida scholarships are available for students with learning challenges?
Florida offers several scholarships for students with learning challenges that allow you to choose how to spend your child’s education funds. You can choose from a variety of options, including:
- Private school tuition
- One-on-one academic tutoring
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Curriculum and learning materials
- Technological tools
- Many other educational programs and services
As a parent, you can choose how to allocate your child’s funds through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), based on their needs.
Step Up for Students scholarships
The main organization that manages scholarships in Florida is Step Up for Students. Step Up for Students administers a variety of state-funded programs to help you identify the best education options for your child.
Why Step Up for students is helpful for your child
Step Up for Students scholarships can be life-changing for your child! These scholarships do the following:
- Help hundreds of thousands of Florida students access effective individualized education
- Pay for a variety of services, including one-on-one tutoring
- Allow you to create individualized learning plans for your child
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA)
The FES-UA program is a valuable scholarship for students with learning challenges. It offers a variety of services and support for students with special education needs.
Who Qualifies for FES-UA?
Students who qualify for FES-UA must be between ages 3 and 22 (or up to grade 12, whichever comes first), with diagnoses including:
- ADHD
- Dyslexia
- Dysgraphia
- Dyscalculia
- Learning disability
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Developmental delays
- Other diagnoses
What Does FES-UA Cover?
FES-UA can cover many different academic services and materials. Students can receive roughly $10,000 per year to use for services and products such as:
- Specialized academic tutoring
- Private school tuition
- Speech and occupational therapy
- Orton Gillingham tutoring
- Executive Functioning coaching
- Reading remediation
- Multi-sensory math tutoring
- Structured writing support
- Educational curriculum and materials
For students who need specialized academic tutoring, ADHD coaching, dyslexia tutoring, or Orton Gillingham instruction, FES-UA can be very valuable!
Other Florida scholarships that can cover tutoring
While FES-UA is the most beneficial for students who have special education needs, other Florida scholarships can be useful as well, including:
Family Empowerment Scholarship - Educational Options (FES-EO)
- This scholarship is available to a wider group of students, beyond just those with special education needs
- Includes income-based eligibility
- Can pay for private school tuition and fees
Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship
- Similar to FES-EO in that it is available to a wider group of students
- Prioritizes families with less income
- Can be used to fund private education
Personalized Education Program (PEP)
- Funds homeschooled students along with students who attend a microschool
- Covers curriculum and materials
- Covers other courses
- Can fund one-on-one tutoring
Learn more about using Step Up funds for tutoring at Does Florida’s Step Up Scholarship Cover Tutoring Services?
Do these Step Up scholarships fund tutoring?
Many of these Florida scholarships cover one-on-one tutoring services, meaning you may not incur any out-of-pocket tutoring expenses!
Parents can use these scholarship funds for:
- One-on-one tutoring
- Executive functioning coaching
- Reading intervention, including dyslexia tutoring
- Orton Gillingham tutoring
- ADHD coaching
- Multi-sensory tutoring
With these funds, you can select a highly individualized tutoring program that uses research-based, multi-sensory techniques most appropriate for your child.
How do I apply for Step Up for Students Florida scholarships?
The Step Up for Students scholarship application process typically involves the following steps:
- Create an online account
- Submit documentation including:
- Proof of Florida residency
- Verification of your child’s age
- For FES-US, documentation of your child’s diagnosis or their IEP
- Complete the application as early as possible, since funding is limited
Applications for programs like FES-UA usually open in early spring and funds are available on a limited basis, so apply as early as you can!
Read more about who qualifies for Step Up funding at Who Is Eligible for Step Up for Students in Florida? Scholarships & Tutoring.
How these Step Up Scholarships can be life-changing for students
Step Up scholarships can truly change your child’s academic trajectory, as they allow you to:
- Access one-on-one tutoring for your child that they might not otherwise receive
- Individualize your child’s education based on their strengths and unique needs
- Minimize your child’s frustration and school stress
- Help increase your child’s self-esteem
Florida’s Step Up for Students scholarship programs can help you choose the educational options you feel are best for your child, given their unique learning needs.
Final Thoughts about Step Up for Students scholarships
If your child is struggling academically or has ADHD, dyslexia, or another learning challenge, Florida’s scholarships can help them tremendously with individualized support and one-on-one tutoring.
If you’re looking for a specialized tutor for your child, including multi-sensory instruction, ADHD tutoring, reading remediation, Orton Gillingham support, dyslexia tutoring, or learning disability instruction that is covered by Step Up funds, Knowledge Plus Tutoring can help! We are a Step Up approved tutoring provider and that help your child with one-on-one in-person or virtual tutoring. Contact us today to see how we can help you use Step Up funds to pay for your child’s tutoring. Our Boca Raton location is located at 433 Plaza Real, Suite 275, Boca Raton, Florida 33432. Our Orlando location is located at 480 North Orlando Avenue, Suite 236, Winter Park, FL 32789. We provide in-home tutoring throughout Palm Beach, Broward, and Orange Counties in Florida, and we provide virtual tutoring nationwide.
Frequently asked questions about Step Up for Students Scholarships
Can I use Step Up for Students for tutoring?
Yes! Many Florida Step Up for Students scholarship programs allow your child’s funds to be used for academic tutoring. These funds can also cover specialized instruction, including ADHD tutoring, Orton Gillingham instruction, executive functioning coaching, learning disability tutoring, dyslexia tutoring, and other specialized services.
Can I use Step Up funds for summer tutoring?
Yes! Step Up funds can absolutely be used for summer tutoring, if the tutoring provider is approved within the Step Up marketplace. This is a great way to help your child continue to build their skills over the summer and prevent the summer slide. One-on-one summer tutoring can be particularly beneficial for your child.
Do tutoring providers need to be approved by Step Up?
Yes! The tutoring program you choose for your child must be listed as an approved provider within the Step Up marketplace. Make sure you verify that the tutoring program you select for your child is a Step Up approved tutoring provider.
Dr. Emily Levy, the executive director of Knowledge Plus Tutoring, has been helping students with specialized learning needs through individualized tutoring for over twenty years. She is the author of the Strategies for Study Success student workbook program, the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook series, and the Flags and Stars multi-sensory math student workbook program.
