Step Up For Students

Description

Step Up For Students helps administer FIVE scholarship opportunities for Florida schoolchildren. The K-12 INCOME-BASED FLORIDA TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP provides families with financial assistance toward private school tuition and fees, or with transportation costs to attend a public school other than the one the student is zoned to attend. The K-12 INCOME-BASED FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP EDUCATION OPTION (FES-EO) provides families with assistance toward private school tuition and fees. THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP UNIQUE ABILITIES (FES-UA) is a program that helps families personalize educational plans for their CHILDREN WITH CERTAIN SPECIAL NEEDS. To qualify, students beginning at age 3 through 12th grade must be diagnosed with one of the following: anaphylaxis, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, deaf, developmental aphasia, Down syndrome, dual sensory impaired, dyscalculia, dyslexia, emotional or behavioral impairment, High Risk 3-5 year old, hospital or homebound, language impairment, muscular dystrophy, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, Phelan McDermid syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, rare disease or condition, specific learning disability, speech impairment, spina bifida, traumatic brain injured, visually impaired, Williams syndrome or an intellectual disability (severe cognitive impairment). Also, students deemed high risk due to developmental delays and not older than 5 on Sept. 1 may be eligible for the year they apply. THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP is a program that helps public school students who are bullied or victims of violence transfer to another public school or an eligible private school. To qualify, the incident must have taken place at a public K-12 school, any school-related or school-sponsored program or activity, or while riding on the school bus or waiting at the bus stop. THE NEW WORLDS READING SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNTS is an education savings account program that helps public schoolchildren in grades K-5 who struggle with reading. To qualify, the student must have scored a 1 or 2 on the grade three or four English Language Arts section of the Florida Standards Assessment in the prior year or received an assessment report indicating a deficiency in reading. The program offers parents access to educational savings accounts, worth $500 each, to pay for tuition and fees related to part-time tutoring, summer and after-school literacy programs, instructional materials and more. Students who are classified as English Language Learners (ELL) and who are enrolled in a program or receiving services that are specifically designed to meet the instructional needs of English Language Learner students are also eligible and receive priority. Children in foster care, in out-of-home care or homeless may be eligible for either of the five scholarships. Visit www.StepUpForStudents.org/211 to learn more.

Hours

Hours may vary.

Required Documents

Document information may be found at www.stepupforstudents.org

Eligibility

K-12 children may be eligible for the INCOME-BASED FLORIDA TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP or FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP EDUCATION OPTION based on income or categorical eligibility. Children entering kindergarten must be 5 on or before Sept. 1 and children entering first grade must be 6 on or before Sept. 1. Pre-K through 12 children may qualify for the FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP UNIQUE ABILITIES if diagnosed with one of the following: anaphylaxis, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, deaf, developmental aphasia, Down syndrome, dual sensory impaired, dyscalculia, dyslexia, emotional or behavioral impairment, hospital or homebound, language impairment, muscular dystrophy, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, Phelan McDermid syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, rare disease or condition, specific learning disability, speech impairment, spina bifida, traumatic brain injured, visually impaired, Williams syndrome or an intellectual disability (severe cognitive impairment). Also, students deemed high risk due to developmental delays and not older than 5 on Sept. 1 may be eligible for the year they apply. Children must be 3 or 4 on or before Sept. 1. Children entering kindergarten must be 5 on or before Sept. 1 and children entering first grade must be 6 on or before Sept. 1. K-12 children may qualify for the HOPE SCHOLARSHIP if an incident of bullying or violence took place at a public K-12 school, any school-related or school-sponsored program or activity, or while riding on the school bus or waiting at the bus stop. Public school students in grades three through five who scored a 1 or 2 on the grade three or four English Language Arts Section of the Florida Standards Assessment in the prior year or K-2 students with an assessment report indicating deficiency in reading may qualify for the NEW WORLDS READING SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNTS. Students who are classified as English Language Learners (ELL) and who are enrolled in program or receiving services that are specifically designed to meet the instructional needs of English Language Learning students are also eligible and will receive priority.

Fees

No fees charged.

Intake Procedure

Applications are completed online at www.stepfupforstudents.org/211

Languages

English, Spanish, Creole.

Service Area

Florida

Geography Served

Telephone Numbers