District Home Education vs. PEP
What’s different between district Home Education and Florida’s Personalized Education Program — and why the difference matters.
Start with the topic that matches your situation.
Each guide stands on its own. Read the one that matches where you are right now.
Confirm eligibility, applications, and payments with FLDOE and your SFO.
Florida parent guides
Private “umbrella” schools vs. district home education
Florida lists a private school and a home education program as separate attendance paths. Side-by-side look at s. 1002.41 and s. 1002.42 — not a ranking.
Moving between the two paths
The notice, timing, and SFO steps when you leave district Home Education for PEP — or return.
How to apply for Florida scholarships
Step-by-step application roadmap, required verification documents, SFO portal options (Step Up EMA & AAA SMP), and post-award onboarding.
FES-EO & FES-UA explained
Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship is two programs under one statute: FES-EO (mainly private-school tuition and fees) and FES-UA (students with a disability as the statute defines it).
How Florida scholarship families spend funds
Step Up EMA (MyScholarShop, Find Providers, reimbursement) and AAA SMP — where purchases happen, and that live portal rules decide payment.
How to choose curriculum for Florida PEP
Five steps for choosing — the Student Learning Plan, the annual test, learning fit, boxed or mix-your-own, and pacing across the year. Choosing, not purchasing.
PEP Student Learning Plan
What the plan is, what it contains, who writes it, and where parents submit it — not choosing curriculum, not applying, and not receipts.
Scholarship receipts and record keeping
Stay organized for reimbursement — what the Step Up PEP Family Handbook lists on an invoice or receipt and proof of payment, how review works in that handbook, and labeled organizing tips.
Florida Home Education Notice of Intent
How to file the statutory notice with your county school district, the 4 required elements, what districts cannot require, and post-filing duties.
FES-UA Oct 31 reimbursement deadline & EMA appeals
What the October 31 FES-UA reimbursement deadline actually covers, why your account balance still rolls over, the inactive-account carve-out, and the EMA single-appeal rule for denials.
Official resources
These are government and Scholarship Funding Organization pages — not this hub, and not a vendor list. Confirm current eligibility, provider status, and purchase rules in EMA, Find Providers, MyScholarShop, or AAA SMP.
- FLDOE — Home Education
- FLDOE — PEP FAQs
- FLDOE — SFO index
- Step Up For Students — Scholarships
- Step Up — EMA apply / login
- AAA Scholarship Foundation
Find Providers has no public standalone URL. The public explainer is the Step Up PEP Purchasing Guide.
