Last verified: October 2026. Checked against Step Up For Students' 2026-27 award tables, handbooks and purchasing guides.
Does Florida have school vouchers for Fort Myers and Cape Coral families?
Yes, under the name Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO). Any Lee student can use it, with no income cap, at any of the 55 participating private schools registered in the county. The 2026-27 amounts are $8,779 for K-3, $8,193 for 4-8 and $8,001 for 9-12.
What if a Lee County child has a disability?
Instead of the standard award, a child who qualifies for the Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) gets a parent-run account starting at $10,567 to $11,345 in Lee and rising with the child's matrix level. Therapists and tutors can be paid from it, not just the school.
Is it too late to apply for 2026-27?
Not for the Private School Scholarship or FES-UA: new applications close November 15, 2026, and a new student has to accept the award in EMA by December 15. PEP's main window for this year has closed; only a late, unguaranteed route remains.
What doesn't the voucher pay for?
Busing and gas, most uniforms, and tuition above the award. Those fall to the family or to the next layer: school aid, Catholic family discounts, the partner fund at participating schools and, from 2027, the federal credit.
| What it is | What it isn't |
|---|---|
| Private School Scholarship: $8,001-$8,779, paid to a school | Not paid to parents, and not for computers |
| FES-UA: from $10,567, parent-directed | Not combinable with the standard award |
| PEP: county award for learning outside full-time school | Not a full-time online school or a computer budget |