Last verified: October 2026. Checked against Step Up For Students' 2026-27 award tables, handbooks and purchasing guides.
How does PEP work for a Lee County homeschool family?
The family, not a school, receives the funding. Step Up loads the account at the Lee rate for the child's grade, and the parent spends it through the program's marketplace, direct payment to approved providers, or reimbursement. In exchange the student follows a learning plan and takes a norm-referenced test every year.
When can a Fort Myers family apply for PEP?
The main new-student window for 2026-27 ran from February 1 to April 30, 2026. Step Up lets some late applicants apply through April 15, 2027, but funding isn't guaranteed. If the 2027-28 calendar mirrors this year's, the next window opens around February 1, 2027 and closes April 30, 2027; Step Up had not published those dates when we checked.
Which Lee schools take PEP students part-week?
Only 5 schools registered to the Lee district carry the state's PEP flag, so hybrid seats are scarce here compared with larger metros. Each one is tagged in the directory.
What can't PEP pay for?
Step Up's 2026-27 PEP Purchasing Guide lists laptops, desktop computers, Chromebooks, e-readers, phones and smart watches as prohibited. If a computer matters to your plan and your child has a qualifying diagnosis, compare FES-UA.
| What it is | What it isn't |
|---|---|
| Money in an account the parent controls | Tuition paid to one full-time school |
| For students outside public school | Combinable with district home education registration |
| Covers curriculum, tutors and classes | Covers computers or tablets |