Last verified: October 2026. Checked against Step Up For Students' 2026-27 award tables, handbooks and purchasing guides.
Can a Lee County family pay for laptops, tablets & computers with scholarship funds?
One computer, which can be a laptop, desktop or tablet, every two years. Replacing it sooner requires pre-authorization. Monitors, headsets, printers and speakers are also once every two years.
The 2026-27 PEP Purchasing Guide lists laptops, desktop computers, Chromebooks and Surface-type devices, e-readers, phones and smart watches as prohibited, along with digital peripherals.
The 2026-27 Private School Purchasing Guide lists laptops, desktops, tablets, e-readers, phones, smart watches and peripherals such as monitors and printers as prohibited.
Which rules apply in Lee County?
| Allowed, with conditions | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| FES-UA: a single computer per two-year period, with early replacement only once pre-authorized. Rules apply and the device must serve schoolwork. | Any computer or tablet on PEP or the Private School Scholarship |
| FES-UA: monitors, headsets, printers and speakers may be bought once every two years. | Replacing an FES-UA computer early without approval |
| Assistive technology prescribed for the student is a separate FES-UA category. | |
| PEP and FTC/FES-EO: no computers, tablets or peripherals. |
How does this play out in Lee County?
50 Lee private schools take FES-UA, so a family with a qualifying diagnosis can often keep the same school and gain device eligibility by choosing FES-UA over the standard award.
How do I pay for it?
Look in the program marketplace first, where listed items are pre-approved. Next, check whether the provider is approved for direct payment. Otherwise pay, keep an itemized receipt with your Florida address and file for reimbursement; anything not listed as eligible needs pre-authorization before you buy.
Rules summarize Step Up For Students' 2026-27 PEP Purchasing Guide and 2026-27 Private School Purchasing Guide (both revised September 16, 2026) and the FES-UA Purchasing Guide Step Up currently links (2025-26 edition, July 1, 2025). Your scholarship organization's current guide controls; ask before an unusual purchase. Summaries, not legal advice.