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 online classes and virtual programs with scholarship funds?
Courses from approved online and virtual providers are authorized FES-UA expenses.
Self-paced recorded courses count as curriculum, and live online instruction is eligible through approved providers. PEP funds may not pay for full-time online instruction.
A student enrolled at a private school can use any balance for an eligible online course.
Which rules apply in Lee County?
| Allowed, with conditions | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Check that the provider is approved for your program before enrolling. | Full-time online instruction on PEP |
| PEP students can't use the account for a full-time online school. | |
| Keep course receipts and completion records. |
How does this play out in Lee County?
Lee families pricing a home-based Christian program sometimes compare low-cost online schools, American Faith Academy (AmFaith) among them. Ask Step Up whether a given online provider fits your program before paying.
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.