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 private school tuition & fees with scholarship funds?
Paying a participating school's tuition and fees is the most common FES-UA use.
Only part-week tuition at a state-approved hybrid with two or more full on-site days weekly; full-time enrollment is excluded.
Tuition and required fees are the program's main purpose.
Which rules apply in Lee County?
| Allowed, with conditions | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Ask each school for a fee schedule marked eligible or family-paid. | Food fees, including breakfast and lunch |
| Payment follows the quarterly EMA enrollment. | Nursery or daycare fees |
How does this play out in Lee County?
When comparing two Lee schools, ask for the after-scholarship figure for your child's grade in writing; the fee lines outside the award can differ by hundreds of dollars.
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.