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 speech, occupational, physical & aba therapy with scholarship funds?
Services from licensed therapists, including speech-language, occupational, physical and behavioral (ABA) therapy, are authorized FES-UA expenses.
The PEP marketplace lists therapy as a service category, but the guide doesn't detail which therapies qualify; confirm with Step Up first.
Not part of the standard Private School Scholarship; a child who needs funded therapy should look at FES-UA.
Which rules apply in Lee County?
| Allowed, with conditions | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| The therapist must hold the Florida license for the service. | Services from unlicensed providers |
| Approved providers can be paid directly from the account. | |
| On-campus therapy billed by a school has to appear on its fee schedule. |
How does this play out in Lee County?
Lee has several autism-focused and exceptional-education private schools, and 50 schools in the county accept FES-UA. Ask each one whether therapy happens on campus and how it's billed.
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.