Last updated: 2026-11-03
FES-UA Approved Expenses: What Florida Families Can Buy
FES-UA can cover far more than private school tuition: ABA therapy, therapies, curriculum, tutoring, evaluations, devices, and other educational supports. Check what needs documentation before you buy.
Clinically reviewed by Meaghan Timko, MS, BCBA, LBA BACB certification #1-05-2608
Related resources
Guides, data, and tools to use next
Move from this guide to a checklist, data report, or state resource that supports the next decision.
FES-UA purchasing: what changed and what's due (November 2026)
Checked on the program's official site on November 3, 2026.
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Current guide
FES-UA Purchasing Guidelines 2026-2027
The current UA purchasing guide is dated July 1, 2026 (33 pages). Step Up lists a September 16, 2026 revision to its purchasing guides.
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New as of October 28, 2026
Early replacement for assistive technology
An assistive technology device may be replaced early with pre-authorization when documentation shows it is broken beyond repair or the student's prescription changed.
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Closed October 31, 2026
2025-26 reimbursements
The window for purchases made July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 is closed.
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May 28, 2027
2026-27 pre-authorization requests due
Items in Appendix B and items the guide does not list as eligible need pre-authorization before you buy.
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July 31, 2027
2026-27 reimbursements due
Covers purchases made July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Step Up reviews a request within 60 days and allows one appeal through EMA.
Sources: UCF FES-UA Purchasing Guidelines 2026-2027, Step Up's purchasing guides page and summary of changes, the FES-UA Family Handbook 2026-27 (last modified October 29, 2026), and the Unique Abilities reimbursement page.
Ask ChatGPT whether FES-UA will cover your expense
We wrote the question with the approved and excluded expense rules from this guide. Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and add the exact item or service you want to pay for.
New to FES-UA? Award amounts by matrix level, eligibility, and application steps are in our Florida FES-UA scholarship guide: amounts and how to apply. This page covers what you can buy once funds are in your account.
Step Up UA Purchasing Guide 2026-27 (official PDF)
The official FES-UA Purchasing Guidelines for 2026-2027 are dated July 1, 2026. This is the document families call the Step Up UA purchasing guide or Unique Abilities purchasing guide. It runs 33 pages.
Open the 2026-27 UA Purchasing Guide (PDF)What to know before you open it
- Spend 2026-27 funds between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027. Submit reimbursements by July 31, 2027.
- Appendix A lists prohibited items. Appendix B lists items that need pre-authorization before you buy.
- Florida Prepaid 529 contributions now go through direct pay instead of reimbursement.
- Covered categories include devices, curriculum, therapies, tuition, tutoring, testing, summer and after-school programs, transition services, and horse, music, and art therapy.
- This guide is for FES-UA only. PEP and FES-EO have their own purchasing guides on the Step Up purchasing guides page.
Below is a plain-English summary of the guide's categories and the documentation rules that cause the most denials.
Direct billing through an eligible school or provider
Many private schools and some service providers can bill the scholarship account directly. This is usually the cleanest path for tuition, fees, and recurring services.
MyScholarShop or marketplace purchases
Step Up links families to marketplace-style purchasing options for eligible products and vendors. Check the current portal before buying because vendor availability changes.
Reimbursement after you pay
For purchases made outside direct billing, families generally submit receipts and documentation for review. Keep proof of payment and proof that the expense supports the student's education plan.
Official MyScholarShop walkthrough
This is a Step Up For Students video on logging in and buying through MyScholarShop. Use it as a walkthrough, then verify the current 2026-27 purchasing guide and your scholarship portal before you spend.
The safe rule: verify before you buy
For FES-UA purchases, ask "does this item fit an authorized category, with the right vendor/provider credentials and enough documentation for approval?" Being useful is not enough on its own. When the answer is unclear, ask for written guidance or pre-authorization before spending.
2026-27 spending window, deadlines, and rule changes
The current UCF FES-UA purchasing guidelines are dated July 1, 2026. Step Up lists September 16, 2026 updates to its handbook and purchasing resources, and as of October 28, 2026 an assistive technology device may be replaced early with pre-authorization when documentation shows it is broken beyond repair or the student's prescription changed. Use the UA-specific guide and current handbook together; changes to PEP or private-school scholarships do not automatically apply to FES-UA.
Spending window
Items or services must be purchased with 2026-27 scholarship funds between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027.
Reimbursement deadline
Reimbursement requests using 2026-27 funds must be submitted by July 31, 2027.
Review timeline
Reimbursement requests can take up to 60 days to review after all documentation is received. If a request is placed on hold for more information, the 60-day clock restarts when you provide it.
Check the current pre-authorization rules
The UA guide requires pre-authorization for items in Appendix B and items not listed as eligible. Include supporting documents and explain how the purchase supports the student. Approval does not by itself confirm provider eligibility or available funds. Submit 2026-27 pre-authorization requests by May 28, 2027.
Florida Prepaid is direct pay
Step Up reports that Florida Prepaid 529 Plan payments moved from reimbursement to direct pay on June 30, 2026. Families should not submit a reimbursement request for a Prepaid contribution; confirm the direct-pay process in the scholarship portal.
Sources: Step Up For Students purchasing guides (current UCF UA guide dated July 1, 2026; Step Up resources updated September 16, 2026) and the FES-UA Family Handbook. Confirm current rules in your scholarship portal before buying.
FES-UA Approved Expense Categories
These are parent-friendly summaries of the major categories in the official purchasing guide. The exact documentation rules can change by cycle, so treat this as a starting point, not the final approval decision.
Private school and education programs
- Tuition and eligible fees at a participating Florida private school
- Home education program tuition or eligible instructional support
- Approved online or virtual learning providers
- Dual enrollment, approved pre-apprenticeship, or postsecondary coursework when allowed
Therapies and specialized services
- ABA therapy from qualified providers
- Speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy
- Educational evaluations and assessments
- Part-time tutoring, private tutoring programs, or choice navigator services when eligible
Instructional materials and curriculum
- Curriculum and curriculum materials
- Books, digital materials, educational software, and subscriptions
- School supplies and lab materials tied to instruction
- Learning manipulatives and educational subscription kits
Assistive and educational technology
- Assistive technology devices
- Digital devices and eligible peripherals
- Training or maintenance agreements for eligible devices
- Internet resources when they are needed for the student's education plan
Enrichment tied to curriculum
- Field trips and activities needed to enhance curriculum
- Physical education activities listed in the purchasing guide
- Music, elective, or enrichment instruction when provider and documentation rules are met
- At-home classroom furnishings when they are permitted by current guidance
Savings and assessment options
- Nationally norm-referenced tests and other eligible assessments
- Industry certifications or exams when allowed
- Florida Prepaid 529 direct-pay contributions within program rules (reimbursement ended June 30, 2026)
- Required documentation connected to scholarship accountability
Before purchase or reimbursement, check these six things
- The current Step Up or AAA purchasing guide for the exact scholarship year
- Whether your scholarship funding organization requires pre-authorization
- Whether the vendor, provider, or school can issue the documentation you need
- Whether a reimbursement needs proof of payment, proof of eligible use, or both
- Whether the item has quantity, frequency, replacement, shipping, or subscription limits
- Whether a Florida Prepaid contribution must be made through direct pay rather than reimbursement
Common reasons reimbursements get denied
- The purchase is educationally useful, but the receipt does not prove the eligible use.
- The vendor is not enough; the provider credentials or service details are missing.
- The item is recreational, household, or general entertainment (such as gaming consoles, soundtracks, or smart glasses) without clinical documentation tying it to an assistive technology or sensory plan.
- Submitting expenses across the wrong scholarship program (e.g. submitting clinical therapy under a PEP homeschool account, or general non-therapeutic supplies under FES-UA).
- The family paid before the eligible reimbursement window or before the service period was allowed.
- The product is eligible only with pre-authorization, but the family bought it first.
- Missing a required public-school attestation or withdrawal request in EMA. For September Q1 recipients, Step Up set September 15, 2026 as the attestation deadline (now passed). New Quarter 3 students and students flagged by a cross-check submit proof of withdrawal by December 9, 2026; other students should follow their individual notice.
How this helps you choose a school or therapy provider
The purchasing rules tell you what may be payable. They do not tell you which school is the best fit, whether the provider has experience with your child's diagnosis, or whether the program can document services in a way your scholarship organization accepts. Ask those questions before you enroll.
Find Florida schools that fit your FES-UA plan
Once you know what FES-UA can pay for, the next step is building a shortlist of schools that match your child's needs, location, services, and funding plan.
Orlando special needs schools
Compare central Florida schools before asking how they invoice FES-UA tuition.
Jacksonville special needs schools
Build a northeast Florida shortlist and verify which programs accept FES-UA.
Tampa special needs schools
Review Tampa-area options, then ask each school about scholarship billing.
Miami special needs resources
Use the Miami guide when your plan mixes school, therapy, and local support.
Official sources
Use these official references for final purchasing, documentation, reimbursement, and eligibility decisions.
- Step Up For Students: FES-UA Purchasing Guide (2026-2027, revised 7/1/2026)
- Step Up For Students: FES-UA Family Handbook (last modified October 29, 2026)
- Step Up For Students: Unique Abilities scholarship
- Step Up For Students: Purchasing guides
- Florida Department of Education: Family Empowerment Scholarship
- Florida Statute 1002.394: Family Empowerment Scholarship Program
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this guide
Can FES-UA pay for ABA therapy?
Yes, FES-UA can pay for ABA therapy when the service and provider meet current scholarship rules. Before starting, ask the provider whether they can bill directly or what documentation they give families for reimbursement.
Can I buy curriculum or homeschool materials with FES-UA?
Yes, curriculum and instructional materials are among the major eligible categories. The safest approach is to match the purchase to your child's education plan, keep the receipt, and check the current purchasing guide before buying anything unusual or expensive.
Can FES-UA pay for a laptop or tablet?
Digital devices and eligible peripherals appear in the FES-UA purchasing guide, but technology purchases can have documentation, quantity, and replacement rules. Verify the current device policy before buying.
What should I do before buying something expensive?
Check the current purchasing guide, ask your scholarship funding organization whether pre-authorization is needed, and confirm that the vendor can provide a detailed receipt or invoice. When the rule is unclear, get written guidance before purchase.
Does FES-UA automatically cover every special-needs service?
No. A service can be helpful and still fail reimbursement if it does not fit an authorized category, lacks provider credentials, or lacks documentation. Treat the official guide and your scholarship portal as the final authority.
Which FES-UA purchases need pre-authorization in 2026-27?
Appendix B of the 2026-27 FES-UA Purchasing Guidelines (dated July 1, 2026) lists overnight or day educational camps, assistive devices the guide does not name, curriculum that is not publicly available, televisions over 55 inches, testing fees not listed in the handbook, out-of-state P.E. activities and field trips, and purchases outside the guide’s frequency limits. Anything the guide does not list as eligible needs pre-authorization before you buy.
Is the Step Up PEP purchasing guide the same as the UA purchasing guide?
No. Step Up For Students publishes separate purchasing guides for FES-UA, for PEP (the Personalized Education Program under the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship) and for private school students. The approved expenses differ, so use the guide for the scholarship your child has.
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