FES-UA families can use their scholarship funds to contribute to Florida 529 college-savings plans through the Emma/Guardian Marketplace. The out-of-pocket reimbursement option ends June 30, 2026. Contribution requests submitted by the 14th of each month are processed by the 20th.
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Today, we're going to walk through how families can use their Step Up for Students scholarship funds to contribute to a Florida Prepaid Account. We'll go step by step to explain the plan options and how to make sure your contribution goes through smoothly. There is an important change happening that we want all families to be aware of. Step Up for Students is ending the reimbursement option for Florida Prepaid 529 plans, also called the Stanley G. Tate Prepaid 529 Plan. This guide is meant to help Family Empowerment Scholarship families who want to use scholarship funds for college savings. We'll show you how to submit a service request for either a Florida Investment 529 plan or a Florida Prepaid 529 plan. Before you begin, there are two important requirements. You must already have a Florida Prepaid 529 plan or a Florida Investment 529 plan set up. The student's name on the Florida529 account must exactly match the name on the scholarship account. This is very important because it allows Step Up for Students to send payments directly to the correct account. Please keep in mind that Step Up for Students is unable to provide your Florida Prepaid account number. To obtain this information, please log into your Florida Prepaid account or reach out to Florida Prepaid directly. When you log into your Florida Prepaid account, you'll see your 11-digit plan number on the dashboard. The example on the screen shows exactly where to look. You can also find your account number on your Florida Prepaid statement. This is another easy way to verify you have the correct number before submitting a request. There are two types of college savings plans you might see in the Emma Marketplace: the Florida 529 Savings Program, or the Investment 529 Plan, and the Stanley G. Tate, which is currently known as the Prepaid 529 Plan. A Florida Investment 529 Plan is a flexible way to save for college. It allows funds to grow tax-free and can be used for a variety of education expenses. For Investment 529 plans, contributions must be made using direct pay through your Emma account. To ensure a smooth and direct payment process when using the Florida 529 Investment Plan, it's crucial to include a detailed account statement. When submitting a direct pay request, you must include: the student's full name, the Florida Investment 529 account number, and the correct service type. This ensures the payment is sent to the right place. To use scholarship funds for the Florida Investment 529 Plan, families should follow these steps. First, sign into your account in Emma and select Marketplace. Families should utilize the Find Providers feature in their Emma account. In this section, select the student for whom the contribution is intended. Once you've made your selection, head over to the Service Category box. This is where you'll choose the Florida Investment 529 Plan, also known as the College Savings Plan. After selecting the right category, click on Search. After you've selected the service provider, it's crucial to choose the correct location associated with that provider. As you prepare to contribute to your Florida Investment 529 plan, it's important to carefully determine the exact amount you wish to allocate. You'll enter this amount on the screen shown here. Please note, once this amount is submitted, it cannot be changed. This step is essential as it reflects your commitment to investing in your child's educational future. Thoughtful planning now can make a meaningful difference later. On this screen, take a moment to carefully review the contribution amount you've entered to ensure its accuracy. Next, enter your Florida Investment 529 Plan account number in the Notes section. Precision is key—any errors here may prevent your transaction from being processed successfully. Once all details are confirmed, select Reserve Funds. This action secures your contribution and prepares your account for the next steps in the process. Once you've added the Florida Investment 529 Plan to your cart, the next step is to select Reserve Funds to move forward to checkout. You'll be asked to approve sharing your contact information. Once you confirm, the request is submitted. To see when your funds arrive, log into your Florida Prepaid account and open the Payments tab. You'll be able to see all payments that have been applied. This part is very important. Requests must be submitted by the 14th of the month to be processed that month. Payments are typically applied by the 20th of the month. Requests submitted after the 14th will roll into the next month. Let's focus on the key aspect of the prepaid account statement. The "Billed" column reflects the funds that have been applied to each prepaid plan. This means you can easily see how much has been allocated to each plan. It's a straightforward way to track the status of your investments, offering a clear picture of how your funds are being managed. Now, we're going to transition and focus on the Florida Prepaid 529 Plans. In this next section, We'll show you how to make contributions using Direct Pay. With Direct Pay, scholarship funds are sent directly from your Emma account to Florida Prepaid, no out-of-pocket payment required. Log into the Emma Guardian Portal. From the Dashboard menu on the left, select Marketplace, then click on the Find Providers tile. When the page loads, choose the student's name from the blue dropdown menu. Now, we'll walk through direct pay for a prepaid 529 plan using your Emma account. After selecting your student, you'll see several drop-down menus. Working from left to right, open the Service Category menu and choose Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program. This selection ensures your request routes to the correct provider and plan type. Next is the Service Type menu. This is where you select the eligible plan type you want to contribute to. Choose the option that matches your student's Florida Prepaid Plan. Selecting the correct plan type helps prevent delays in verification and payment processing. Here are the eligible plan types you may see in the Service Type list: 1-Year University Plan, 4-Year University Plan, 2-year College Plan, 4-year College Plan, 2+2 Florida Plan, and the Dormitory $529 Plan. Please remember to select the plan that matches what you have established for your student with Florida Prepaid. Once you've selected all required dropdown items, click Add to Cart, then proceed to checkout. Completing checkout allows Step Up for Students to verify the account information and send funding on the student's behalf. Before submitting, take a final moment to confirm your selections are correct. Step Up is ending the reimbursement option for Florida Prepaid (Prepaid 529) contributions. June 30th, 2026 is the final day to submit an Out-of-Pocket Reimbursement request. Requests submitted on or before June 30th will be processed. Any requests submitted after that date will be denied. Reimbursements pending as of June 30th will still be completed. For questions about how your Florida Prepaid plan works or how funds are applied, contact Florida Prepaid directly. For questions about pending requests in EMA, check your account for notices or requests for documents. There are a few rules families should be aware of. The beneficiary on an account with scholarship funds cannot be changed. Scholarship funds are tracked separately from private contributions. If the scholarship account closes, remaining funds are returned to the state as required by law. Thank you for watching. If you need additional help, support is available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time. Families can contact Step Up for Students by phone or visit the website to chat with a representative. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need additional support as you contribute to a Florida Prepaid Account. We're here to support you every step of the way.
