How to Apply for the Personalized Education Program (PEP) Scholarship (2026–2027)

Welcome. Today we are walking through the new application process for the Personalized Education Program or PEP Scholarship. We will move step by step so you know what to prepare, what to click in EMMA, and how to avoid common delays. Let's get started. If you would rather view information in Spanish, you can change the language on our website. Use the video referenced here to see exactly where to click so your navigation and key resources display in Spanish. Before you apply, remember this key A student cannot be enrolled in a public school while also receiving and using scholarship funds. If your student is currently enrolled, make sure the withdrawal is completed properly. A few important reminders before you start Families may submit only one scholarship application per student at a time. Each time you log into emma, you will complete Multi Factor Authentication, so use a phone you can easily access. You will receive an email once your application review is complete. Let's explore the two educational options available for families using pep. First, the Florida Homeschool option. This is designed for traditional homeschooling families. It's important to note that these students are not full time private or public school students. This option provides flexibility for families who prefer a more personalized home based education approach. Next, we have the PEP Hybrid Private School option. This is ideal for families seeking a blend of in person and online instruction. Students attend a Florida Department of Education approved school location part time at least two days a week. These hybrid schools are registered and approved by the FLDOE to offer this unique learning experience to PEP students, please review the Student Application Checklist before you begin. Proof of residency now requires two different document types and the documents must be in the name of the primary or secondary guardian. Both documents must come from the same guardian. Use the checklist to confirm you have everything ready. Before you upload, Please go to stepupforstudents.org to apply for the Personalized Education Program Scholarship. Click the Apply Login button at the top of the page. If you already have an EMA account, please input your username and password and within the presentation you may proceed to Slide 22 to complete your application. New applicants should navigate to the next slide. To retrieve a forgotten username, click on Forgot Username. If you need to reset a lost password, select Forgot Password. If you are a new user, enter your email address and click Send Code. This starts the account creation process. Check your email for the verification code. You will use that code on the sign up screen. To continue, enter the code from your email into the verification box, then click Confirm. This verifies your email address so that you can proceed after confirming your code Click Continue to move to the Account Setup screen. Complete all open fields on this page. Select Parent Guardian as the account type. Create your username, enter your legal first and last name and create a secure password that meets the listed requirements. Next, choose three security questions and provide answers you will remember. These questions help verify your identity. When you contact Step up for Students for support, you will now set up two Step Verification. The primary phone number must be compatible with Multi Factor Authentication. We recommend using a cell phone and avoiding a number that answers as a recording. Review the Step up for Students privacy policy using the link provided. Once you have read and agree, check the box to certify and then click ok. Complete your Guardian profile. This is a one time setup and also where you will update items like your address. If you want everything in Spanish, set your primary language to Spanish here. Enter your contact information on this screen. If you want someone else to be able to call on your behalf, click Add a Caller, set a four digit PIN and make sure that person knows the pin. All fields are required and once complete, click Add. Also note if proof of residency is in a different parent's name, that parent should be listed as the primary parent. Next is Manage Consents. This section gives Step up for Students permission to contact you. Read each item carefully and select yes or no for each consent. Set your contact preferences such as selecting Text if you want text messages, click Save. When finished, then confirm the Data collection and usage statement by checking the box and clicking Save again. You will receive an email notification every time an update is made to your profile. After you click Save, you will be taken to the My Students section. Here you can find renewal students if applicable, and you can also add a student to begin a new application. Please complete all fields for your student and verify that everything is accurate before saving. Use your student's legal name as it appears on official documents and avoid nicknames. When you are finished, click Save. At any time during the application process, you can choose Save as Draft. When you do, a confirmation message will appear letting you know your progress has been saved. This is helpful if you need to step away and return later to finish the application. From the Dashboard tab on the left panel, scroll down to the Available Scholarship section. Click the red button for the scholarship you want to apply for to begin the application. Please remember that students cannot apply for both FESEO ftc, including FTCPAP and FESUA at the same time. Before you begin, Confirm all students you plan to apply for are already listed in the My Students section. On this slide you will see a required question asking whether anyone in your household holds decision making authority in a qualified non profit scholarship funding organization also called an sfo. Please answer this question carefully and honestly. Your response helps ensure the application meets program requirements. After you select the student or students you are applying for, go to the bottom right corner of the screen and click Continue. This takes you forward in the application so you can complete each required section for the selected students. Once submitted, you cannot add additional students until the application has been processed. This screen asks you to confirm that you have selected all students you want to include on this application. Please double check before moving forward. Once you submit, you will not be able to add additional students until the application has been processed. When you click Continue or Save as Draft, you may see a confirmation modal if the application was previously saved as a draft. If you choose Remove Student, the application will save and the student will be removed successfully. If you need to add an existing student before submitting, click Continue to return to your dashboard and add the Student and My Students. This is your chance to make sure every student you want included is listed before final submission. To broaden the Students section of the application, simply click on the View Details link to reveal and fill in the required fields. If any fields are grayed out and need changes such as race or ethnicity, return to My Students, select the student and edit the information there. If you select your relationship as other student or child, you will be prompted to upload documentation showing you have legal custody or legal responsibility for the student. Examples include a court order, notarized affidavit, or adoption papers. Here you will enter enrolled school information, indicate the type of school your student is attending for the 2025-2026 school year and select the county where the school is located. 4. PEP Renewal Students must have participated in PEP Hybrid or Florida homeschool during the 2025-2026 school year. If you are applying for FTC PEP, choose Florida Home School or PEP Hybrid Private School as your expected school type. Then answer the required FTC PEP question to continue. Select Florida Homeschool if you intend to engage in traditional homeschooling or opt for PEP Hybrid Private School if you plan to embrace blended learning. The FTC PEP Scholarship Program is designed for children participating in parent directed education. If you select no, please update your expected school type or verify your intended use of the FTCPEP application in order to proceed. If you check the box next to any of the listed questions, you will need to upload supporting documents. After completing all sections, click Continue to Proceed or Save as Draft to return later. Please ensure uploaded files are not password protected. If you check a box and a green box appears, that is a helpful indicator that the documentation is already on file. In that case, you do not need to upload additional documents for that item. Continue when ready or save your work as a draft to return later. You will be prompted to enter your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number and provide proof of residency. If any fields are grayed out and need updating, click the profile icon in the upper right corner to make changes. Keeping your information current helps prevent processing delays. In the highlighted section, you will choose whether you want to opt in or opt out of providing income documentation. If you choose yes, you are opting out and you will not be required to submit income documentation as part of the application. If you choose no on the income documentation question, you will be prompted to complete the Employment Information section. Be sure to complete every field marked with a red asterisk before moving forward. For families whose marital status is listed as married, the system will ask for your spouse or partner's information. You will also be prompted to enter the amount in the employment income field. When you have completed each required item, click Continue. Proof of residency must now include two different document types and be provided by either the primary or secondary guardian. Both documents must come from the same guardian. Make sure your documents are valid and current. If you are using a recurring bill or statement, it should be dated within the last two months. The documents must match the guardian's full name and the physical street address listed on the application. If your student is a dependent child of an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces and your family is moving into or out of Florida on permanent change of station orders, additional documentation may be required. If your student is a dependent of a currently active member of the US Armed Forces, select yes, you can. Click See more for the definition of what qualifies as active service. After that, choose your current residency status so the application can route you to the correct instructions. If you are presently located in Florida, ensure that you have noted your current mailing address. If you have orders to move into Florida but haven't secured a physical address there yet, you can temporarily use the address of your military base. Once you have a valid Florida address, be sure to return to your guardian profile to update it accordingly. If you select we have orders to relocate from the State of Florida, you are required to submit a permanent change of Station verification request. Please note that only renewal FESUA or FPEPS students are permitted to move or reside outside the State of Florida. If you choose the option, we will live in another state, territory or country outside of the State of Florida. You will be required to upload the following supporting 1. Approved PCs orders verification request 2. Leave an earnings Statement if you are a military family receiving Permanent Change Change of Station Orders to relocate from Florida, submit a PCs Verification Request as outlined at the bottom of the dashboard. Clicking on View Past Requests allows you to access any requests on file or gives you the option to add a new request. Submitting this keeps your scholarship active and updates your address. If you're relocating to Florida and applying for a scholarship, your documents will be incorporated into the application process. If you choose the option, we are currently stationed in the State of Florida and have orders to move out of the state. Please ensure you upload the following supporting 1. Approved permanent change of station orders verification request 2. Leave an earnings Statement Here you can find your previous verification requests for permanent change of State orders related to out of state relocations. Once your request receives approval, you will have the opportunity to renew your FESUA and IRFPEP application as well as add an out of State address to your Guardian profile. By clicking on the hyperlink associated with the Permanent Change of Station Orders Request id, you will be taken to a page where you review the start and end dates of the PCs orders. Check the estimated move date, see the state or territory of residence, access the Permanent Change of Station Orders and Leave and Earnings Statement documents on file. If you need to cancel your previously submitted Permanent Change of Station Orders, just click the Cancel Request button found in the upper right corner. A prompt will appear allowing you to choose choose whether to retain the request or proceed with the cancellation. Now you will complete the Additional Household Members section. Click Add Member to include everyone who lives at your address, including non scholarship residents. Review the definition provided on screen, then check the box to confirm and continue. You are now on the Application Summary page which shows an overview of the sections you have completed. Review everything carefully, make edits as needed, and use the headers to navigate back to any section that needs attention. Before submitting, read the Terms and Conditions and check each box to confirm your agreement. In addition to the general Terms and Conditions, you will complete the Sworn Compliance Statement. Please read the information carefully. When you reach the bottom, click the checkbox to confirm you have read and agreed to the terms. This confirmation is required to move forward in the application. Type your name and sign in the Signature box. Click Keep to save the signature. If you need to redo it, click Clear or use the Redo option, then sign again when you are ready. Click Submit to finalize your signature. When you click Submit, your application is sent for processing. You will receive a confirmation notice on your screen which confirms that your submission was successful. To check your application status at any time, go to My Recent Applications and click Track Process Progress. This is the best place to see updates and any next steps needed from you. The Application Details section is where you can see your current application status and track your progress through the review steps. If you are checking your account for updates, this is one of the best places to start because it provides the status At a Glance For a comprehensive overview of the scholarship, scholarship award and funding process, please click the link as displayed on the slide. If information or documentation is missing, your application may show on hold. The comments section will tell you exactly what is needed so you can upload the missing items and keep your application moving. To better understand where your application is in the overall process, you can click View Scholarship Drop Journey this feature shows the progression from application submission through eligibility and funding steps so you can see what has been completed and what comes next. To view more details for an application that is in a pending status, click the arrow on the right side of the application entry. The window will expand and you will be able to see which students are connected to that application and any additional details available at that stage. Stage Once a scholarship decision is available, guardians can choose Accept Scholarship or Decline Scholarship from this screen. You may accept or decline while applications are still open for the school year. If you are ready to move forward, select Accept Scholarship for the Student. If you decline, the student will be removed from the program and may apply for other scholarships if available. After declining, you will see Scholarship Declined next to the student's name. Follow the steps shown before applying again. Here are the common application statuses you may see in ema. Draft means your application is not yet complete. You still need to finish required sections, upload documents and submit. Submitted Means the application has been sent but has not yet been reviewed. Pending Approval Means the application is under review on hold Means additional information or documentation is required before review can continue. This slide outlines scholarship eligibility and funding statuses. Pending eligibility under review Awarded Eligible but not yet funded Funds available for use in EMA at capacity Eligible but no funds currently available Declined Will not use the scholarship this year Treated as a new applicant for future applications Withdrawn Received funding but chose not to continue Denied not deemed eligible Contact us to verify documentation. This slide is a reminder to mark your calendar for application deadlines. We encourage families to apply early and avoid waiting until the last day, especially since documents may take time to gather and upload. If you need help, support is available Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm Eastern. You can call 877-7357-7837 or use the contact options listed, including chat support. Please reach out if you have questions. We're here to help you complete your renewal successfully, and as always, thank you for watching.