Renewal Application Process for the FTC, FES-EO and PEP Scholarship 2025-26

Today we will be explaining the renewal application process for families renewing their Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, and the Personalized Education Program, ensuring they can navigate it smoothly. The following slides provide instructions on how to adjust your browser settings to your preferred language, allowing you to view Emma in the language you choose. To use the translation feature in Google Chrome, click the three dots in the top right corner of the page. Select Translate. These steps are specific to the Google Chrome browser. Finally, choose the language from the drop down menu that best suits your translation needs. Your page is ready. You now can view it in your preferred language. According to the new legislation, families are allowed to apply for only one scholarship per student at the same time. Each time you access the EMA platform, you are required to complete Multi Factor Authentication. We suggest using a personal cell phone or a phone number that does not respond with a recording. You will receive email notifications once your application review has been finalized. The Renewal Student Application Checklist is now available on our website. See the QR code for easy access. To apply for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, and the Personalized Education program, please visit stepupforstudents.org you'll log into your EMA account by entering your username and password. If you cannot remember your username, simply click on the Forgot Username button. If you've lost your password, just hit the Forgot Password button. After adding all your students, you'll notice a tile representing each one. Next, you'll navigate back to the Dashboard tab on the left panel. Scroll down to the Available Scholarships section and click the red Apply button next to the scholarship you wish to pursue. Important to note, according to the Scholarship Program regulations, students are not permitted to apply for both the FESEO ftc, including the PEP, and the FESUA at the same time. Before submitting an application, please confirm that all students have been included in the My Students section. Please indicate whether anyone in your household has decision making authority within a qualified nonprofit scholarship funding organization that offers scholarships. Choose the student or students for whom you would like to apply for the ftc, FESEO or PEP scholarships. Make certain that all students included in your application for an ftc, FESEO or PEP scholarship are listed in one submission. To exclude a student, simply switch the Apply option to off. Please note that students are not allowed to apply for multiple scholarships at the same time. After selecting the Students by sliding the radio button to the right click Continue located in the bottom right corner at any time prior to submitting your application, you have the option to add or remove a student by clicking the blue Add a Student button. To continue with the chosen student, please click the blue button located beneath the student's name and fill out the following the student's Social Security number or the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number and then confirm that number for incoming kindergarten and first grade students ages 5 to 6 by September 1st of this year. A government issued birth certificate is required for application. A valid government issued passport may be submitted as well, provided it is active at the time of the scholarship application. Please be aware to modify fields that are grayed out, you need to go to the My Students page, choose the specific student and make the required adjustments. This applies to race and ethnicity as well. Under Enrolled School Information, please specify the type of school your student or students are currently attending for the 2024-2025 school year, along with the county in which the school is located. Under Expected School Information, please specify the type of school your student or students intend to enroll in for the 2025-2026 school year, along with their grade level. For PEP, select Florida Homeschool from the drop down menu to access the PEP question. Do you intend to use this scholarship for pep? If you choose Florida Homeschool as your expected school, you must answer the PEP question. The PEP Scholarship program is designed for children participating in Parent Directed education. If you select no, please update your expected school type or verify how you plan to use the PEP application in order to proceed. Please ensure that any files you are uploading are not password protected. If you answer yes to any of the questions below, you will be required to upload supporting documents. Once you have filled out all sections, click Continue to move forward or select Save as Draft. If you wish to return later. When you choose Continue or Save as Draft, a confirmation modal will appear. This message is specifically intended to show up only if the application was previously saved as a draft. By clicking Remove Student, the application will be saved and the student will be successfully removed. You are required to review the information presented here to confirm its correctness. Should you need to make any updates, simply click on the profile icon in the top right corner of the page to apply the required changes. Failing to do so may result in processing delays. Moreover, you will be required to provide your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number along with proof of residency. Please make sure the documents that you submit meet the following 1 they are valid 2 they are current, meaning dated within the last two months for recurring bills or statements and 3 they match the full name of the primary or secondary guardian along with the current physical street address provided in the application. Please consult the guidelines provided on the slide for the list of documents that are acceptable for submission. This list identifies what documents are required for proof of residency. You need to upload either one document from column A or two different documents from column B. If you submit only one document from column B, you will receive an error message. However, you can easily fix this by simply scrolling up and submitting another document type. If you provide a Florida driver's license, you must also include another form of documentation. Some such as an automobile insurance statement. When submitting two paystubs for income verification or proof of residency, they will be considered as one document type. As a result, you will still need to submit an additional document. Here is the necessary documentation for dependent children of active duty members of the United States Armed Forces moving to or from Florida on permanent change of station orders. Next, complete the Employment Income section. You will need to include details about your employer and the income you've received. Please provide your income verification documents. You can find examples of approved documentation in the new Application checklist here. Pay stubs should be from the 30 consecutive days leading up to your application submission. Additionally, include any other income sources such as unemployment benefits, Social Security or child support. Additional Income Access the drop down menu for options like Child support and alimony Additional Income category. Click the arrow for the drop down menu. Other Income Amount Monthly Use arrows to enter the monthly income amount and income verification documents. Upload required supporting documents as specified. Additional Information Is anyone in your household a recipient of of food stamps, tanf or fdpir? If your response is yes, please select a relevant category from the drop down menu and upload the required documentation. Please be aware if you are a homemaker, currently unemployed, or a student, you might need to submit proof of your living expenses. If you receive cash payments, Please download form 1055. You will need to attach this form to your application. After completing all the questions in the Guardian Information section, click Continue to move on to the next part. Now you will be asked to complete the Additional Household Members section. It is essential that you include all household members in this application. This includes any non scholarship individuals living at the same address. After reviewing the definition of additional household members, please check the box to continue to include members in the application. Simply navigate to the Add Member tab and add as many individuals for each household member. Click on View Details to provide their information. If the additional household member is 18 years or older, you will be automatically prompted to enter their employment type. You should now be on the summary section of the application, which provides an overview of all completed sections. You can review and modify any part as needed using the headers to navigate between sections. You are now in the Summary section of the application, which provides an overview of all completed sections. Before moving forward, respond to the question regarding your annual household income. You can review and modify anything you wish using the headers to navigate different sections. You will need to complete the Parent Guardian terms and conditions as well. After reading and agreeing to the terms, be sure to check the box at the bottom. Once you have read and agreed to the terms and conditions, please ensure that you click on each box. Additionally, you will need to complete the Sworn Compliance statement. Please enter your name in the designated box and provide your signature. In the Signature area, click Keep if you would like to save your signature. If you prefer to modify your signature, simply click Clear and sign again. By submitting, your application will be forwarded for processing. A confirmation notice will appear on your screen. To proceed, click on the arrow located to the right of the application marked as Pending as shown above. The window will enlarge displaying the students who are eligible for this specific application on your screen. Guardians have the option to either decline scholarships or accept scholarships on this screen. Please be aware you can accept or decline a scholarship as long as applications are still still open for the school year and the student is not currently enrolled in a school within ema. If you choose to accept the scholarship, you will either be notified of your award confirmation or informed that the program has reached full capacity. An email will be sent to update you on your status. You can return here anytime to check on your application progress. Upon accepting the scholarship, you will see scholarship accepted indicated next to the student's name. If you decide to decline this scholarship, the student will be withdrawn from the scholarship program and will then be able to apply for another scholarship. Please ensure you follow the steps provided earlier to apply for a different scholarship. Upon decline in the scholarship, you will see scholarship declined appearing next to the student's name. To review the information for this student, simply click on the view details. Displayed here are the application statuses. Your student's eligibility status is currently being reviewed. Please keep an eye on your EMA account for any updates awarded. Your application has been approved and the student is now eligible for a scholarship. However, please be aware that the student has not yet received funding for the current school year. Funded the scholarship for your student has been successfully credited to your EMA account. You are now able to use the funds available in your account and at capacity. This scholarship has reached its statutory capacity for this academic year and unfortunately the scholarship you applied for is not available for your student at this time. Once a student receives their scholarship, if you intend to utilize it at an eligible participating school, it is essential to reach out to the school using your award ID to initiate the enrollment process. Student ID this is your student's unique identification number which is required for the Engagement center to access your student's application. Award ID is what you share this number with a private school of your choice that meets eligibility criteria. They will utilize this number to enroll your student. Once a eligible private school has registered a student in their system, you will receive an email notification prompting you to log in and review the enrollment requests. If the amount due to the school matches your total yearly obligation to the institution, which encompasses both the scholarship and any out of pocket expenses, confirm your enrollment. If the amount due to the school is inaccurate or if your student plans not to attend this school, please decline the enrollment offer. All school payments require quarterly verification and approval from the guardian. You can easily view, approve or deny these payments directly from your dashboard. Please note no payments will be processed until this step is completed. Please see the application deadlines here for your review for renewal. Private School Students the last day to submit a scholarship application for the 2025-2026 school year is April 30. This process for renewal students also requires parents to confirm the scholarship is being accepted, accepted or declined by May 31, 2025. As always, if you still have any questions, please make sure to contact us here at Step up for Students.