Florida Homeschool Funding & PEP Guide (2026): The Personalized Education Program, Amounts & How to Apply

What the Florida PEP Is

The Personalized Education Program is Florida's education savings account for parent-directed learning. The state, through the nonprofit Step Up For Students, funds an account of about $8,000 per child that you spend on approved education expenses. PEP is open to any K-12 Florida resident who is not enrolled full-time in a public or private school, with no income test, so most home-educating families qualify. Children must be at least 5 by September 1 of the year they enroll.

The program is designed for families who want to direct their child's education outside the traditional school structure. It covers a wide range of learning expenses and runs through Step Up For Students, one of Florida's established scholarship administrators. The full legal and procedural framework for home education in Florida is covered in the Florida homeschooling guide, which explains the Notice of Intent, the portfolio, and the annual evaluation. This guide focuses on the funding itself.

How Much You Receive

PEP awards run around $8,000 per year, though the exact figure is set annually and can vary, with the next year's amount usually published in the summer. Treat $8,000 as a planning number and confirm the current award at stepupforstudents.org before you finalize your curriculum budget. The funds are spent through an approved marketplace and reimbursement system, so you make purchases and manage the balance across the year rather than receiving a lump sum to a personal bank account.

Before you plan how to spend the award, knowing where your child stands academically gives you a real starting point. A free reading assessment shows you your child's current level so the scholarship funds go toward curriculum that fits rather than materials you will need to adjust mid-year.

PEP Is Not the Home Education Program

This is the distinction to understand before you apply. Florida has a standard home education program, which is the path covered in the Florida homeschooling guide: you file a Notice of Intent with your county, maintain a portfolio throughout the year, and complete one annual evaluation using one of five approved methods. PEP is a different status.

When you enroll in PEP, you are a scholarship student under Step Up For Students. Instead of the home education Notice of Intent and annual evaluation, you maintain a Student Learning Plan and follow the program's requirements, including managing spending through the program's approved system. Your relationship is with Step Up rather than your county school district.

For many families, the funding makes PEP the clear choice. About $8,000 per year covers a full curriculum package, supplemental materials, and tutoring, which removes a real financial barrier. For others, the standard home education program offers more independence with less program structure, at the cost of the funding. Neither is wrong. The key is knowing that you are choosing between two distinct tracks, not adding money on top of your existing home education filing. If you are currently on the standard home education program and want to switch to PEP, you would close your home education status and open PEP enrollment as a separate step.

What You Can Spend It On

PEP funds cover a wide range of approved expenses: curriculum and instructional materials, online learning programs, tutoring, part-time tuition or classes at approved providers, and other qualifying education costs. Purchases run through the program's marketplace and approval system, which tracks spending, so plan within the approved categories and keep documentation of every purchase.

Most families direct a large share of the award toward a strong core curriculum and use the rest for tutoring, specialized classes, or materials that address a particular need. Mapping your year before you spend helps you make the award go further. Our curriculum planning guide walks through what to teach at each stage, what to skip, and how to sequence the year so you commit PEP funds to materials you have thought through before you buy.

How to Apply

Apply at stepupforstudents.org. Create a parent account, complete the PEP application, declare your child's grade level, and submit the required Florida residency information. Once awarded, you set up your Student Learning Plan, connect to the approved marketplace, and manage purchases through the program system throughout the year.

Timing is the thing to watch most closely. The PEP application window opens and closes earlier than many families expect, often in the spring for the following school year, and late applications are not accepted. Demand is high and funds are limited, so applying early in the window puts you in the strongest position. Mark the window on your calendar well in advance, confirm the current dates at stepupforstudents.org when they post, and apply as soon as the new-application period opens. Keep copies of your application and your award notice.

Is PEP Right for Your Family?

Weigh three things. First, the money: about $8,000 with no income test is one of the strongest parent-directed awards in the country, and for most home-educating families it changes what is financially possible. Second, the structure: PEP replaces the home education filing with a Student Learning Plan and routes spending through a managed system, so it adds some structure in exchange for the funding. Third, the timing: the early, limited window means you have to plan ahead.

If the funding changes what you can offer your child and you can work within the program structure, PEP is hard to look past. If you prefer the independence of Florida's standard home education program and do not want the program's requirements, that path remains open. Use the Florida homeschooling guide to understand the standard program in detail before you choose. And our full planning guide can help you map your curriculum either way so you are ready on day one.

A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You

Florida's PEP is one of the best parent-directed deals in the country, and for a lot of families the roughly $8,000 settles the question. What we want you to know going in is that PEP is its own track: you are a scholarship student with a Student Learning Plan, not a home education filer with a Notice of Intent and annual evaluation. That is a reasonable trade for the funding, but it is a choice between two paths, not money layered onto your current setup.

The detail that trips people up is timing, because the window closes early and the funds run out. Put the application date on your calendar now and apply the moment the window opens. Confirm the current award at stepupforstudents.org before you budget, since the figure is set each year. When you spend, put a strong core curriculum first and let the remaining funds cover tutoring or supplemental materials. That order tends to produce the best results.