Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES)
This branch of the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program is designed to offer families of students with disabilities, as young as 3 years of age, access to additional education options. Families may choose to enroll their student in another public school, or they may take the opportunity to receive a personal education savings account (ESA) for their student. With an ESA, parents receive a deposit of public funds into government-authorized savings accounts with restricted, but multiple, uses. An ESA can be used to fund not only items such as private school tuition and fees, but also online learning programs, private tutoring, community college costs, higher education expenses and other approved customized learning services and materials. Families apply and annually renew for participation in FES UA through one of the approved SFOs, which are responsible for determining eligibility, awarding and distributing funding to eligible student accounts, and approving eligible expenditures.”
A parentally placed private school student with a disability does not have an individual right to receive some or all of the special education and related services that the student would receive if enrolled in a public school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended.
Notice to parents enrolling students under the FES-UA scholarship: Please note that our school accommodates students with disabilities in accordance with the requirements under federal and local law. However, your child may not necessarily receive the types of accommodations or related services that your child may be entitled to receive at a public school as public schools have different obligations under the Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended. The IDEA does not apply to private schools. We are happy to have a conversation with you about the accommodations that your child may need and be entitled to at our school.
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options and Florida Tax Credit (FES-EO & FTC).
Governor DeSantis signed new legislation expanding school choice options for the 2023/24 school year which converts FES-EO and FTC into education savings accounts and expands program eligibility to any student who is a resident of Florida and is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school in Florida. This will go into effect on July 1, 2023.
As of July 1, 2023, scholarships will be available to all students, regardless of household income, who are residents of Florida and eligible to enroll in a K-12 public school.
The scholarship will first pay for the cost of private school tuition and related fees up to your awarded amount. Parents are responsible for any additional tuition and related fees.
As of July 1, 2021, dependent children of a reservist or an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces are eligible for private school scholarships. Dependent children of full-time law enforcement officers are eligible for private school scholarships regardless of income.
