How to Use a Step Up Scholarship at Kidz Pods — A Guide for Palm Beach County Families

One of the most common conversations I have with Palm Beach County parents goes like this: they find Kidz Pods, they love everything they hear, and then they see the tuition and go quiet. I understand that reaction completely. $25,000 to $36,000 per year is a real number. And for some families, even families who desperately want what Kidz Pods offers, that number feels like a door closing before they ever had a chance to walk through it.

What most of those families do not know is that Florida has scholarship programs specifically designed to make individualized, high-quality education accessible to families who want something different. Kidz Pods is an approved Step Up For Students provider, which means the families who qualify for these scholarships can apply those funds directly toward their child's tuition here. This post explains exactly how that works, which scholarships apply to Kidz Pods, and how to get started today.

What Is Step Up For Students?

Step Up For Students is a Florida nonprofit organization that administers several state-funded scholarship programs, known as Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), on behalf of the Florida Department of Education. Families who qualify receive scholarship funds deposited into an account they can use to pay for approved educational expenses, including tuition at approved providers like Kidz Pods.

Step Up is not a grant you apply for once and forget. It is an annual scholarship program that renews each school year. Families apply, receive their funds, and direct those funds to their chosen provider. The provider — Kidz Pods — invoices Step Up directly for the tuition, and the funds are released on a quarterly schedule.

Kidz Pods is an approved Step Up For Students provider. Scholarship funds can be applied directly to your child's tuition, we handle the invoicing for you.

The Two Scholarships Kidz Pods Accepts

Because Kidz Pods operates as a Home Education Instructional Program, we are approved to accept two specific Step Up scholarships. Here is what each one is and who it is for.

The PEP Scholarship — Personalized Education Program

Average award:  Approximately $8,000 per year

Who qualifies:  Any Florida K–12 student who is not enrolled full-time in a public or private school. No income limit. Available to any family in a parent-directed education setting. Student must be at least age 5 by September 1.

Funds can be used for:  Tuition and fees at approved providers like Kidz Pods · Curriculum and instructional materials · Online courses and virtual programs · Private tutoring from approved providers.

The FES-UA Scholarship — Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities

Average award:  Approximately $10,000 per year — higher for students with significant needs

Who qualifies:  Florida students ages 3 through grade 12 (or age 22) with a qualifying diagnosis or active IEP. Qualifying diagnoses include autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, Down syndrome, sensory processing disorder, speech or language impairment, emotional or behavioral disability, and many others.

Funds can be used for:  Tuition and fees at approved providers · Therapies — ABA, speech, occupational, physical · Curriculum and instructional materials · Technology and specialized equipment · Tutoring from certified educators

Does Your Child Qualify for the PEP Scholarship?

The PEP scholarship is the more broadly available of the two. Your child likely qualifies if all of the following are true:

• Your child is a Florida resident

• Your child is at least 5 years old by September 1 of the school year

• Your child is in a parent-directed education setting, meaning they are not enrolled full-time in a public or private school

• Your child is in Kindergarten through 12th grade

Does Your Child Qualify for the FES-UA Scholarship?

The FES-UA scholarship is specifically for students with qualifying disabilities. Your child may qualify if they have a formal diagnosis from a licensed physician or psychologist, or if they have an active IEP from a Florida school district. Qualifying diagnoses include:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Dyslexia, dyscalculia, or other specific learning disabilities

• Down Syndrome

• Cerebral palsy

• Sensory processing disorder

• Speech or language impairment

• Emotional or behavioral disability

• Intellectual disability

• Traumatic brain injury

• Many other qualifying conditions — see the full list at stepupforstudents.org

For families with a child in the Kidz Pods Exceptional Learners Pod, FES-UA is almost certainly the right scholarship to pursue. The Exceptional Learners Pod is specifically designed for children with these diagnoses, and the FES-UA scholarship is specifically designed to fund exactly this kind of individualized, specialized educational program.

When Do the Scholarship Funds Arrive?

This is one of the most practical questions families have, and one of the most important for planning your enrollment. Scholarship funds are released on a quarterly schedule based on enrollment deadlines. Here is the funding schedule from the Step Up For Students 2025–2026 Service Provider Handbook:

Enrollment / SLP Deadline	Funds Delivered to Kidz Pods
June 15	August 1  — first quarter for fall enrollment
July 15	September 1  — two funding dates for the first quarter
September 15	November 1
December 15	February 1
February 15	April 1

What this means for your family: if your child's enrollment is confirmed and your scholarship is active by June 15th, Kidz Pods will receive the first quarter of your scholarship funds on August 1 — before the first day of school on August 17, 2026. That is the ideal scenario and the one we work toward with every enrolled scholarship family.

This is also why the Kidz Pods enrollment deadline of July 17, 2026 exists. We need sufficient time to confirm your enrollment in the Step Up system before the second funding window closes. The earlier you apply and enroll, the smoother the scholarship funding process will be for your family.

How to Apply for a Step Up Scholarship — Step by Step

1	Create an account in EMA (Education Market Assistant) at stepupforstudents.org. This is Step Up's secure online platform where you manage everything related to your scholarship.
2	Complete your child's scholarship application inside EMA. Select PEP if your child does not have a qualifying diagnosis. Select FES-UA if your child has a qualifying diagnosis or active IEP.
3	For FES-UA: upload your child's diagnosis documentation from a licensed Florida physician or psychologist, or your child's current IEP. This is required to verify eligibility.
4	For PEP: register your child as a home education student with Palm Beach County School District and submit your Student Learning Plan (SLP) in EMA. Kidz Pods assists every family with this step.
5	Select Kidz Pods LLC as your approved provider inside EMA. Search for us by name — we are listed as an approved Home Education Instructional Program provider.
6	Complete your Kidz Pods enrollment — submit your placement application, confirm your acceptance, and pay the $500 enrollment fee to hold your child's seat.
7	Kidz Pods handles the invoicing directly with Step Up For Students. You do not need to manage the payment process between Step Up and Kidz Pods, we do that for you.

We assist every Kidz Pods family through this process at no charge. If you are uncertain about any step, reach out directly and we will walk you through it.

Important Dates to Know Right Now

• Applications for the 2026–27 Step Up scholarship year are open now at stepupforstudents.org.

• PEP renewal families must accept their scholarship by May 31, 2026 to maintain priority status.

• New PEP applicants are funded on a first-come, first-served basis, apply as early as possible.

• Kidz Pods enrollment closes July 17, 2026.

• Kidz Pods opens August 17, 2026.

• First scholarship funds arrive August 1 for families confirmed by June 15.

The Bottom Line for Palm Beach County Families

A Kidz Pods education is not out of reach for your family. Florida has invested in scholarship programs that exist precisely to give families like yours access to the kind of individualized, high-quality, faith-centered education that was previously available only to families with the means to pay full private school tuition out of pocket.

The PEP scholarship provides approximately $8,000 per year toward Kidz Pods tuition for any qualifying family in a parent-directed education setting. The FES-UA scholarship provides approximately $10,000 per year, and potentially significantly more for children with qualifying diagnoses. Kidz Pods is an approved provider for both. And we help every single enrolled family navigate the scholarship process from the first application to the first day of school.

Enrollment closes July 17, 2026. We open August 17, 2026. Six seats per pod. Apply today and let us help you navigate the scholarship process from start to finish.

Apply for a Placement at Kidz Pods

Have scholarship questions? Call or text Renae directly at (561) 480-0088 — we are happy to help you figure out what you qualify for before you apply.

Apply for a Step Up scholarship at stepupforstudents.org →