The Family Empowerment Scholarships for Students with Distinctive Abilities are a fantastic opportunity funded by the state of Florida, and they represent a significant step forward for families across the state. Money and disabilities should never be a barrier for any child to pursue an education, and the FES UA is there to help families overcome any obstacles.
The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), formerly the McKay Scholarship, is a state of Florida school choice program. Learn how to apply, scholarship benefits, eligibility criteria, and much more concerning the scholarship here.
The scholarship provides access to an education savings account (ESA), which functions like a bank account from which you direct funds to pay for tuition and fees for a private school, homeschooling options, therapies, tutoring, and many other fees.
Family Empowerment Scholarships Overview
Children with special abilities may have different educational requirements. Therefore, we believe they are entitled to thrive and learn in an environment conducive to their success. The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Disabilities (FES-UA) allows families to personalize their students’ education by directing funds to where they are most needed.
The funds can be used for a variety of programs and approved expenses, such as therapists, specialists, curriculum, private school, a college savings account, and other things.
It is a unique education for unique children.
What are Family Empowerment Scholarships?
There are a few options for financial assistance for parents who may not have enough money to pay for their child’s ideal education. The Family Empowerment Scholarships for Students with Disabilities (FES UA) is a branch of the Florida State K-12 scholarship program that was recently expanded on May 1st, 2021. The previous McKay Scholarship Program merged with the new FES UA program as part of this expansion. In line with these changes and the overall expansion, there is a lot of new information for parents to learn from.
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Here’s a quick overview of the Family Empowerment Scholarships (FES UA).
The Florida Department of Education funds the FES UA to assist families in paying for both public and private schools. The Unique Abilities branch is designed specifically for parents of children as young as three years old who have been diagnosed with disabilities by a physician or psychologist. These scholarship funds are placed in a state-controlled bank account known as an Educational Savings Account (ESA) and assigned to the child’s parents when used to help pay for private school tuition.
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These scholarships are not only for paying K-12 tuition. The FES UA can also be used to pay for tutoring, online classes, and even community college courses!
However, parents must apply for and renew the scholarship annually through one of two scholarship-funding organizations:
- the AAA Scholarship Foundation in Tampa and
- Step Up For Students in Jacksonville.
Both of these organizations have websites as well as physical locations where you can apply.
So, what exactly does the Family Empowerment Scholarships (FUA) do for you and your child?
This scholarship enables families to give their children the best chance of academic success, regardless of disability. Parents do not have to worry about paying tuition at private schools or additional fees associated with enrolling in public schools. It also allows parents to personalize their child’s education by allowing them to select the best private school available for their specific needs.
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The next question is, who can apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Special Abilities? The requirements may not be as restrictive as you believe. To apply for the FES’s Unique Abilities branch, the child must:
How does the Family Empowerment Scholarships work?
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Disabilities (FES-UA) provides access to an education savings account (ESA), which works like a bank account and can be used to pay for private school tuition and fees, homeschooling options, therapies, tutoring, and other expenses.
Families can use MyScholarShop to purchase services and products without having to pay upfront and then apply for reimbursement. They can, however, use providers or vendors other than MyScholarShop for pre-approved purchases by paying in advance and submitting a reimbursement claim.
Eligibility Criteria
Who is eligible to apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Special Abilities? The requirements may not be as stringent as you think. To be eligible for the FES’s Unique Abilities branch, the child must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- The child was previously a Gardiner Scholarship Program recipient.
- the child has a qualifying diagnosis from a physician or psychologist, or the child has an Individualized Education Plan;
- and the child is 3 or 4 years old by September 1st and/or otherwise eligible to enroll in K–12 schooling.
- Students with a specific diagnosis aged 3 to grade 12 or age 22, whichever comes first, and who have been diagnosed with the following disabilities:
- Anaphylaxis
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Being a high-risk child
- Cerebral Palsy
- Down syndrome
- Emotional or a behavioral disability
- Hearing impairment, including deafness
- Hospital or homebound
- Identification as dual sensory impaired
- Intellectual disability
- Language impairment
- Muscular dystrophy
- Orthopedic impairment
- Other health impairment
- Phelan-McDermid syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Rare diseases
- Specific learning disability
- Speech impairment
- Spina bifida
- Traumatic brain injury
- Visual impairment, including blindness
- Williams syndrome
Scholarship Amount/Worth
The amount varies according to grade, county of residence, and disability. Click here to view the scholarship amounts and some other benefits.
How To Apply For The Family Empowerment Scholarships
Families can use MyScholarShop to purchase services and products without having to pay upfront and then apply for reimbursement. They can, however, use providers or vendors other than MyScholarShop for pre-approved purchases by paying in advance and submitting a reimbursement claim.
To apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarships through Step Up For Students follow these steps.
- You will be required to provide proof of your child’s age, diagnosis, and residency.
- Here is a list of documents you may require.
- Once approved, funds will be deposited into an ESA.
If you want to apply for either branch of the Family Empowerment Scholarships Program, please contact one of the two scholarship-funding organizations that run these programs:
- A.A.A. Scholarship Foundation- FL, LLC
P.O. Box 15719, Tampa, FL 33684
Phone/Fax: 888-707-2465
info@aaascholarships.org - Step Up For Students
P.O. Box 54367
Jacksonville, FL 32245-4367
877-735-7837
info@stepupforstudents.org
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