A Florida homeschool parent with two elementary-age children can claim close to $16,000 in scholarship funds this school year. The Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship Personalized Education Program, known as FES-PEP, gives eligible families an average of $8,000 per child in a flexible education savings account. For parents who teach at home, that money can cover a full year of curriculum, online programs, tutoring, and testing fees without touching the household budget.
This guide explains how the Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship homeschool program works, who qualifies, how to apply through Step Up For Students, what you can actually buy, and how to stretch every dollar across ArgoPrep workbooks and bundles. I'll also walk through sample spending plans so you can see exactly where the funds go.
What Is the Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship?
The Family Empowerment Scholarship is Florida's universal school choice program. It has two branches. The Educational Options branch, called FES-EO, funds private school tuition and related fees. The Personalized Education Program branch, called FES-PEP, funds home-based education for families who teach their children outside of a traditional school setting.
For homeschool families, FES-PEP is the one that matters. It deposits funds into a restricted-use education savings account administered by a Scholarship Funding Organization. Most Florida parents apply through Step Up For Students, the primary SFO for the Personalized Education Program. A smaller number of families go through AAA Scholarship Foundation.
The average PEP award is $8,000 per student per year. That amount is tied to Florida's per-pupil funding formula, so it varies slightly by grade level and county, but $8,000 is the figure most families plan around. Funds are released in 10 monthly installments starting in August rather than as one lump sum.
Who Qualifies for the Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship Homeschool Program?
Any Florida resident in grades K through 12 can apply for FES-PEP. There is no income limit. Your child does not need prior homeschool experience. The program is open to families of every background, which is one reason demand has climbed so sharply.
There is one rule that trips up new applicants. You cannot be registered as a home education student with your local school district while you receive PEP funds. If you are already filing a letter of intent with your district, you will withdraw from that registration after you receive your PEP acceptance notification. The scholarship itself takes the place of your district home education filing.
To confirm eligibility, you will upload proof of Florida residency during the application. Acceptable documents include a utility bill, mortgage statement, lease agreement, or driver's license showing your current Florida address. You will also provide your child's birth certificate or another age verification document.
Capacity and Priority Rules
FES-PEP has grown fast since the legislature expanded eligibility, and the program has reached capacity for new students in some years. Returning families who renew on time keep their spot first. New applicants then fill any remaining seats. If you are applying for the first time, submit as early as possible in the application window and have every document ready to upload.
How to Apply for FES-PEP Through Step Up For Students
Applications for the coming school year open on February 1 and close on April 30. You can apply at the Step Up For Students PEP application page. The application takes about 20 to 30 minutes once you have your documents ready.
Here is what the process looks like for a new family:
- Create a parent account on the Step Up For Students website.
- Enter your child's information, including date of birth and grade level for the upcoming year.
- Upload proof of Florida residency and age verification documents.
- Submit the application and wait for the confirmation email.
- Watch your email for your acceptance notification from the scholarship team.
- If you were previously registered as a home education student with your district, withdraw that registration only after acceptance.
Once you are approved, your ESA opens on the Step Up For Students marketplace platform. That is where you will either buy pre-approved items directly through vendor partnerships or submit receipts for reimbursement on purchases you made yourself. The marketplace lists participating curriculum companies and retailers, and the list expands each year.
Renewal Families
If your child received PEP funds in the prior year, you renew through the same parent dashboard. Renewal does not guarantee a new funding year if capacity is constrained, but returning students receive first priority. Submit your renewal at the start of the application window, not the last week.
What You Can Buy With Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship Funds
The FES-PEP expense list is broad. For homeschool families, the most relevant approved categories include:
- Curriculum, textbooks, and workbooks (print and digital)
- Instructional materials and educational supplies
- Online learning programs and subscriptions
- Private tutoring and contracted educational services
- Tuition for part-time enrollment in a home education instructional program
- Tuition as a private-pay student at Florida Virtual School
- Fees for nationally normed standardized tests and assessments
- Approved virtual courses
- Tuition and fees at eligible postsecondary institutions or approved apprenticeship programs
- Services from a Choice Navigator if you need help planning your child's program
Print workbooks, bundles, and online subscriptions all fall squarely in the instructional materials and curriculum categories. That means ArgoPrep products are eligible purchases under FES-PEP. You can also check the Florida Department of Education's PEP FAQ page for the full list of approved expense categories.
A few things are not covered. Recreational items, clothing, and non-educational services fall outside the program rules. Items flagged as non-educational by your SFO will be denied, so keep purchases inside the instructional categories.
ArgoPrep Workbooks and Bundles for Florida FES Families
Here is where the $8,000 scholarship starts to feel like real purchasing power. ArgoPrep's grade-level Ultimate Bundles each contain 10 workbooks covering Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies. Every question in every workbook comes with a video explanation your child can watch if they get stuck. That built-in teaching support matters when you are running multiple grade levels at the same time.
A parent of a kindergartener starts with the Kindergarten Ultimate Bundle at $199.99. That covers all four core subjects with 10 books. For younger children, the PreK Ultimate Bundle is priced at $179.99. Both bundles ship in two to three days and are printed in the USA.
A 3rd grade parent picks up the 3rd Grade Ultimate Bundle at $199.99. A 5th grade parent grabs the 5th Grade Ultimate Bundle at the same $199.99 price. Bundles are available for every grade through 12th, so a family with children at different levels can buy grade-matched materials for each child without hunting for compatible sets.
To add digital practice, families can subscribe to the K-8 online program. A 12-month K-8 Math and ELA subscription is $119.99. Subscribers get video lectures, practice quizzes, practice drills, and worksheets for Math and ELA, plus video lectures and quizzes for Science and Social Studies. The subscription also includes four eBooks (one per subject) that can be swapped every six months.
Sample Spending Plan for a Single Student
A family with one 3rd grader and an $8,000 PEP scholarship has enormous flexibility. Start with the 3rd Grade Ultimate Bundle at $199.99. Add the 12-month online subscription at $119.99. That is $319.98 for a full year of core academic practice across four subjects plus digital lessons.
From there, allocate $400 for a private weekly tutor, $300 for nationally normed assessment fees, $500 for science experiment kits and art supplies, $200 for educational field trips to Florida museums, and $1,500 for part-time enrollment in a local hybrid homeschool program. That runs about $3,220 and still leaves nearly $4,780 in the account for additional enrichment, music lessons, or a second semester refresh.
Sample Spending Plan for Two Children
A family with a kindergartener and a 5th grader receives roughly $16,000 total. Start with the Kindergarten Ultimate Bundle and the 5th Grade Ultimate Bundle at $199.99 each for $399.98. Add two 12-month online subscriptions at $119.99 each for $239.98. That is $639.96 for full-year core academic coverage across both children.
With the remaining $15,360, the family can fund weekly tutoring for the older child, a private music teacher for both kids, co-op enrollment, assessment fees, and a full year of science and art supplies without touching household income. Several Florida families stretch their PEP funds across two school years by spending conservatively in year one and carrying a balance forward where program rules permit.
Step by Step: How to Use Your Florida Scholarship for ArgoPrep
Once your Step Up For Students ESA is funded, the buying process is straightforward. Follow these steps to stay inside the program rules and get reimbursed quickly.
- Check the marketplace first. Log into your Step Up For Students parent dashboard and look for ArgoPrep in the approved vendor list. If it is listed, you can buy directly through the marketplace and skip the reimbursement process.
- If buying outside the marketplace, keep every receipt. Take a screenshot or save the PDF receipt for your order. Save order confirmation emails in a dedicated folder labeled "PEP expenses."
- Submit reimbursement requests promptly. Upload receipts to your dashboard under the instructional materials or curriculum category. Include a brief note describing which child the purchase is for and the grade level.
- Buy bundles instead of individual workbooks. A single ArgoPrep workbook runs $14.99 to $19.99. An Ultimate Bundle with 10 workbooks costs $199.99 for most grades. The bundle saves roughly 30 percent compared to buying each book separately.
- Plan purchases against the 10-month installment schedule. Because funds release monthly, time your larger purchases for when you have enough in the account. Front-load core curriculum in August and September, then add supplementary materials later in the year.
- Save receipts for any assessment fees. If your child takes a nationally normed standardized test, the fees are covered under PEP. Upload those receipts the same way as curriculum receipts.
Parents sometimes ask whether digital-only materials count. They do. The program's approved expense list covers digital instructional materials and online learning platforms, which is why the 12-month K-8 subscription fits inside the rules as cleanly as a print bundle.
Why ArgoPrep Fits the FES-PEP Budget
A few practical reasons make ArgoPrep a strong match for PEP families. First, the pricing is reasonable against an $8,000 scholarship. A full grade-level bundle plus an online subscription runs under $350, which leaves most of the scholarship for tutoring, assessments, and supplementary work. Second, every workbook includes video explanations for every question, so your child can get teaching support even when you are working with another sibling.
Third, ArgoPrep covers PreK through 12th grade, which means one vendor can meet the curriculum needs of a multi-age household. Parents teaching a kindergartener, a 3rd grader, and an 8th grader in the same year can source all three grade levels from one place. You can browse every grade-level Ultimate Bundle on one page to compare options.
Fourth, ArgoPrep has been awarded recognition from Parent's Choice, Mom's Choice, and the National Parenting Product Awards, and the workbooks are printed in the USA with 2 to 3 day shipping. Those quality signals matter when you are submitting purchases to your SFO for reimbursement review.
Getting Started With Your Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship
The Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship homeschool program puts real curriculum dollars in parents' hands. Whether your child is in kindergarten or 12th grade, ArgoPrep's grade-level Ultimate Bundles cover four core subjects with 10 workbooks each, and every question comes with a video explanation. Pair a bundle with the online K-8 subscription, and your child has both print and digital practice for a small fraction of the $8,000 award. Browse the full collection of grade-level bundles to plan your first PEP purchase.
