Education funding in Florida
7 programs in Florida, 3 open to homeschoolers. Each links to the program’s official sources.
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship - Personalized Education Program (FTC-PEP)
Homeschoolers can qualify Last updated October 17, 2026 Joining changes homeschool status Track it in My Homeschool
Yes, for families who home educate outside the county home education program. PEP is an education savings account for K-12 students not enrolled full time in a public or private school, and it can pay for a home education instructional program, but a student cannot receive it while registered in a Florida home education program under state law.
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA)
Homeschoolers can qualify From official sources October 7, 2026 Applications open until November 15, 2026
Yes. State law lets FES-UA funds pay tuition and fees for full- or part-time enrollment in a home education program, curriculum, and the annual home education evaluation by a certified teacher. To receive and use the funds, the child must be in a home education program with a letter of intent filed with the local school district (or in an eligible private school). It is for students with a qualifying disability, ages 3 through grade 12.
Dates and status: New applications for 2026-27 are accepted February 1 to November 15, 2026, and new students must accept the scholarship by December 15, 2026; only students found eligible and accepted by then can be considered for 2026-27 funding, and accepting does not guarantee funding. Renewal applications closed April 30, 2026. The number of scholarships is capped by law: 72,615 for 2024-25, growing each year starting in 2025-26. The scholarship averages about $10,000 per student.
Florida Virtual School (FLVS Flex) for homeschool families
Homeschoolers can qualify From official sources October 7, 2026 Applications open
Yes. Registered Florida home education students can take up to 6 individual FLVS Flex courses per semester, and FLVS is free to Florida residents. This is free coursework, not money paid to families.
Dates and status: Available year-round; students must first be registered as home education students with their district.
Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (Educational Choice for Children Act) - state participation
Program doesn’t say whether homeschoolers qualify From official sources October 7, 2026 Not open yet
Scholarships under the federal credit pay for "qualified elementary and secondary education expenses," which federal law ties to a student's enrollment or attendance "at a public, private, or religious school." The law does not mention homeschooling, so whether homeschool costs qualify is not settled in the official text.
Dates and status: Florida has opted in. Governor DeSantis announced on Jan. 28, 2026 that Florida will participate, and Florida is on the IRS list of states that elected to participate for 2027. Donors can claim a federal credit of up to $1,700 starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FTC / FES-EO)
Not open to homeschoolers From official sources October 7, 2026 Applications open until November 15, 2026
No. These are private school scholarships, and Florida law makes a student ineligible for a tax credit scholarship while participating in a home education program. Families who home educate can look at the PEP scholarship instead.
Dates and status: Open to all Florida K-12 students eligible to enroll in public school, regardless of income, with priority for renewals and lower-income families. For 2026-27, new applications are accepted February 1 to November 15, 2026 (renewals closed April 30, 2026), and new students must accept by December 15, 2026. Step Up also invites families to sign up for notice when 2027-28 applications open.
Hope Scholarship Program
Not open to homeschoolers From official sources October 7, 2026 Applications open
No. It is only for public school students who experienced a qualifying incident such as bullying or battery at school, and it lets them transfer to another public school or get a scholarship to attend a private school.
Dates and status: The Department of Education presents the scholarship as available; families report the incident to the school and then apply through Step Up For Students. No application deadline is listed.
New Worlds Scholarship Accounts
Not open to homeschoolers From official sources October 7, 2026
No. No new accounts have been awarded since July 1, 2025, so a homeschooled child cannot get one now.
Dates and status: No new accounts have been awarded since July 1, 2025. Existing accounts must show spending between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 or they will be closed.