Demand for Florida education choice scholarships soars for second straight year  

Initial demand for Florida’s K-12 scholarships has set a new record. 

Step Up For Students, the nonprofit organization that administers 98% of the state’s scholarships, opened applications for the 2026-27 school year on Feb. 1.  

By the end of the third day, more than 200,000 students had applied, representing a 28% increase over the same period last year, when more than 120,000 students applied. However, not all students whose families apply end up being awarded or funded.  

That’s the most initial demand Florida’s scholarship programs have seen in their first two days after opening applications. 

• More than 108,500 students applied for scholarships that help pay for private school tuition and the education of students who do not attend public or private schools full time. 

• Nearly 46,000 students applied for Unique Abilities scholarships, which allow students with special needs to customize their education. 

Step Up For Students CEO Gretchen Schoenhaar said the organization’s team and systems were ready for the surge of interest. Step Up’s technology systems processed 15% more applications on the first day this year than at the same time last year. Of the families who called for assistance, more than 90% reported being “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the support they received, and more than 88% got their issues resolved. 

“Another record number of applications on our opening weekend shows that Florida families increasingly value options in their children’s education,” Schoenhaar said . “Step Up For Students smoothly processed the higher demand and is prepared to support families every step of the way.” 

During the 25-26 school year, more than 525,000 students have been funded on Florida’s K-12 scholarship programs to access learning options of their choice. If these students were counted as a single school district, it would be the largest in the state and third largest in the country. That makes Florida the national leader in education options.  

Step Up is focused on supporting growth. By the end of the year, Step Up expects to double the number of reimbursements and process a total of 2.5 million MyScholarShop e-commerce transactions. 

Current scholarship families have until April 30 to renew their scholarships for the next school year. All families who want a PEP scholarship must also apply by April 30. 

Private School and Unique Abilities Scholarship applications will be available through Nov. 15 for families who want a new scholarship or current students who do not renew their scholarship by April 30. 

Applications and more details are available here. 

We will update the numbers in this post each week on Monday until applications close.