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Every 2026–27 date, in one place

Miss one of these and you wait a quarter. Put the two that apply to you in your phone right now.

When money lands

Aug 1

Quarter 1 — renewing studentsPrivate School: enrolled in EMA by June 15 (extended to June 26 this year)

Sep 1

Quarter 1 — new studentsPrivate School: enrolled by July 15 (extended to July 24 this year)

Nov 1

Quarter 2Private School: enroll by September 30 — one Step Up page says September 15 (see below)

Feb 1

Quarter 3Private School: enroll by December 15

Apr 1

Quarter 4Private School transfer students: enroll by February 15

These are the dates the money reaches Step Up from the state. After that it can take up to two weeks to reach every account, and you have to log in and approve the deposit before you can spend it.

The enrollment dates are for the Private School Scholarship (FTC and FES-EO). A completed enrollment means the school submits it and you approve it in EMA. Unique Abilities and PEP students do not need an EMA enrollment. A Private School student who still is not enrolled after the Quarter 3 deadline must be enrolled by January 15, 2027 to get any 2026–27 funding.

Step Up’s own pages disagree on the Quarter 2 date. Step Up’s FAQ on 2026–27 deadlines and its 2026–27 Scholarship Schedule (PDF) say September 30, 2026. Its Private School “Fund” page says September 15. That same Fund page also lists June 15 and July 15 for Quarter 1 without the extensions; the FAQ and the Schedule show them extended to June 26 and July 24. Both Quarter 2 dates have passed. If your student’s Quarter 2 funding depends on it, check the student in your EMA account or call Step Up at 1-877-735-7837.

Applying and accepting

Renewals: February 1 – April 30. Miss a renewal deadline and the student is treated as new.
New applications, Private School and Unique Abilities: February 1 – November 15.
New applications, PEP: February 1 – April 30.
Switching into PEP from another program: complete by April 30.
Accept or decline the scholarship in EMA: renewing students by May 31 (all three programs); new students by December 15 (Private School and Unique Abilities) or May 31 (PEP). Accepting does not guarantee funding.
Switching programs before Quarter 3: October 2 – October 30, 2026, for all students.

Spending deadlines

Spend 2026–27 funds on things for this school year between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027. Reimbursement requests are due by July 31, 2027.
Pre-authorisation deadline: May 28, 2027. Anything that needs approving before you buy has to be submitted by then.
Transportation Stipend funds must be disbursed by December 15, 2026.
FES-UA interest posts October 31, January 31, April 30 and July 31.
Florida law does not allow a deposit that would push an FES-UA balance above $50,000.

Dates move. These come from Step Up For Students’ published 2026–27 material, re-checked October 19, 2026. Your own account is the authority — log in and check before you rely on any of them.

Sources, read October 19, 2026: Step Up’s FAQs for 2026–27 Scholarship Deadlines and Payment Schedules; the 2026–27 Scholarship Schedule (PDF); the Private School Fund page; the Unique Abilities Fund page (interest dates and the $50,000 cap); the 2026–27 Handbook Summary of Changes (pre-authorisation); and Step Up’s FAQ (Transportation Stipend).

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