Your scholarship money can build a basketball player.
Florida hands families real money for education and enrichment — Step Up For Students, PEP, FES-UA. Most Tampa parents never think to point it at basketball. Here's the plain-English version of how it works, and how to use it at TDBA.
The short version
Florida's scholarship programs — run through Step Up For Students — put thousands of dollars per child into accounts families control, to spend on approved educational costs. Depending on your program, that can include physical education, enrichment, and instruction — the exact category good basketball coaching lives in.
The catch parents run into: nobody local spells out whether you can spend it on hoops. This page does.
Scholarship rules, award amounts, and approved-expense lists are set by the State of Florida and Step Up For Students, and they change. This page explains how the programs generally work; it is not the official rulebook. Before you enroll and pay expecting reimbursement, confirm two things: (1) that your specific expense is eligible under your program's current purchasing guide, and (2) TDBA's current provider/eligibility status for your program — just ask us and we'll tell you straight.
The three programs, in plain English
Step Up For Students (FTC & FES-EO)
The big income-based scholarships. Families use funds toward approved education expenses. Award values run into the several-thousands per student (verify the current year's amount — it moves). If your child is on one of these, enrichment and PE expenses are worth checking against your purchasing guide.
PEP — the Personalized Education Program
Florida's homeschool scholarship, administered by Step Up. This is the one homeschool families use for exactly this kind of thing — daytime classes, PE, enrichment. If you homeschool in Tampa, PEP + TDBA's weekday classes is the combination worth exploring.
FES-UA (Unique Abilities)
For students with certain diagnoses; among the most flexible on approved expenses. Physical development and instruction frequently qualify. Worth a direct conversation.
How to actually use it at TDBA
- Tell us your scholarship type.Step Up (FTC/FES), PEP, or FES-UA — the rules differ by program.
- We confirm current eligibility together.We'll tell you TDBA's current provider status for your program and what documentation the expense needs.
- Pick the program that fits.Homeschool daytime classes, camps, memberships — whatever matches your child and your funds.
- Keep your paperwork.Save the receipt/enrollment record your program requires for reimbursement or direct pay.
We built two plain-English guides to the scholarship money — no sales pitch, every rule linked to its official source: floridataxcreditscholarshipprogram.com for the Step Up / tax-credit scholarships, and emaaccount.com for managing your education-money account. For homeschool families specifically, basketballforhomeschool.com covers PE and the homeschool angle.
Questions parents ask
Does Step Up really pay for a summer camp?
It can, when the camp qualifies as an approved educational/enrichment expense under your program and the provider is eligible. This is exactly the pair of things to confirm before you enroll — ask us and we'll walk you through it for the camp you're eyeing.
We homeschool — is TDBA a fit for PEP?
Homeschool families are a core part of who we serve. Our weekday-daytime classes are built for exactly this. Bring your PEP details and we'll map it out.
How much money are we talking about?
Award amounts are set by the state and change year to year — recent figures run in the several-thousands-per-student range. Check your current award in your Step Up account; don't rely on a number on a webpage.
What if it turns out we can't use it here?
Then you'll know before you spend a dollar — that's the whole point of asking first. And you're still welcome in the gym; plenty of families pay directly.