Scholarship Guide: How to Use ESA, EMA and Step Up For Students at The Learning Kingdom

Many Florida families pay for The Learning Kingdom with a state scholarship instead of paying out of pocket. If you have heard the terms ESA, EMA, or Step Up For Students and you are not sure how they fit together, this guide walks you through it step by step.

What the three terms actually mean

Step Up For Students is the nonprofit that administers Florida's largest K-12 scholarship programs, including the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO), the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), and the Personalized Education Program (PEP) for homeschool families.

ESA stands for Education Savings Account. FES-UA and PEP awards work like an education savings account: the money sits in your student's account and you direct it toward approved educational expenses such as tutoring, curriculum, and instructional services.

EMA stands for Education Market Assistant. It is the online platform where you log in, check your student's balance, request payments to approved providers, and upload receipts for reimbursement.

Step 1. Confirm eligibility and apply

Go to StepUpForStudents.org and start an application for the program that fits your family. Have your proof of Florida residency, your student's birth certificate, and, if you are applying for FES-UA, your student's IEP or diagnosis documentation ready before you begin. Application windows open and close during the year, so apply as early as you can.

Step 2. Accept the award and log in to EMA

Once your student is awarded, you will receive an award notice by email. Accept the award, then log in to your EMA account. Your student's available balance appears on the dashboard.

Step 3. Choose your Learning Kingdom program

Visit our Plans and Pricing page and decide which program fits your child: VIP Homeschool five days a week, weekly tutoring, or a session pack. Knowing the exact program name and price makes the next two steps much faster.

Step 4. Request a scholarship invoice from us

On our Plans and Pricing page, choose ESA or Scholarship Invoice Request and submit it, or email us with your student's name, the program you want, and your preferred start date. We will send you an itemized invoice with our provider details, which is what EMA asks you to upload.

Step 5. Submit the payment or reimbursement request in EMA

Log in to EMA, choose the option to pay a provider or request reimbursement, select the correct expense category such as tutoring or instructional services, enter the amount, and upload the invoice we sent you. If you already paid out of pocket, upload your paid receipt instead.

Step 6. Watch for approval and confirm your seat

EMA reviews each request and posts a status update in your account. Approval times vary, so submit early. As soon as your request is approved, email us the confirmation and we will lock in your student's seat and start date.

Families outside Florida

Many other states now offer education savings accounts, microgrants, and school choice funds, and some employers offer education stipends. If you have a funding source and need documentation from us, ask and we will prepare it.

A note on timing

Our school year starts soon and seats are limited. Scholarship approval can take time, so start Step 1 and Step 4 in the same week rather than waiting for one to finish before you begin the other.

Questions

If you get stuck anywhere in this process, contact us and we will walk through it with you. Scholarship rules, award amounts, and program names change from year to year, so always confirm current requirements on the Step Up For Students website before you apply.