SpectrumBeaconFES-UA award amounts and the matrix
FES-UA is Florida's disability scholarship. Autism is a qualifying diagnosis. Other eligibility rules apply. The award is not one flat number. The award depends on county, grade band and matrix level.The diagnosis route uses the base funding band.
Check your 2026-27 deadlines
For students included in the September payment, the Quarter 1 attestation deadline in EMA is September 15, 2026. Completing it does not guarantee funding. Check EMA for any request to resubmit an earlier response.
New FES-UA applications close November 15, 2026. Accept or decline by December 15, 2026. Capacity limits may close applications earlier.
Step Up quarterly-attestation FAQ and application deadlines. Sources checked September 12, 2026. For a missed deadline or an account-specific question, contact Step Up at 877-735-7837.
How the base award band works
Families apply with a diagnosis, get an award, and stop there. The diagnosis door works. It also lands at the lowest band. Nobody mentions the second step.
Award tiers, 2026-27
Across published district rows on the official 2026-27 PDF, matrix 251-253 runs $9,627 to $14,381; matrix 254 runs $21,379 to $25,701; matrix 255 runs $34,429 to $39,091. Look up the child's own county. If a county is not in the extract we have, use the PDF. Ages 3-4 share the first amount column with grades K-3. The 2026-27 PDF has no CPI footnote.
VerifiedSource: FES-UA Scholarship Award Amounts, 2026-27 (Step Up For Students, official PDF) · How we verify
| Matrix level | Official range, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| 251, 252, 253 (default range for most students) | $9,627 (Volusia 9-12) to $14,381 (Monroe K-3) |
| 254 | $21,379 (Volusia) to $25,701 (Monroe) |
| 255 | $34,429 (Volusia) to $39,091 (Monroe) |
A qualifying diagnosis uses the 251 to 253 district band when the other scholarship conditions are met. A district matrix can establish a different level. The jump to 254 and 255 is still large. Do not assume 254 or 255 always go up. Those bands fell in many counties versus 2025-26. Miami-Dade example, 2025-26 to 2026-27: $10,697 / $10,100 / $9,945 / $22,405 / $35,973 became $10,909 / $10,304 / $10,106 / $22,361 / $35,884.
2025-26 comparison only
Kept as dated comparison, not current. On the 2025-26 table, matrix 251-253 ran about $9,500 to $14,000; 254 about $21,500 to $25,700; 255 about $34,700 to $39,300. Use the 2026-27 PDF for this year.
VerifiedSource: FES-UA award amounts by county and grade, 2025-26 (archive PDF) · How we verify
The award locks after first FLDOE assignment
The 2026-27 amount is set by grade and county at the first time FLDOE assigns funding in the school year. A later grade or county change does not change the dollars. Diagnosis from an authorized licensed medical professional funds at the 251-253 district band. 2020-21 Gardiner or McKay hold-harmless still pays the greater of the current calc or the 2020-21 amount. District equals county on the 2026-27 application.
VerifiedSource: 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB), Scholarship Amount · How we verify
The matrix sets the money
The matrix is a district form. It scores how much support a child needs. FES-UA does not require an IEP. A diagnosis or eligibility determination is the path onto the scholarship. The award amount is still set by the matrix level.
Who can change the level
Step Up For Students administers the scholarship money but cannot change a child's matrix level. Only the school district sets the matrix.
VerifiedSource: 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB), Matrix Level of Services · How we verify
Step Up handles scholarship payments. It cannot assign a higher matrix band. If the level is wrong, the district is the office that can change it.
You can request a new matrix
An initial evaluation request can be made at any time. An existing matrix may be reevaluated once every 3 years, or sooner to correct an error. The 30-day matrix clock begins when the district receives the request. Private-school families go through the district's Parentally Placed Private School office, not the private school.
The 30 day matrix rule
A family without an IEP or matrix may request an evaluation at any time. An existing matrix may be reevaluated once every 3 years, or sooner to correct an error. The district must complete the IEP and matrix within 30 days after receiving the request, then notify the parent and Florida DOE within 10 calendar days after completion. Only the district sets the matrix.
VerifiedSource: 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB), Matrix Level of Services · How we verify
If the records do not describe current needs, ask the district whether reevaluation or error correction applies. The Matrix Playbook walks the request, the five scoring areas, the documents, and the letter.
One scholarship per child
Florida runs several K-12 scholarships. Most are administered by Step Up For Students. A child can only be on one at a time.
One scholarship per child
You cannot stack FES-UA with FES-EO, FTC, or PEP. FES-UA and PEP are ESA style accounts whose unused funds roll over; FES-EO and FTC pay tuition at a participating private school.
VerifiedSource: FLDOE, FES scholarships · How we verify
The 2026-27 UA windows
Renewal UA apply February 1 to April 30, 2026, accept by May 31, 2026. New UA apply February 1 to November 15, 2026, accept by December 15, 2026. A renewal student is one funded for Quarter 4 on the same scholarship and not revoked. Miss a deadline, including accept after May 31, and they are treated as new. Deadline exceptions to April 15, 2027 are Private School and PEP, not FES-UA.
VerifiedSource: Step Up For Students, 2026-27 scholarship deadlines FAQ · How we verify
Quarterly public-school attestation
Beginning 2026-27, complete a Public School Attestation in EMA before each quarterly distribution. Windows: Q1 renewal August 15 / new September 15 (if you have both, both by August 15); Q2 November 15; Q3 February 15; Q4 April 15. Q1 public-school withdrawal by July 31, 2026. The FES-UA balance must be $50,000 or less by each attestation date or the next quarter can be blocked. The 2025-26 100 percent / 50 percent proration is deleted. As of August 18, 2026, the SUFS site banner still said Q1 attestation was open for August and September funded students.
VerifiedSource: 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB), Quarterly Attestation · How we verify
If the child has a disability and you want the most funding and the most flexible spending, FES-UA is the only one of the four keyed to disability. It is the only one whose amount rises with need level. The scholarship comparison on the Florida hub puts the four programs side by side. After the award is set, the reimbursement pack is the invoice, EMA, and 60-day review walkthrough.
Common questions
How much is the FES-UA scholarship in Florida?
The published 2026-27 district ranges are $9,627 to $14,381 for levels 251-253, $21,379 to $25,701 for level 254, and $34,429 to $39,091 for level 255. County, grade and program conditions matter. These are full-year published figures, not a promise of an individual payment.
2026-27 FES-UA award table. Checked September 12, 2026.
Why is our FES-UA award in the base band?
A qualifying diagnosis uses the 251-253 district band when other scholarship conditions are met. A district Matrix of Services can establish another level when documented needs support it. Ask the district to explain the rating and the records used.
2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook. Checked September 12, 2026.
Can I request a Matrix of Services if my child is in private school?
A family without an IEP or matrix may request an evaluation at any time. An existing matrix may be reevaluated once every three years, or sooner to correct an error. The district must complete the IEP and matrix within 30 days after receiving the request, then notify the parent and FLDOE within 10 calendar days after completion. Step Up cannot create or change the matrix.
2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook. Checked September 12, 2026.
Can we stack FES-UA with another Florida scholarship?
No. A child cannot receive FES-UA together with FES-EO, FTC or PEP. Check the program conditions before changing scholarships.
2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook. Checked September 12, 2026.
What this page is not
- It is not a way to inflate a matrix level. The matrix must reflect documented support needs. Ask the district to explain the rating and the records it used.
- It is not the request playbook. The Matrix Playbook is the step-by-step. This page is the question people search: how the tiers and their eligibility conditions work.
- It is not a guarantee of any dollar amount. Award amounts vary by county and year. Districts make the rating decision. Always check the current year's table.
Sources
- FES-UA Scholarship Award Amounts, 2026-27 (official PDF): the dollar figures by county and tier. The Hubfs FES-UA-Parent-Handbook.pdf is still 2025-26 (Effective April 2026). Do not cite it as 2026-27.
- FES-UA award amounts, 2025-26 (archive PDF): comparison only
- 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB): living source. Last modified August 12, 2026 as of our August 18, 2026 check. Matrix clocks, attestation, funding lock.
- FLDOE, FES scholarships: one-scholarship rule
- Step Up, 2026-27 scholarship deadlines FAQ: apply, accept, and attestation windows