Florida Private School Scholarship
Your child's education at Arlington
may cost less than you think.
Florida's Step Up for Students scholarship can cover tuition and fees for Kindergarten and 1st grade — and it's available to all Florida families, regardless of income.
Check your eligibility →The Step Up for Students scholarship
Step Up for Students is a Florida nonprofit that connects families with state-funded scholarships for private school. The two main programs — the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES-EO) — work the same way: funds go into an education savings account your child's school draws from each quarter.
The scholarship can cover tuition, registration, books, activity fees, and other approved educational expenses. Whatever isn't used for school fees can be applied to tutoring, materials, or other learning costs.
Arlington Kindergarten is an approved Step Up for Students school.
~$8,000
Average annual award
All income levels
No income cap to qualify
K–12
Available from Kindergarten through 12th grade
Does my family qualify?
Most Jacksonville families do. Here's what Step Up looks for:
Florida resident
Your family must currently live in Florida.
Enrolled in or eligible for a Florida public school
Your child doesn't need to currently attend public school.
K–12 grade level
The scholarship applies starting at Kindergarten.
Not homeschooled through a Florida district program
Private school or transitioning from public school qualifies.
The scholarship is open to all Florida families — there is no income requirement to apply. Award amounts are determined by your county of residence and grade level.
What the scholarship covers at Arlington
Tuition
Quarterly scholarship draws cover weekly tuition directly through Arlington's billing system.
Registration & fees
Remaining scholarship funds in your ESA can apply to registration, books, and other school fees.
Other educational expenses
Any unused ESA funds can be used for tutoring, instructional materials, or approved educational services.
Actual award amounts vary by county and grade level. Contact Step Up for Students for your family's specific eligibility and amount.
How to apply — it takes about 15 minutes
Create a Step Up account
Go to stepupforstudents.org and create a free family account in their EMA portal.
Choose your scholarship
Apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES-EO) or the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) — both work at Arlington.
Submit your documents
You'll need proof of Florida residency (driver's license or utility bill) and your child's birth certificate or school records.
Enroll at Arlington
Once approved, let us know. We'll handle the quarterly invoicing through the Step Up portal — you just approve the payment in your account each quarter.
Questions?
Our director has helped many Arlington families navigate the scholarship process. Call or email us — we're happy to answer questions before you apply.