How much does the Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) pay in Palm Beach County for 2026-27?
For 2026-27 a Palm Beach County student on the Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA, formerly the McKay and Gardiner scholarships) is funded at $11,054 in K-3, $10,452 in grades 4-8 and $10,255 in grades 9-12 at matrix levels 1-3, which is also the level used for a student funded on a qualifying diagnosis alone.
Students with a higher-need matrix of services are funded at $22,439 (level 4) or $35,893 (level 5). The K-3 column also covers three- and four-year-olds. These figures come from Step Up's 2026-27 FES-UA table for Palm Beach County residents.
What is the difference between FES-UA and the standard Private School Scholarship?
FES-UA is an account the parent directs, while the Private School Scholarship is a payment made to a school. A student holds one or the other, not both, and families who want to change programs must use Step Up's published switching windows.
Because the money sits in an account, a Palm Beach family can split it across tuition at a private school, a licensed speech-language pathologist and a credentialed reading tutor. The standard scholarship cannot be spent that way.
Who qualifies for FES-UA in Palm Beach County?
Eligibility comes from a licensed professional's diagnosis in a covered category, or from an IEP or matrix of services documenting the need. The statute lists the covered categories; among them are autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, intellectual disability and other health impairment, which includes ADHD.
Income is not part of the test. Age is: the student must be at least three and can remain eligible through grade 12.
Which Palm Beach County private schools take FES-UA?
118 of the 171 private schools in the Palm Beach district carry the FES-UA participant flag in the state directory pulled on October 28, 2026, and 53 schools report at least one disability category they serve.
The state lists the categories school by school, so a family can match a diagnosis before calling. The Unique Abilities directory on this site breaks the same record out by diagnosis.
When is the FES-UA deadline for a Palm Beach family?
New 2026-27 FES-UA applications closed on November 15, 2026, and a new family must accept an award in EMA by December 15, 2026. Renewal students on any of the three programs were due earlier in the spring.
A family that missed the window can still plan for 2027-28, when applications are expected to reopen February 1, 2027. Step Up had not posted those dates when this page was verified.
What is the Unique Abilities Scholarship, and what is it not?
The short version: an account the parent directs, funded by the state, and not a payment sent only to a school.
| It is | It is not |
|---|---|
| An account the parent directs, funded by the state | A payment sent only to a school |
| Open from age 3 to grade 12, with a diagnosis or IEP required | Available on income alone |
| Usable for tuition, licensed therapies, tutors and approved materials | Usable for anything a family wants to buy; the purchasing guide controls |
| Funded at a higher level when a student's matrix of services is higher | A single flat amount for every student |
| An alternative to the standard Private School Scholarship | An add-on stacked on top of it |