How does PEP work for a Palm Beach County homeschool family?
Depending on grade band, PEP funds an account with $8,890, $8,288 or $8,091 for the parent to spend on allowed items such as curriculum, tutoring, testing and approved online courses. The child has to be five by September 1, work from a Student Learning Plan and sit a norm-referenced test each year.
The student cannot be enrolled full time in a public school, a private school or a registered home education program.
How many Palm Beach County students use PEP, and which schools take it?
Step Up's 2025-26 fact sheet counts 3,928 PEP students in Palm Beach County, second in the state. 16 private schools in the directory carry the PEP participant flag, including programs in Wellington, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach.
A PEP family can pay part-week tuition at those schools from the account.
What does PEP not allow?
PEP does not fund laptops or other digital devices in 2026-27, full-time virtual school, or licensed therapies. A child who needs therapy funding generally belongs on FES-UA instead.
Check the PEP purchasing guide for specifics before buying.
When can a family apply?
PEP applications for 2026-27 ran February 1 to April 30, 2026, and the 2027-28 window is expected to open February 1, 2027. Confirm the dates with Step Up.
Families should not assume a late application will be funded.
What is PEP compared with FES-UA, and what is each not?
The table sets the options side by side so you can see where each one stops.
| Program | What it is / is not |
|---|---|
| PEP | A parent-directed account at the county amounts; not for licensed therapies or devices |
| FES-UA | A parent-directed account for a diagnosis, at higher amounts; includes therapies and some devices |
| Private School Scholarship | A payment to a full-time private school; not an account |
Related questions
What is the next step for my family?
Take the funding check, which runs about two minutes. An advisor then lists each program your household can use and the dates that apply to you.