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What's The Difference Between FES-EO And FTC Scholarships
Use the free tool — FL School Scholarship Finder
What is FES-EO?
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, or FES-EO, is a Florida program under Florida Statute 1002.394. It helps pay for private school tuition and related fees. The same statute section also covers FES-UA, a version of the program for students with disabilities.
What is FTC?
The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, or FTC, is authorized under Florida Statute 1002.395. It also helps pay for private school. FES-EO and FTC are separate programs, run under separate statutes, but they can cover similar things and a family may fit one, the other, or both.
How are FES-EO and FTC different?
- They come from different statutes — FES-EO from 1002.394, FTC from 1002.395 — so their rules, priorities and paperwork are not identical, even though both can be used for private school.
- FES-EO's statute also includes FES-UA, the version for students with an IEP, a 504 plan, or a qualifying disability. FTC does not have that same disability-specific branch.
- Each program works with its own scholarship-funding organisations, such as Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation, and each sets its own application window.
- The tool compares your family's description — income, grade, school, any IEP/504 or diagnosis — against both programs' published rules and tells you which one, or both, you may fit, along with your priority tier.
What about priority tiers and income lines?
Florida sets priority tiers and income lines for FES-EO and FTC, and these can change from year to year. The tool computes the tier and income line that applies to your household based on what you enter. We don't have the exact current dollar thresholds to print in this guide — the tool, the Florida Department of Education, and the funding organisations have the current numbers.
How much is each one worth, and how do you apply?
The award amount depends on the program and the tier you fall into. The tool gives a rough estimate of what an award may be worth — it never promises an award. You apply through a scholarship-funding organisation, such as Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation, not directly to the state. Apply early, and only through the official organisations — they charge no fees for applying.
What to do next
Use FL School Scholarship Finder to describe your family and your child. The tool reads your own numbers and situation — your income, grade, school, and any diagnosis or IEP/504 — and tells you whether FES-EO, FES-UA, FTC, or PEP fits, your priority tier, roughly what it's worth, the application window, and which funding organisation to apply through. This is not legal or educational advice, and it does not guarantee eligibility, funding, or an award. Confirm everything with the official agencies and funding organisations before you apply.
FL School Scholarship Finder is an informational tool based on Florida Statutes 1002.394 (FES-EO/FES-UA), 1002.395 (FTC), 1002.40 (Hope), and the Personalized Education Program provisions, and on the published guidance of the Florida Department of Education and the Scholarship Funding Organisations, as of the 2025–26 school year. It is not legal or educational advice, does not apply for you, and does not guarantee eligibility, funding or an award. It is not affiliated with the Florida DOE, Step Up For Students, AAA Scholarship Foundation or any school.