Updates · Getting set up

Your EMA Account: First Steps

Updated July 5, 2026 · Based on the official PEP Purchasing Guide & Step Up documentation · Independent guide

EMA — the Education Market Assistant — is the official portal run by Step Up For Students. In its own words: "the scholarship portal parents and guardians use to manage their student's account." You'll apply there, accept your award there, and (for PEP) spend there.

Setting up, in order

Create one parent account at apply.stepupforstudents.org — one login covers all your children.
Add each student with their documents (residency proof, birth certificate).
Apply for the right scholarship — see FTC vs PEP if you're torn.
Watch for the award — then click "Accept Scholarship." This is the step families miss. Accepting is separate from applying (renewals had to accept by May 31 for 2026-27).

The three ways PEP money gets spent

Per the official PEP Purchasing Guide, there are three mechanisms:

MyScholarShop — the in-portal store ("Think of it as an online store and service finder"). Orders ship to the Florida address on file.
Direct pay to pre-approved providers — found through EMA's "Find Providers" marketplace (tutors, lesson providers, schools for part-time enrollment).
Reimbursement — you pay out of pocket, then submit a reimbursement request in EMA (paid by bank transfer, check, or PayPal). Step Up notes PEP is designed by the state as primarily a reimbursement-style program, so keep every receipt.

What PEP funds can cover (statute + purchasing guide): instructional materials and curriculum, tutoring, part-time private or public school enrollment, virtual instruction and Florida Virtual School as a private-pay student, testing and exam fees (norm-referenced tests, AP, industry certifications), postsecondary and preapprenticeship tuition, choice-navigator services — plus field trips, PE lessons and equipment, and enrichment, some of which need pre-authorization.

The annual rhythm (PEP families)

Update your Student Learning Plan at least annually before renewal.
Have your student take a nationally norm-referenced test each year and submit the result before renewal.
Renew every spring — the 2026-27 renewal window ran Feb 1 – Apr 30. Late renewals are processed as brand-new applications, at the back of the line.

Security note: Step Up For Students says it will never ask for copies of your debit/credit card, never texts you for personal details, and its legitimate emails come from @sufs.org addresses. Details on its Security Center. Questions: 1-877-735-7837.

Wondering what the award is worth where you live? See the 2026-27 amounts by county.

More free guides for families

Sources: Step Up For Students PEP Purchasing Guide (stepupforstudents.org/handbook-web/pep-purchasing-guide/); Fla. Stat. §1002.395 (flsenate.gov, 2025 ed.); Step Up For Students scholarship pages. Independent guide — not affiliated with Step Up For Students; portal features change, so follow the official guide inside EMA when they differ.