Pinellas kids qualify for up to $8,643 a year toward private school.
That is the 2026-27 K-3 award for every Pinellas student, with no income test. 113 of the 145 private schools registered in the county accept it. We put the programs, the dates and every school's state record in one place so you can work out the real cost.
Pinellas K-3 award for 2026-27. Grades 4-8 receive $8,059 and grades 9-12 receive $7,868, paid to the school each quarter.
Pinellas private schools accept it, and 111 can be paid from a Unique Abilities account.
Final day for new 2026-27 applications to the Private School and Unique Abilities scholarships.
Pinellas schools on the PEP list, the hybrid and part-week options a homeschool account can pay.
What does private school cost a Pinellas family after the award?
For many elementary families the answer is a few hundred dollars a year. Here is an illustrative kindergartner at a Pinellas Park Christian school priced at $9,800.
Illustration only. The award is Step Up's published 2026-27 Pinellas K-3 amount; the tuition and discount are assumptions, because Florida schools do not report prices to the state.
Which programs can a Pinellas family use?
The universal award, a disability account, the homeschool account, free pre-K, child care help, Catholic and school aid, free college courses at SPC and the federal credit arriving in 2027.
Florida Private School Scholarship (FTC / FES-EO)
Florida's universal school-choice award, often called a voucher. A Pinellas student is funded at $8,643 in grades K-3, $8,059 in grades 4-8 and $7,868 in grades 9-12 for 2026-27, paid to a participating private school.
Details →Disability account · Ages 3 to grade 12Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA)
An account the parent controls, open to Florida students who have a documented disability or an IEP. The balance can cover tuition, therapy sessions, tutors and curriculum and, unlike Florida's other programs, a computer.
Details →Home-directed learning accountPersonalized Education Program (PEP)
Florida's education savings account for students who are not enrolled full time in a school: home-directed learning, hybrids, microschools, tutoring and online courses, funded at the Pinellas award amounts.
Details →Free for every 4-year-oldFlorida VPK (Free Voluntary Pre-K)
Florida pays for one pre-kindergarten year for any child who has turned 4 by September 1, at participating private schools, church preschools and centers across Pinellas.
Details →Income-based · Birth to 12School Readiness (Child Care Assistance)
Partial child care scholarships for working Pinellas families with low to moderate incomes, administered in the county by the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County.
Details →New in 2027Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (2027)
A new federal tax credit for gifts to scholarship organizations begins in 2027. Florida opted in, and Step Up For Students plans to run it through a new nonprofit, the Step Up, Step Further Scholarship Fund.
Details →Voucher, savings account or tax credit: how do Florida's programs differ?
| Program | Type | Money goes to |
|---|---|---|
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Voucher-style award | The school |
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Education savings account | A parent-managed account |
| PEP | Education savings account | A parent-managed account |
| Education Freedom Tax Credit (2027) | Federal tax-credit scholarship | Scholarship groups funded by donors |
What else can a Florida scholarship account buy?
FES-UA and PEP accounts, and in some cases money left after tuition, can pay for tutoring, therapy, curriculum, lessons, testing and more. Each category shows the rule for each program.
Part-time tutoring
A tutor is the most flexible thing a Florida scholarship account can buy, as long as the tutor holds one of the credenti…
Rules →Reading intervention and dyslexia support
Structured-literacy help can be bought as tutoring, as curriculum or as a therapy service, and the label depends on who …
Rules →Testing and evaluations
Norm-referenced tests, AP exams, certification exams and some evaluations are payable from scholarship accounts.…
Rules →Speech-language therapy
Speech-language pathology is one of the therapy services Florida's Unique Abilities law names directly.…
Rules →Occupational and physical therapy
OT and PT by licensed providers are therapy services an FES-UA account can pay for.…
Rules →ABA therapy for autism
Applied Behavior Analysis delivered by or under a Board Certified Behavior Analyst is a covered FES-UA service.…
Rules →Curriculum and books
Full curricula, single-subject courses and self-paced programs are allowed across Florida's account programs.…
Rules →Online courses and virtual school
Florida separates self-paced online courses, live instruction from an approved online provider and full-time virtual sch…
Rules →How does St. Pete Edu Funding help?
You answer five questions
Your child's grade, the kind of school, your part of Pinellas and when you hope to start. No documents needed.
An advisor maps your sources
We match the answers to every program your child can use and the dates attached to each, including the ones schools rarely mention.
You enroll with a plan
We point you to schools that take your funding, explain the EMA steps and help you keep each quarterly approval on time.
Which private schools are registered in Pinellas?
All 145 schools in the state file, with grades, affiliation, accreditation, reported enrollment and whether the state lists each school for FTC/FES-EO, FES-UA or PEP.
Catholic Schools
Parish elementary schools and Catholic high schools in Pinellas, all within the Diocese of St. Petersburg's school system.
14 schools →Christian & Protestant Schools
Non-denominational, Baptist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal and other Christian schools registered in Pinellas.
50 schools →Independent & Secular Schools
Non-religious private schools in Pinellas: college prep, international and language schools, Montessori, microschools and online programs.
79 schools →PEP Hybrid & Part-Week Programs
Schools on the state's list of Personalized Education Program (PEP) participants: hybrids, microschools and coaching programs a PEP family can pay from its account.
12 schools →High Schools (Grades 9-12)
Pinellas private schools that report serving students through grade 12.
77 schools →Schools With a Pre-K Classroom
K-12 private schools in Pinellas that also report pre-K enrollment, the place where a free VPK year can lead straight into kindergarten.
64 schools →By community: Downtown, Midtown & South St. Petersburg · Old Northeast, Crescent Lake & Snell Isle · North St. Petersburg, Riviera Bay & Gateway · West & Central St. Petersburg (Tyrone, Azalea, Disston Heights) · Gulfport, South Pasadena & the Gulf Beaches · Pinellas Park, Lealman & Kenneth City · Largo & Seminole · Downtown Clearwater & North Greenwood · South & East Clearwater (Belcher, Bayside, Feather Sound) · Countryside & North Clearwater · Dunedin, Safety Harbor & Oldsmar · Palm Harbor, East Lake & Tarpon Springs
Does your Pinellas school or church want to work with us?
Families who find you here already know which programs fund them. Congregations thinking about starting a school can read our Florida start-up guide first.
Can the Unique Abilities Scholarship pay for a new laptop in Pinellas?
Yes, for FES-UA students: the account can cover one computer every two years, and replacing it sooner takes pre-authorization.
It is the only Florida program that does. PEP and the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) don't pay for computers, so a family deciding on PEP or FES-UA for a child who has a diagnosis should weigh that. The device must support the student's learning, and rules apply.
What's new for Pinellas families?
Two Weeks to November 15: A Pinellas Checklist for the Last 2026-27 Scholarship Window
The last regular window for new 2026-27 applicants closes November 15. A step-by-step checklist for Pinellas families.
Read →Oct 26, 2026SPC Dual Enrollment for Pinellas Private School Students: Spring 2027 Dates and Costs
How Pinellas private school and homeschool students register for SPC dual enrollment, what it costs and the spring 2027 dates.
Read →Oct 23, 2026Catholic School in Pinellas: How the $8,643 Award, Parish Pricing and School Aid Fit Together
Every Pinellas Catholic school takes the state award. Here is how families layer it with parish pricing and income-based aid.
Read →Pinellas scholarship questions, answered
What is the 2026-27 Florida private school award for a Pinellas child?
A Pinellas student is funded at $8,643 in grades K-3, $8,059 in grades 4-8 and $7,868 in grades 9-12 for 2026-27, under the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO). PEP uses the same amounts; the Unique Abilities Scholarship follows its own matrix.
Do St. Pete families have to meet an income limit?
No. Any Florida K-12 student can receive the Private School Scholarship. Income affects only the order of funding if requests exceed the money available.
How many Pinellas private schools take the scholarship?
The state file pulled October 28, 2026 marks 113 of the 145 schools in the Pinellas district as FTC/FES-EO participants; 111 are FES-UA participants and 12 are PEP participants.
What is the next deadline for a new applicant?
November 15, 2026 is the cutoff for first-time 2026-27 applicants to the Private School and Unique Abilities scholarships; a new award then has to be accepted in EMA by December 15, 2026.
Can a Florida scholarship pay for a laptop in Pinellas?
Only the Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) can: one computer every two years, with an earlier replacement only after pre-authorization. PEP and the Private School Scholarship do not pay for computers.
See which Pinellas programs fit your child
Answer five short questions. A School Funding Advisor calls back with your family's funding plan, free and with no obligation.