The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) program is an annual scholarship that provides parents/guardians of children with specific disabilities the opportunity to better meet the individual needs of their eligible children.
2025-26 School Year – FES-UA Applications
Renewal Priority applicants: The renewal priority application submission window closed on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
Once awarded, you will need to Accept or Decline your student’s renewal priority scholarship award by May 31, 2025.
FES-UA applications submitted by renewing applicants after the April 30th deadline will be processed as new applicants.
Renewal non-priority applicants: FES-UA applications submitted by renewing applicants after the April 30th deadline will be processed as new applicants. Renewing families must use the invitation that AAA emailed to you to apply. Contact AAA if you need us to resend your invitation.
New applicants: Our 2025-26 new scholarship application submission window is now open and will close on Saturday, November 15, 2025. Please click on the following link to access the new applicant application: https://app.aaascholarships.org/submit-application
Once awarded, you will need to Accept or Decline your student’s new scholarship award by December 15, 2025.
Transferring to AAA from SUFS? Welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Current SUFS students transferring to AAA will retain their renewal status. Transferring students will apply as “New” and the state will notify us which student statuses need to be moved to “Renewal.” Please click on the following link to access the application for “New” applicants only: https://app.aaascholarships.org/submit-application
Need to log back into the SMP? Login – AAA Scholarships
Already submitted your application? Click here to check the status.
Active-duty members of the United States Armed Forces who do not have a Florida residential address at the time of application but have received Permanent Change of Station orders must: 1) provide a copy of their orders with their application, and 2) list the Florida address of the unit to which they are being assigned.
Scholarship Management Platform (“SMP”)
We are excited to announce that our improved SMP is online for the 2025-26 school year. We are confident that the new system will provide you with an enhanced experience.
Important Notice: New SMP Account Creation Required for the 2025-2026 School Year
All returning users must create a new SMP account and password for the 2025-2026 school year. To ensure you have access to all the new features and improvements, it is essential that you set up a new account, even if you used the previous system. Please follow the instructions on the email you received to create your new SMP account and get started.
FAQ #1: I received an email to log into the SMP for a new message about my scholarship. Where do I find the message?
Answer #1: Messages can be found in the top right corner of your SMP account once you’ve logged in:
Have a question about the SMP? Please leave us a message at 888-707-2465 so we can call you back or send us a message on the Contact Us page of our website.
3 easy steps for using your 2025-26 AAA FES-UA scholarship for private school
Step 1. Application Submission – Applicants must first submit their scholarship applications to AAA by the designated deadline and be found eligible.
Step 2. School Commitment Form (SCF) – Both the parent and school must confirm the student’s enrollment by submitting SCFs to AAA.
Step 3. Scholarship Payments – Once the student’s account is funded by the state of Florida, both the school and parent will complete a Verification Report (VR) to verify continued enrollment and attendance before each scholarship payment may be released.
Have a question? Please let us know on the Contact Us page of our website or leave us at message at 888-707-2465 so we can call you back.
3 easy steps for using your 2025-26 AAA FES-UA scholarship for home school
Step 1. Application Submission – Applicants must first submit their scholarship applications to AAA by the designated deadline and be found eligible.
Step 2. Pre-Authorizations and Payment Request Forms – Once the student’s account is funded by the state of Florida, the parent will complete and submit a pre-authorization form and/or payment request form to AAA along with supporting documentation.
Step 3. Scholarship Payments – AAA will process the submission and contact the parent if more information or clarification is needed. Otherwise, the scholarship payment will be included in our weekly payment run.
Have a question? Please let us know on the Contact Us page of our website or leave us at message at 888-707-2465 so we can call you back.
4 easy steps for viewing the 2024-25 FL DOE funding received for your FES-UA student
Step 1: Log back into your online application (link: https://webportalapp.com/sp/aaasf_floridagardiner_24).
Step 2: Scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on the colorful part of the square card showing the words “FES-UA Awarded.”
Step 3: Click on the “Open” button in the Funding Received section of the page.
Step 4: Once you’ve opened the Funding Received section, each deposit from the FL DOE will be listed by date. Simply click on the View button for details.
Want to learn more? Click here for step-by-step instructions on viewing the FL DOE funding received for your FES-UA student.
Have a question? Please let us know on the Contact Us page of our website or leave us at message at 888-707-2465 so we can call you back.
General Information and Forms:
FES-UA 2025-2026 Scholarship Values
FES-UA Parent & School Handbook
FES-UA 2024-25 Hard Copy Scholarship Payment Forms
Email to submit hard copy payment forms and support: plsa@aaascholarships.org
FES-UA 2024-25 Private School Payment Schedule – See below
FL DOE Private School Directory
Need help finding a school? GreatSchools.org and our new Private School Navigator may be able to help
FES-UA Information about requesting an IEP for your child
FES-UA Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
FL DOE FAQs about home education
Collection and Use of Social Security Numbers
Links to Employment & Related Services for Persons with Disabilities:
Florida Division of Blind Services
Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living
Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities
Inclusive Postsecondary Program Information
Email to submit Handbook Acknowledgments: AAAGardiner@aaascholarships.org