Step Up For Students Inc

STEP UP FOR STUDENTS EMPOWERS FAMILIES TO PURSUE AND ENGAGE IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE LEARNING OPTIONS FOR THEIR CHILDREN, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FAMILIES WHO LACK THE INFORMATION AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO ACCESS THESE OPTIONS. BY PURSUING THIS MISSION, WE HELP PUBLIC EDUCATION FULFILL THE PROMISE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.

FLORIDA TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: IN THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR, 85,542 UNDERPRIVILEGED STUDENTS ATTENDED 2,049 PRIVATE SCHOOLS ON A STEP UP FOR STUDENTS' TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP. THE K-12 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN 2001 TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE ENORMOUS EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES FACED BY CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN POVERTY, AND IT IS NOW THE LARGEST SUCH SCHOLARSHIP IN THE NATION. ELIGIBLE STUDENTS COULD CHOOSE BETWEEN SCHOLARSHIPS WORTH AN AVERAGE OF $6,900 TO $7,500, DEPENDING ON GRADE LEVEL AND COUNTY RESIDENCE, FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION AND FEES OR UP TO $750 IN TRANSPORTATION COSTS TO ATTEND AN OUT-OF-DISTRICT PUBLIC SCHOOL. THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR PARTICIPANTS WAS JUST 40% ABOVE THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, AND 55% OF THE STUDENTS WERE FROM SINGLE-PARENT HOUSEHOLDS.A STUDY ON STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES RELEASED IN JULY 2020 SHOWED THAT SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS ACHIEVED THE SAME GAINS IN READING AND MATH AS STUDENTS OF ALL INCOME LEVELS NATIONALLY, EVEN AS THE STUDENTS WHO CHOSE THE SCHOLARSHIP WERE AMONG THE POOREST AND LOWEST-PERFORMING STUDENTS FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THEY LEFT BEHIND. IN FEBRUARY 2019, THE URBAN INSTITUTE REPORTED THAT SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS ARE 43 PERCENT MORE LIKELY THAN THEIR PUBLIC-SCHOOL PEERS TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND 20 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO EARN BACHOLER'S DEGREES. A STUDY ON STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED SINCE 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2019 TO PROVIDE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA WHICH HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES WITH EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN THEIR EDUCATION. THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP WAS EXPANDED INTO TWO BRANCHES: FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS AND FOR STUDENTS WITH UNIQUE ABILITIES (FORMALLY KNOWN AS GARDINER SCHOLARSHIP). FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS: THIS SCHOLARSHIP IS INTENDED TO HELP REDUCE THE WAIT LIST FOR THE TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND SIMILARILY SERVES STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME AND WORKING-CLASS HOUSEHOLDS. STEP UP FOR STUDENTS-FLORIDA, AS AN APPROVED SFO, ADMINISTERED THIS SCHOLARSHIP AND SERVED 76,959 K-12 STUDENTS FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR. FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR, STEP UP FOR STUDENTS-FLORIDA WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ADMINISTER THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH SERVED 29,853 K-12 STUDENTS.FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS WITH UNIQUE ABILITIES (FORMALLY KNOWN AS GARDINER SCHOLARSHIP): IN THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR, STEP UP FOR STUDENTS-FLORIDA ADMINISTERED THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH UNIQUE ABILITIES WITH SPECIFIC DIABILITIES THAT INCLUDE: AUTISM, CEREBRAL PALSY, DOWN SYNDROME, SPINA BIFIDA, INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, WILLIAMS SYNDROME, AND MORE. THROUGH THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, 25,558 ELIGIBLE STUDENTS RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR AT AN AVERAGE OF $9,773 EACH. THE PROGRAM EMPOWERS FAMILIES TO CHOOSE THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES THAT BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR STUDENT, AND THE MONEY CAN BE SPENT FOR SCHOOLS, THERAPISTS, SPECIALISTS, CURRICULUM, TECHNOLOGY EVEN A COLLEGE SAVINGS ACCOUNT.

HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: STEP UP FOR STUDENTS-FLORIDA ADMINISTERS THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP, WHICH WAS CREATED IN 2018 TO PROVIDE THE OPTION OF PRIVATE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ACTS OF BULLYING AND INTIMIDATION. THE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE FINANCED BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM AUTOMOBILE BUYERS, WHO ARE ALLOWED UNDER THE LAW TO REDIRECT UP TO $105 OF THEIR STATE TAXES ON EACH PURCHASE. THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE USED TO PROVIDE TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS TO PARTICIPATING PRIVATE SCHOOLS, WHICH AVERAGED BETWEEN $6,900 AND $7,500, OR A $750 TRANSPORTATION SCHOLARSHIP TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN ANOTHER DISTRICT. THE SCHOLARSHIP BEGAN IN 2018 AND SERVED 249 STUDENTS DURING THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR. ANY UNUSED FUNDS IN THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM CAN BE USED TO FUND SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS ON THE FLORIDA TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN THE NEXT STATE OF FLORIDA FISCAL YEAR.