The Personalized Education Program (PEP) in Florida, which began in the 2023-2024 school year, is experiencing a surge in applications from families who educate their children at home. The program, established through a law (HB 1) that expanded the state’s voucher programs, provides funds to students who are not enrolled full-time at public or private schools. Initially, the program was set to provide vouchers for 20,000 students in its first year, but nearly hit its cap with vouchers for 19,514 students funded.
Under the law, the PEP program is allowed to grow by 40,000 students each year, meaning that the maximum capacity could reach 60,000 students in the 2024-2025 school year. As of now, 39,690 applications have been submitted for the upcoming school year, with 31,991 vouchers already awarded. With months left for applications to come in, the number of vouchers awarded could potentially reach the maximum of 60,000.
Step Up for Students, an organization that administers vouchers for the state, continues to accept applications as the school year approaches. Scott Kent, director of media and strategic communications for Step Up for Students, mentioned that not every scholarship awarded results in funds being used, so the final number of PEP vouchers funded for the next school year will not be clear for some time.
Families who receive PEP vouchers can use the funds to purchase instructional materials, virtual education courses, tutoring, and contracted services at public schools. The money is provided to students through education savings accounts, with voucher amounts typically ranging from $7,000 to $9,000 per student, depending on their county of residence.
The funding for PEP vouchers comes from the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, which provides tax credits to businesses that contribute money for vouchers. However, the award amounts for the 2024-2025 school year will not be finalized until after Governor Ron DeSantis signs the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
PEP recipients are part of the broader home-education population in Florida, with families required to follow various requirements, such as submitting student learning plans each year to Step Up for Students. The overall number of home-schooled students in Florida has more than doubled in the past decade, with DeSantis highlighting the state as the number one for homeschooling in the United States.
DeSantis emphasized the importance of parental choice in education, stating that parents should have the ability to direct the education and upbringing of their children. With the increasing popularity of homeschooling in Florida, the PEP program provides families with additional resources to support their children’s learning outside of traditional school settings.