How to Use Step Up for Students for Therapy in Florida: A Parent-Friendly Guide to Using FES-UA Scholarship Funds for Mental Health Counseling
QUICK ANSWER:
Can Step Up for Students Pay for Therapy?
Yes, FES-UA scholarship funds can be used for eligible psychotherapy or counseling services provided by certain licensed mental health professionals, including Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs).
Step Up currently lists psychotherapy and counseling as an eligible specialized service under the FES-UA scholarship.
However, eligibility and payment requirements can change, and having a Step Up scholarship does not automatically mean every therapy service or provider will qualify. Families should always confirm that they have the appropriate scholarship and available funds before beginning services.
If your child receives a Step Up For Students scholarship in Florida, you may already use those funds for school tuition, tutoring, educational materials, or other services. What many families do not realize is that some Step Up scholarship funds can also be used for mental health therapy.
For families receiving the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), psychotherapy and counseling are included among the specialized services that may be eligible for scholarship funding when provided by a qualified licensed professional.
That means your child's scholarship may be able to help cover therapy for concerns like anxiety, OCD, ADHD, eating disorders and body image concerns, emotional regulation, perfectionism, or other mental health needs.
If you're wondering how that actually works, here's the simple version.
What Is the FES-UA Scholarship?
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) is a Florida education savings account program administered by organizations including Step Up For Students.
Rather than being limited to traditional school tuition, eligible families can use scholarship funds for a variety of approved educational and therapeutic expenses.
For some families, that includes services such as:
Occupational therapy
Speech-language therapy
Physical therapy
Applied behavior analysis (ABA)
Psychotherapy and counseling
Other approved specialized services
This flexibility can be especially helpful for children and teens whose emotional, behavioral, developmental, or mental health needs affect their everyday functioning.
What Types of Mental Health Providers Can Accept Step Up?
For FES-UA, Step Up specifically identifies psychotherapy or counseling provided by appropriately licensed professionals as an eligible specialized service.
This includes licensed:
Psychologists
School psychologists
Mental health counselors
Marriage and family therapists
Clinical social workers
The provider must also meet Step Up's requirements for the service being submitted.
This is different from using health insurance. A therapist does not necessarily need to be "in network" with your health insurance company in order for you to use eligible Step Up funds for their services.
How Do I Find a Step Up for Students Therapist?
One option is to search for participating providers through your EMA account. Step Up's Marketplace includes a "Find Providers" feature that allows families to search for approved providers who participate in Direct Pay.
You can also ask a therapist directly:
"Are you an approved Step Up For Students provider for FES-UA?"
If they are, ask whether they participate in Direct Pay, reimbursement, or both.
Keep in mind that being licensed in Florida does not automatically make a therapist an approved Step Up provider.
How Does Payment for Therapy Work?
Depending on the provider and your scholarship, there are generally two ways eligible services may be paid.
Option 1: Direct Pay
With Direct Pay, an approved provider can submit eligible services through Step Up's EMA system.
After the therapy session has taken place, the family can approve the provider's request for payment from the student's available scholarship funds.
This can reduce or eliminate the need for the family to pay the full session fee upfront.
Option 2: Reimbursement
In some situations, families may pay for an eligible service themselves and then submit documentation through EMA to request reimbursement from available scholarship funds.
Step Up requires documentation for reimbursement, and requirements vary depending on the type of service.
Because reimbursement is never guaranteed simply because an expense was submitted, I recommend confirming eligibility before paying for services with the expectation of using scholarship funds.
What Information Will I Need?
The exact documentation requirements can vary, but Step Up may require information such as:
Your child's name
The date or time period when services were provided
The type of service provided
The amount charged
The therapist's name
Proof or method of payment when reimbursement is being requested
Your therapist may also need to provide documentation of their professional credentials.
If you are unsure what is required, check your current FES-UA handbook or contact Step Up For Students before submitting the expense.
Can I Use Step Up and Health Insurance for the Same Therapy Session?
You generally cannot receive payment for the same expense from two different sources.
For example, if a service has already been paid for by health insurance or another funding source, you should not also submit that same expense to Step Up for reimbursement.
This is particularly important for families working with an out-of-network therapist. Talk with your provider about how you plan to pay for services so that everyone is clear about which funding source is being used.
What If I Have PEP Instead of FES-UA?
This is where things can get confusing.
Florida has several different scholarship programs administered through Step Up For Students, and they do not all have the same eligible expenses.
If you have a Personalized Education Program (PEP) scholarship rather than FES-UA, do not assume that mental health counseling is covered simply because you have Step Up funds.
Before scheduling therapy with the intention of using scholarship funds, check which scholarship your child receives and review the current purchasing guidelines for that specific program.
Using Step Up for Therapy at Temperance Psychotherapy
Temperance Psychotherapy is an approved Step Up For Students FES-UA provider in Florida.
I work with children and teens experiencing concerns including:
Anxiety and panic
OCD and related disorders
ADHD and neurodivergence
Eating disorders and body image concerns
Perfectionism and people-pleasing
Emotional regulation difficulties
Life transitions and stress
Therapy is available in person in Longwood and Maitland, Florida, as well as virtually throughout Florida.
If your child has FES-UA funds and you're interested in using them for therapy, I'm happy to talk with you about whether my practice may be a good fit and how the payment process works.
Not Sure Whether Your Scholarship Covers Therapy?
You don't have to have the entire Step Up system figured out before reaching out to a therapist.
If your child has an FES-UA scholarship, start by checking your available scholarship funds and confirming that the service you are seeking is eligible under the current Step Up guidelines.
You can also contact Step Up For Students directly with questions about your specific scholarship or account.
And if you're looking for a therapist for your child or teen, you can reach out to Temperance Psychotherapy for a free consultation to talk about what you're looking for, whether I may be a good fit, and how Step Up may fit into the process.
This article is intended for general informational purposes and reflects Step Up For Students guidance available at the time of publication. Scholarship eligibility, approved expenses, documentation requirements, and payment procedures may change. Families should consult Step Up For Students and the current handbook or purchasing guide for their specific scholarship before relying on scholarship funds for services.
