Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities
Does your child thrive in a unique way? If you live in Florida, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) can provide the assistance your child needs.
In this article, you will find information regarding the eligibility requirements, benefits of the scholarship, and how speech therapists can assist your child in achieving their goals.
Key Takeaways:
Opportunity: Florida's FES-UA Scholarship goes beyond traditional financial aid. It empowers families to invest in resources like speech therapy that can significantly impact a child's communication and learning throughout their academic journey.
Broad Eligibility: This scholarship is open to children with various documented diagnoses who reside in Florida.
Flexibility in Funding: The FES-UA program distributes funding through an "eligible expenditure" system, allowing families to direct resources toward their child's specific needs, including speech therapy, specialized curriculum, or technology to support learning.
Investment in the Future: The FES-UA Scholarship isn't just for current expenses. Funds can be used to contribute to a personal education savings account, giving your child a head start on future academic pursuits, including community college or a four-year university.
Understanding the Family Empowerment Scholarship For Students With Unique Abilities
Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for the FES-UA Scholarship: Taking the Next Step
Understanding the Family Empowerment Scholarship For Students With Unique Abilities
The FES-UA program, administered by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), emerged from a growing recognition of the diverse needs of students with unique abilities. The FES-UA program provides funding for educational expenses for students living in Florida with unique abilities. The funds are deposited into an eligible student account.
FES-UA vs. McKay Scholarship Program: Understanding the Differences
If you have been researching Florida's scholarship programs that support students with liabilities, you may have encountered information about FES-UA and the McKay Scholarship. Here are a few key differences between the two programs:
Focus: The FES-UA focuses on "unique abilities" and empowers families to choose various educational settings (traditional schools, specialized programs, homeschooling). The McKay Scholarship program primarily funds students with disabilities to attend private schools.
Flexibility: The FES-UA offers greater flexibility in how families can use the scholarship funds (therapies, curriculum, college savings). The McKay Scholarship's funding primarily goes towards private school tuition.
Eligibility: Both programs have specific eligibility requirements, but the FES-UA may encompass a broader range of qualifying diagnoses and ways to apply funding to a child's eligible student accounts.
Benefits of FES-UA
There are many benefits to receiving the FES-UA Scholarship. The FES-UA goes beyond traditional financial aid. It allows families to direct resources where they can have the most significant impact. This flexibility will enable you to cover a wide range of expenses, including:
Specialized programs: The scholarship benefits children who thrive in a smaller, more specialized learning environment, whether within a public school setting or a private program.
Therapies: Many children with unique abilities benefit from speech, occupational, physical, or other specialized services.
Curriculum and materials: The scholarship can fund a homeschool curriculum, educational materials, and private tutoring.
Private school tuition: The FES-UA can help cover the costs of private school tuition for families enrolling their children in private schools.
Personal education savings account: Consider using a portion of the scholarship to contribute to a personal education savings account. This can help defray community college costs or university tuition later on, giving your child a head start on their higher education journey.
Exploring online learning programs: The scholarship can provide flexibility for families who wish to explore online learning programs that cater to their child's specific needs.
Eligibility for the FES-UA Scholarship
Here are the things you should know when determining eligibility:
Age, Grade Level, and State Requirements:
The FES-UA scholarship is currently available to students residing in Florida.
Students must be between the ages of 3 and grade 12 or up to age 22, whichever comes first.
Qualifying Diagnosis:
The FES-UA scholarship is available to students with a qualifying diagnosis. Here's a list of some of the qualifying diagnoses:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Cerebral Palsy
Williams Syndrome
Intellectual Disability
Hearing Impairment
Traumatic brain injury
Emotional or Behavioral Disability
And many others
Income Requirements:
While the FES-UA program was designed to eliminate financial eligibility restrictions, it is important to check the latest program updates. In the past, priority has been given to families meeting a certain income threshold. We recommend visiting the official FES-UA scholarship website, https://www.stepupforstudents.org/, for the most up-to-date information on income eligibility.
Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for the FES-UA Scholarship: Taking the Next Step
Ready to explore how the FES-UA scholarship can benefit your child? The application process is designed to be straightforward. Here's a quick overview:
Official Website: Visit the official FES-UA scholarship website https://www.stepupforstudents.org/ for the most current information and application materials.
Eligibility Check: Use the online eligibility tool to confirm your child meets the program requirements.
Application Submission: The application process is completed online. Gather the necessary documentation (typically a recent Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a physician's diagnosis) and submit your application electronically.
Key Tip: While specific deadlines may vary, it is always recommended that you apply well in advance to allow ample time for processing and ensure you don't miss any critical application windows.
We recommend visiting the official website for the most up-to-date information on deadlines and required documentation. Remember to renew annually!
The FES-UA scholarship offers a unique opportunity to invest in your child's communication skills through speech therapy. Effective communication is a fundamental building block for success in all aspects of life, and speech therapy can significantly benefit children, from toddlers to young adults preparing for college and beyond.
Here's why speech therapy funded by the FES-UA scholarship can make a difference:
Early Intervention is Key: Speech therapy can address delays or disorders in speech development in toddlers and preschoolers. Early intervention can prevent these challenges from hindering a child's social and academic progress in the future.
Building Confidence: Speech therapy empowers children to express themselves clearly and confidently. Clear communication can significantly boost self-esteem and social interaction skills throughout their school years.
Academic Success: Strong communication skills are essential for academic achievement. Speech therapy can address issues diminishing a child's ability to learn and participate in class discussions.
Reading Fluency: Speech therapy can improve a child's ability to understand and produce sounds correctly, directly impacting reading fluency and comprehension.
Preparing for College and Beyond: Clear communication is crucial as your child approaches college and future careers. Speech therapy can address lingering challenges and ensure your child is confident and prepared to excel in higher education and professional settings.
Here are some of the ways speech therapy can help children at different stages:
Toddlers and Preschoolers: Speech therapy can address articulation difficulties, language delays, stuttering, and apraxia of speech.
Elementary School-Aged Children: Speech therapy can focus on improving fluency, vocabulary development, grammar skills, and social communication.
Middle—and High-School-Aged Children: Speech therapy can address lingering pronunciation issues, social communication challenges, and auditory processing difficulties.
Young Adults Preparing for College and Beyond: Speech therapy can help young adults refine their communication skills for success in college lectures, group discussions, and professional presentations.
By utilizing the FES-UA scholarship for speech therapy services, you invest in your child's ability to communicate effectively throughout their life. This investment can empower them to build strong relationships, achieve academic success, and confidently navigate the world around them.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is my child eligible for the FES-UA scholarship?
The FES-UA scholarship is available for students residing in Florida with a documented disability. Age requirements typically range from 3 years old to grade 12 or up to age 22, whichever comes first. You can find a comprehensive list of qualifying diagnoses and eligibility requirements on the official FES-UA scholarship website: https://www.stepupforstudents.org/.
2. How can I use the FES-UA scholarship to meet my child's specific needs?
The Family Empowerment Scholarship program offers flexibility in approving eligible expenditures. These are expenses directly related to your child's education and must be approved by the school or service provider managing your eligible student account.
3. What is the application process for the FES-UA scholarship?
The FES-UA scholarship application process is typically completed online. You can visit the official FES-UA website to access the application materials and check for deadlines. Gathering necessary documents like your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a physician's diagnosis beforehand is recommended.
4. Can the FES-UA Scholarship be used for speech therapy services?
Yes, the FES-UA Scholarship can be used for speech therapy services! Working with a speech-language pathologist is valuable for students with communication challenges. If your child has a documented speech or language disorder, the FES-UA scholarship can help cover the costs of qualified speech therapy services.
How Connected Speech Pathology Can Help
The FES-UA Scholarship empowers families to invest in their children's communication success through speech therapy. Here at Connected Speech Pathology, we understand the profound impact effective communication can have on a child's life.
Connected Speech Pathology is a direct provider of speech therapy services for children and teens who receive the Family Empowerment Scholarship. We have partnered with Step-Up for Students since 2018 and have firsthand experience navigating the scholarship process to ensure that families receive the support they need to access high-quality therapy services.
Whether your child struggles with articulation, fluency, executive function skills, or social communication skills, we can work with you to create a customized therapy plan that aligns with your child's unique needs and FES-UA scholarship goals.
Contact Connected Speech Pathology today to learn how we can help your child reach their full communication potential.
Summary
The FES-UA Scholarship program is offered to students in the state of Florida. It empowers families with children with unique abilities and provides funding for various educational options, including speech therapy, to help children reach their full potential.
This scholarship offers flexibility in how funds are used. It allows families to invest in resources that can significantly impact their child's learning journey, from toddlers to young adults preparing for college and beyond.
About the Author
Allison Geller is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and the owner of Connected Speech Pathology. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida in Speech-Language Pathology. Allison has practiced speech therapy in a number of settings including telepractice, acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, and private practice. She has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan including toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, and adults. She specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of communication disorders including receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation disorders, voice disorders, fluency disorders, brain injury, and swallowing disorders.
Allison served as the clinical coordinator of research in aphasia in the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She is on the Board of Directors for the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (CORSPAN), a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician, and a proud Family Empowerment Scholarship/Step-Up For Students provider. Allison is passionate about delivering high quality-effective treatment remotely because it’s convenient and easy to access. What sets us apart from other online speech therapy options is—Allison takes great care to hire the very best SLPs from all over the country.
