When families first get approved for a scholarship like FES-UA, one of the first things they encounter is EMA — and it’s not always obvious what it is or how to use it. This post walks through EMA from the beginning: what it is, how money flows through it, how you find providers, and the most common mistakes families make that cause delays or lost funds.
What Is EMA?
EMA is the platform that Step Up for Students created to manage scholarship participation from start to finish. The name stands for “Education Market & Accountability” — but most families just know it as the system where their scholarship lives.
When Step Up approves a scholarship application, EMA is where everything happens next:
- The student’s scholarship account is set up
- Quarterly deposits are made into an Education Savings Account (ESA) within EMA
- Families use EMA’s marketplace tools to find approved providers and purchase eligible services or products
- Payments to providers flow through EMA
Think of it as the financial and administrative layer between the scholarship approval and actually accessing services.
How Funds Are Deposited
FES-UA funds are deposited on a quarterly schedule into the student’s ESA within EMA. The deposit amounts are determined by Step Up’s formula based on grade level and scholarship type — not by the family or the provider.
This matters practically because you cannot spend money before it arrives. If you start services at the beginning of a quarter and the deposit hasn’t cleared yet, you’ll need to plan accordingly. Some providers may work with you on timing; others require payment confirmation through EMA before starting.
Funds that aren’t spent within a scholarship year may carry over or may not, depending on current program rules. Always verify the current rollover policy in the official Step Up materials, as these rules can and do change.
Finding Approved Providers in EMA
EMA includes marketplace tools that let families search for and connect with approved service providers. This is how families find learning centers, tutors, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and other eligible providers.
Providers in EMA have been reviewed and approved by Step Up for the specific service categories they offer. When you find a provider through EMA, you have confirmation that:
- They are currently approved in the system
- Their service category is eligible under your scholarship type
- They have a profile with their service and contact information
A practical tip: Not every provider that accepts FES-UA will be the right fit for your child’s needs. Finding them in EMA tells you they’re approved — not that their approach, schedule, or specialization aligns with what your family needs. Do your own vetting too.
For speech therapy and occupational therapy specifically, you want to confirm that the therapists are licensed in Florida, that the provider has availability that fits your schedule, and that they have experience with whatever your child needs support with.
How the Purchasing Process Works
Once you’ve identified a service you want to use, the purchasing process in EMA goes roughly like this:
- Locate the provider in EMA’s marketplace and confirm they are approved for the service category you need
- Coordinate with the provider directly about scheduling, intake, and what documentation they need from you
- Services are delivered — most direct payment workflows are triggered after a service has been rendered, not before
- Payment request is processed through EMA — either the provider initiates this or you submit a reimbursement request depending on the workflow
Step Up’s materials describe direct payments to providers as typically occurring after a service has been rendered. Keep this in mind when planning your budget: there may be a timing gap between the service and when the provider receives payment.
If you paid out of pocket for a service, a reimbursement path exists — but verify the current process in EMA and your scholarship’s purchasing guide, because workflows can change.
What Expenses Are and Aren’t Eligible
Scholarship programs like FES-UA publish purchasing guides that list what is and isn’t eligible. For families using these funds for academic services and therapies, here are principles that apply consistently:
- Services must be on the eligible list for your specific scholarship type — FES-UA has its own purchasing guide with specific categories
- Specialized services like speech therapy and occupational therapy are eligible under FES-UA when delivered by appropriately credentialed providers
- Medical services are generally not eligible — but licensed speech therapy and occupational therapy are explicitly carved out as specialized services that are covered
- You cannot double-dip — if health insurance or another agency already paid for a service, you cannot also submit it to your scholarship for reimbursement
This last point trips people up. If your child’s speech therapy sessions are partially covered by insurance, only the portion not covered by insurance would potentially be eligible. Submitting the full amount when insurance covered part of it is a violation of program rules.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
After working with scholarship families, we see these patterns come up regularly:
Waiting until the last minute to start the EMA process. EMA provider searches, intake appointments, and scheduling all take time. Starting the process when your scholarship is approved — rather than when you’re ready to start services — gives you more flexibility.
Assuming any provider you find outside EMA can be paid through EMA. If a provider is not in EMA’s system as an approved provider, you generally cannot use scholarship funds to pay them directly. Always verify EMA approval status before committing to a provider if you’re planning to use scholarship funds.
Confusing the scholarship’s purchasing rules with medical insurance billing. EMA is not insurance. It does not reimburse based on medical codes or diagnoses. Services need to be approved under the scholarship’s categories, not under a medical necessity framework.
Not reading the current purchasing guide. Step Up explicitly states in its materials that program rules can change as laws and regulations are amended. A purchasing guide from a previous year may be outdated. Download the current version from Step Up’s website before making financial decisions.
Using FES-UA funds for services at providers that also bill insurance for the same service. This creates the double-dip issue mentioned above and can result in having to repay funds.
What Scholarship We Accept
We want to be clear about which scholarships we currently support: we accept FES-UA through EMA. We do not currently enroll students using PEP (Personal Education Program) scholarship funds.
If you have a different scholarship type and are wondering whether it can be used for our services, please reach out directly — scholarship program rules vary, and we want to give you accurate information rather than a guess.
We’re Here to Help Navigate This
EMA can feel like a lot the first time through. Most families figure it out, but the process has real steps and real timelines, and getting it wrong can mean delayed services for your child. If you’re in the middle of this process and aren’t sure where to start with our services, the best next step is a direct conversation.
We can tell you:
- Whether we’re currently active in EMA for the services you need
- What our intake process looks like for FES-UA families
- What documentation we provide that supports your scholarship and portfolio requirements