Florida scholarships can make RSA affordable — and it’s not too late this year.
Risen Savior Academy accepts Florida’s Private School Scholarship through Step Up For Students, including FTC and FES-EO. We help families understand the process and what comes next.
Scholarship / EMA enrollment
Have questions about scholarship funding or your next steps? Tell us a little about your family and Principal Dillon Solomon will follow up with you.
Tell us about your family.
We’ll use this information to better understand your situation before we call.
What could the scholarship cover?
Florida residents eligible for public K–12 education can apply for the Private School Scholarship. Income is not a barrier to eligibility. Your award amount is based on your child’s county of residence.
For a student whose primary residence is in Manatee County.
For a student whose primary residence is in Sarasota County.
Lakewood Ranch spans both Manatee and Sarasota counties. The scholarship amount is based on the student’s county of residence listed on the application—not the location of the school. The amount locks when the student is first funded.
Elementary Tuition
2026–27 School YearWhat might your tuition cost after the scholarship?
These examples assume a full-year scholarship award and show tuition only.
Unused scholarship funds stay with your family
Leftover scholarship dollars, if any, remain in the family’s Education Savings Account for eligible expenses such as books, testing, and tutoring. They do not automatically go to the school.
Additional RSA assistance may apply
Church-member elementary aid and a 10% sibling discount may also be available. Ask us about these options when you schedule a tour or scholarship consultation.
Starting mid-year changes the award
Scholarship funding is distributed quarterly. A mid-year start typically means receiving Q2–Q4 funding rather than a full-year award. We can help you understand what that may look like for your family.
Read this first.
Pick the situation that best describes your child.
Your next steps depend on where your child is enrolled now and whether your family is already participating in a Florida scholarship program.
Choose your situation below before beginning an application or making changes in EMA.
01
Already on PEP?
Homeschool Education Savings Account
PEP cannot pay full-time private school tuition. Call Step Up For Students before you apply, decline, or switch anything in EMA.
The next published PEP-to-private-school switch window is October 2–30, 2026. A switch during this window often means Q3–Q4 funding only, which may be approximately half of the school year.
Do not use your EMA login to switch yourself.
02
Homeschooling, but not on PEP?
You can apply as a new private-school scholarship student
You can apply now as a new Private School Scholarship student. When your child enrolls at Risen Savior Academy, you will withdraw or terminate your district home-education program.
You will need proof that the student is no longer enrolled full-time in public education, such as a district letter or Standard Withdrawal Form.
03
Already on FTC or FES-EO?
Transferring from another private school
This is considered a scholarship transfer. Your current private school must first withdraw the student in EMA.
A 10-day attendance rule determines which school receives that quarter’s scholarship payment.
Contact RSA before completing the transfer so we can help you understand the timing.
04
Coming from public school or FLVS full-time?
Withdrawal paperwork is especially important
Withdraw your child from public school and keep the withdrawal paperwork.
For Q2 funding, the required public-school withdrawal paperwork must be submitted by this deadline—even if the withdrawal date shown on the form is later in September.
Parents also complete a quarterly public-school attestation. Ask us about this process when you tour.
05
New to scholarships?
Start with the Private School Scholarship
Apply for the Private School Scholarship, not PEP, through Step Up For Students.
Apply through only one Scholarship Funding Organization: Step Up or AAA — not both.
Apply at Step Up For StudentsHow we help you apply.
The scholarship application happens through Step Up For Students and your EMA account. Risen Savior Academy can help you understand the process, deadlines, and enrollment steps along the way.
RSA cannot apply for you. Parents must create and manage their own EMA account, complete the application, and approve scholarship actions themselves.
Create one parent EMA account.
Visit StepUpForStudents.org and create one parent Education Market Assistant (EMA) account. Step Up recommends using Chrome or Firefox.
Apply for the Private School Scholarship.
When selecting the scholarship path, choose the option for an eligible private school. If your goal is full-time enrollment at RSA, do not select PEP.
Complete the Step Up document checklist.
Your required documents may include:
- Two current proofs of Florida residency
- Documents in the same guardian’s name
- Birth certificate for a rising kindergarten or first-grade student
- Student Social Security number when required for FES-EO
- Income documentation if you want to be considered for priority
Complete the required agreements.
Sign the Sworn Compliance Statement and required scholarship terms. New applications for the 2026–27 school year are due November 15, 2026.
Accept your eligibility in EMA.
Once Step Up determines your child is eligible, log back into EMA and accept the scholarship.
Send us your Scholarship ID.
Find your Scholarship ID under My Students in EMA and provide it to Risen Savior Academy.
RSA will initiate your school enrollment in EMA. You will then receive a request to approve that enrollment from your own account.
Complete EMA enrollment by September 30.
For Q2 funding, both RSA and the parent must fully approve the EMA enrollment by:
Complete required approvals throughout the year.
Parents must complete each quarterly attestation and approve RSA tuition invoices in EMA within 30 days.
Missing required parent approvals can delay or jeopardize future scholarship funding.
Have these details ready.
Important dates for 2026–27
Common scholarship mistakes
- Applying to both Step Up and AAA
- Choosing PEP when you want full-time RSA
- Staying coded as full-time public school or FLVS
- Missing the September 15 public-school withdrawal paperwork deadline for Q2
- Sharing your EMA login with the school — we will never ask
- Missing parent approval of EMA enrollment or invoices, which can jeopardize funding for the rest of the year
FES-UA is also available at RSA
Risen Savior Academy is listed for Unique Abilities (FES-UA) as well as FTC and FES-EO. If your child has an eligible disability, ask us about that path. We’ll point you to the right Step Up For Students track.
Ready to see what scholarship funding could look like for your family?
Seats are open in grades 1–3 this year. We can help you understand your likely award, timing and next steps before you enroll.