Up to $8,429 a year toward private school in Tampa.
No income test, no lottery: every K-12 student in Hillsborough County is eligible. 146 of the county's 203 registered private schools take it. We map every program, every deadline and every school so you can see what you'd actually pay.
K-3 award in Hillsborough, 2026-27. Grades 4-8 get $7,837; grades 9-12 get $7,644. Paid to the school each quarter.
Hillsborough schools take it out of 203 registered with the state — and 143 take FES-UA. All are in the directory.
Last day for new families to apply for 2026-27. Applications for 2027-28 open February 1.
Income limit on Florida's Private School Scholarship since the 2023 expansion.
In Hillsborough, the award does most of the work.
Most families combine the state award with one or two smaller sources. Here is an illustrative K-3 student at a Brandon church school charging $9,200.
Illustrative example only. The scholarship figure is the published 2026-27 Hillsborough K-3 award; Florida schools don't report tuition to the state, so confirm pricing with each school.
Every program a Hillsborough family can use
The universal award, disability accounts, homeschool ESAs, free pre-K, Catholic and school-based aid, and the federal credit arriving in 2027.
Florida Private School Scholarship (FTC / FES-EO)
Every K-12 student in Hillsborough is eligible, whatever the household income. For 2026-27 it pays $8,429 (K-3), $7,837 (4-8) or $7,644 (9-12) straight to a participating private school.
Who qualifies →Disability ESA · ~$10,000Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA)
A parent-directed account for Florida students from age 3 through grade 12 with a qualifying diagnosis or IEP. It can pay a private school, therapists, tutors, curriculum and technology.
Who qualifies →Homeschool ESA · ~$8,000Personalized Education Program (PEP)
Florida's education savings account for students learning outside a full-time private school — homeschool, hybrid campuses, microschools, tutoring and online courses.
Who qualifies →Free · Every 4-year-oldFlorida VPK (Free Voluntary Pre-K)
Every Florida child who turns 4 by September 1 gets a free pre-kindergarten year — 540 hours in the school year or 300 in summer — at participating private, church and center-based providers.
Who qualifies →Income-based · Ages 0-12School Readiness (Child Care Assistance)
Subsidized child care for working Hillsborough families, paid to participating centers, church programs and private schools.
Who qualifies →New · Jan 2027Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (2027)
Florida opted into the new federal scholarship tax credit in January 2026. Starting in 2027, taxpayers get a dollar-for-dollar federal credit for gifts to approved scholarship organizations, which fund scholarships for Florida students.
Who qualifies →Your scholarship buys more than a seat in a classroom
Unique Abilities and PEP accounts — and leftover scholarship funds — pay for tutoring, speech and ABA therapy, curriculum, home internet, music lessons, sports, museum trips and college credit. We explain the 2026-27 rule for every category.
Tutoring
Part-time tutoring is one of the most-used categories in Hillsborough scholarship accounts — and the one with …
Rules →Reading intervention & dyslexia programs
Structured-literacy programs (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Barton, Lindamood-Bell style) are purchasable as tutor…
Rules →Speech-language therapy
Speech-language pathology is one of the five specialized services named in Florida statute for Unique Abilitie…
Rules →Occupational & physical therapy
OT and PT are specialized services under FES-UA when delivered by Florida-licensed therapists or a Florida hos…
Rules →ABA therapy (autism)
Applied Behavior Analysis is explicitly named in Florida's FES-UA statute and is the largest single therapy sp…
Rules →Curriculum & curriculum materials
Full curricula, individual courses and self-paced online programs are eligible across all three programs, with…
Rules →Online courses & virtual school
Florida distinguishes between self-paced courses (curriculum), live instruction from an FLDOE-approved online …
Rules →Laptops, tablets & digital devices
This is the category that changed most for 2026-27: devices are now prohibited on PEP, while FES-UA still allo…
Rules →How Tampa Edu Funding works
Tell us about your child
Grade, the kind of school you're drawn to, your part of the county, and your timeline. Two minutes, no documents.
We build your funding stack
A School Funding Advisor matches you to every source you're eligible for and the deadlines that apply — including ones your school never mentioned.
Enroll with confidence
We connect you to schools that accept your funding, walk you through EMA, and track the quarterly enrollment deadlines so nothing slips.
All 203 Hillsborough private schools, straight from the state record
Grades, affiliation, accreditation, reported enrollment, disability categories — and the state's FTC/FES-EO, FES-UA and PEP participation flags for every school.
Catholic Schools
Diocese of St. Petersburg parish schools and independent Catholic schools in Hillsborough, from pre-K through high school.
17 schools →Christian Schools
Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Adventist, Assemblies of God and non-denominational Christian schools.
78 schools →Church-Run Schools
Schools operated by a congregation, usually on the church campus — often small, often PK-8 or PK-12.
9 schools →Islamic, Jewish & Other Faith Schools
Islamic academies, Jewish day schools and schools of other faith traditions in Hillsborough.
8 schools →Independent & Secular Schools
Non-religious private schools — college prep, Montessori, STEM, arts, microschools and specialized learning academies.
100 schools →Unique Abilities & Learning Differences
Schools that report serving students with specific learning disabilities, autism, speech-language needs and other diagnoses.
169 schools →Preschool, VPK & Early Learning
Pre-K-only programs and early-learning schools, including church preschools.
15 schools →High Schools (Grades 9-12)
Private schools in Hillsborough that serve grades 9 through 12.
112 schools →By community: South Tampa, Hyde Park & Davis Islands · Downtown, Ybor City & Tampa Heights · West Tampa, Westshore & Drew Park · Town 'n' Country & Westchase · East Tampa, Palm River & Progress Village · Seminole Heights, Sulphur Springs & the USF area · Carrollwood & Northdale · Temple Terrace & Northeast Tampa · New Tampa & Tampa Palms · Lutz, Odessa & Keystone · Brandon & Seffner · Valrico, Dover & Plant City · Riverview, Ruskin & SouthShore
Partner with Tampa Edu Funding
Families who reach you through us already know what they're funded for. Congregations considering a school get our Florida start-up playbook.
From the Tampa Edu Funding blog
East Tampa to Plant City: where Hillsborough's church schools and PEP hybrids cluster
Religious schools are half the county's private schools but they aren't spread evenly. A map in words, community by community.
Read →Oct 16, 2026Matching a diagnosis to a school: what Hillsborough private schools tell the state they serve
Specific learning disability, speech, autism and language lead the list. Here's how to use the state's disability data to shortlist schools.
Read →Oct 15, 2026Four weeks to November 15: a Hillsborough family's checklist for the 2026-27 scholarship
The last day for new families to apply this school year is November 15. Here's what to have ready and what happens after you apply.
Read →Florida scholarship FAQ for Tampa families
- How much is the Florida private school scholarship in Hillsborough County for 2026-27?
- The Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) pays $8,429 for grades K-3, $7,837 for grades 4-8 and $7,644 for grades 9-12 for students living in Hillsborough County in 2026-27. PEP uses the same amounts. The Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA) averages about $10,000.
- Is there an income limit for Florida school vouchers in Tampa?
- No. Since 2023 every Florida K-12 student is eligible regardless of income. Households at or below 300% of the federal poverty level get priority only if applications exceed funding.
- How many Tampa-area private schools accept the Florida scholarship?
- In the Florida DOE directory retrieved October 17, 2026, 146 of the 203 private schools registered in the Hillsborough district participate in FTC/FES-EO, 143 participate in FES-UA and 11 participate in PEP.
- What is the deadline to apply for the 2026-27 scholarship?
- New families can apply for the 2026-27 Private School Scholarship and FES-UA through November 15, 2026, and must accept the award in EMA by December 15, 2026. The 2027-28 application season opens February 1, 2027.
- Can the scholarship pay for homeschooling in Hillsborough?
- Yes, through the Personalized Education Program (PEP), an education savings account funded at the same county amounts. The 2026-27 program is full; 2027-28 applications run February 1 to April 30, 2027.
Find out what your family qualifies for
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