Florida Transportation Stipend for Parents: $750 for K-8 Choice Schools
The Transportation Stipend is a small state payment with a simple idea: when a child attends a public school that is not the school assigned to the home address, transportation falls on the family. This program sends the household $750 for the school year to help.
Transportation Stipend at a Glance
Who it is for: K-8 students at a nonvirtual public school that is not their assigned school
Amount: $750 per household for the school year. One per household, not per student
How it is paid: A one-time check mailed to the parent or guardian
Applications: A fresh application in EMA every school year
What Is the Transportation Stipend?
The stipend is $750 per eligible household for the 2025-2026 school year, provided by the State of Florida. It is a set program amount, not an average. It is paid as a one-time check mailed to the parent or guardian at the mailing address in the EMA Guardian Profile, after the Florida Department of Education releases funds to Step Up. It cannot be mailed to a P.O. Box.
Families do not have to report how the money was spent. There are no itemized expenditure reports for this program.
Who It Fits
Students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 8 in a Florida nonvirtual public school that is different from the school assigned to the student's home. Magnet and other district choice schools, charter schools, developmental research (lab) schools, and schools attended under a district open enrollment policy all count.
The stipend belongs to the household, not to each student. A household with more than one eligible student receives one stipend, a student can appear under only one household and one application, and renewing households receive funding priority.
How to Apply, Every Year
Create an EMA account, add every eligible student, and submit a complete application each school year. The application does not renew itself. Step Up and the Florida Department of Education determine eligibility, and capacity is limited by the state appropriation, so families are told to apply as soon as applications open.
One document proving enrollment is required. Any one of these works:
- A letter from the school on school letterhead
- A printout or screenshot of the student's online grade portal
- A public school progress report
- A report card
The document must show the student's name, the school's name, the school year, and current enrollment.
How It Combines With the Other Scholarships
This stipend exists for students who remain in public school, the opposite posture from the other scholarships in this section, which stop at the public school gate. A student who receives this stipend cannot also hold one of the other scholarships, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, the Family Empowerment Scholarship, FES-UA, or PEP.
One published exception: a student may hold a New Worlds Scholarship Account and this stipend at the same time.
Questions Parents Ask
How much is the stipend?
It is $750 per household for the school year, a set program amount. A household with two or three eligible students receives one stipend, not one per student.
How is the money paid?
As a one-time check mailed to the parent or guardian at the address in the EMA Guardian Profile, after the state releases funds to Step Up. It cannot be mailed to a P.O. Box.
Do we have to show receipts or report spending?
No. Families do not file itemized expenditure reports for this stipend.
Can my child also use a Step Up scholarship?
Not the school scholarships. A student cannot hold this stipend together with the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, the Family Empowerment Scholarship, FES-UA, or PEP. The one published exception is New Worlds: a New Worlds account and this stipend may be held together.
Do we apply every year?
Yes. Submit a complete application in EMA each school year, with one document proving enrollment at the non-assigned school. Capacity is limited, so apply as soon as applications open.
Explore the Other Programs
Every program in this section, side by side:
Or go back to the For Parents page for the full overview of how Step Up scholarships work.
Not Sure Which Programs Fit Your Family?
Answer a few questions about where your child goes to school and what your child needs, and see which Step Up programs may fit. It takes about two minutes, and nothing you answer is saved or sent anywhere.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Applications are made with Step Up For Students, not with this site.
Step Up Customer Engagement Center: (877) 735-7837, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.
This tool gives general information only. It is not an application, and it cannot tell you whether your child is eligible. Step Up For Students makes all eligibility and funding decisions.