Become a Step Up Music or Art Therapy Provider in Florida
Music therapy uses music as a clinical tool to work on communication, motor, and social goals. Art therapy uses guided art-making as a clinical tool for communication and emotional goals. Both are clinical services with treatment goals, and both are covered by the Unique Abilities (FES-UA) scholarship when the therapist is approved in EMA, Step Up's online system. Approval also lists you in the provider directory families search inside EMA.
This page covers what approval involves for credentialed music and art therapists: the credential each discipline needs, how payment reaches you, and the therapy-versus-lessons distinction that decides which Step Up category your work belongs in. Step Up reviews every application and makes every approval decision.
At a Glance
What Families Can Pay You For
FES-UA covers music therapy and art therapy as specialized services. A family can pay you through Direct Pay in EMA, or pay you and request reimbursement from their scholarship account.
The family-side rules are the same as for the other FES-UA therapies: a child needs a qualifying diagnosis or an IEP, and FES-UA cannot be used while a child is enrolled full time in a public school.
Therapy Is Not Lessons (Read This Before You Apply)
This is the distinction that decides your category, and it is the one most often missed in music and art. Therapy is a clinical service with treatment goals, delivered by a credentialed therapist. Lessons teach an instrument or an art skill. Step Up treats them as different categories:
- Music and art therapy sit in the categories on this page, paid by FES-UA, and require the CBMT or ATCB credential.
- Music and art lessons are electives. PEP covers music and art lessons as elective expenses, and the Private School Scholarship lists lessons as well. Lessons teachers apply under the Elective / Enrichment category, which has its own credential routes and no therapy credential requirement.
If you teach lessons rather than therapy, the free assessment will route you to the elective category. If you hold the CBMT certification or the ATCB credential and deliver treatment, this page is your category.
What It Takes
- Music therapists: certification by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).
- Art therapists: credentialing by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB).
Therapists apply with a Business and Personal account combination, or a School and Personal account combination, with the business basics Step Up asks of every provider (tax ID information, legal name, and bank details for payment) and a copy of the CBMT certificate or ATCB credential.
Mistakes That Slow Music and Art Therapy Applications Down
- A lapsed CBMT certification or ATCB credential. A non-current credential is the named failure point for both disciplines in this category.
- Applying in the therapy category for lessons work. Lessons belong to the Elective / Enrichment category. Filing therapy paperwork for lessons, or lessons paperwork for therapy, sends the application into the wrong review.
Questions Providers Ask
Which scholarship pays for music or art therapy?
Unique Abilities (FES-UA) only. Both therapies are specialized services under FES-UA.
What credential do I need?
Music therapists need certification by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). Art therapists need credentialing by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB).
How do families pay me?
Through Direct Pay in EMA, where Step Up pays you directly, or the family pays you and requests reimbursement from their FES-UA account.
I teach piano lessons. Is this my category?
No, and that is good news. Lessons are electives, covered under PEP and listed under the Private School Scholarship, and lessons teachers apply in the Elective / Enrichment category, which does not require a therapy credential. The free assessment routes lessons teachers there.
My certification lapsed last year. Can I apply now?
A lapsed or non-current CBMT certification or ATCB credential is the failure point Step Up's category rules name for these disciplines. Renew the credential first, then apply with a current one.
Can I offer both therapy and lessons?
Yes, as two separate categories. Therapy sits in the categories on this page and needs the CBMT or ATCB credential. Lessons sit in the Elective / Enrichment category, with its own credential routes. Providers can hold more than one pathway; the assessment shows you how the categories fit together for the services you offer.
See Your Music or Art Therapy Pathway
The free assessment asks five straightforward questions and shows you a personalized preview of your provider pathway: your credential route, the scholarship programs that fit, and your first steps. The assessment is free. Start with a free personalized assessment. Full personalized plan: $147 one-time.
Step Up Provider Guide is operated by Pair of Deuces LLC and is not affiliated with Step Up For Students. Step Up reviews every provider application and makes all approval decisions.
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What Families Read About This Service
Parents research this service on the parent side of this site before they look for a provider: