Last verified: October 2026
Can a Pinellas family pay for reading intervention and dyslexia support with scholarship funds?
Structured-literacy help can be bought as tutoring, as curriculum or as a therapy service, and the label depends on who delivers it.
A certified structured-literacy tutor counts as tutoring; a program the parent runs counts as curriculum; a speech-language pathologist's work counts as a therapy service.
Same tutoring credential rules; self-paced reading software falls under curriculum and software.
From money left after tuition, with a credentialed provider.
Which rules apply?
- Recognized reading-program certifications can satisfy the tutor credential rule.
- A credentialed provider may teach online even from outside Florida.
- Diagnostic and re-evaluation assessments sit under testing.
What is allowed and what isn't
| Allowed | Not allowed | |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Abilities (FES-UA) | Yes | — |
| PEP (home-directed account) | Yes | — |
| Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO) | Yes | — |
What is excluded?
- Sessions from an uncredentialed tutor
- Medical evaluations outside the listed services
What should Pinellas families know?
The Pinellas state file doesn't say which schools have reading specialists, so families commonly keep a child at the school they like and fund an outside reading tutor from FES-UA.
How is it paid?
Look in Step Up's marketplace first, then pay an approved provider directly from the account; otherwise pay by card, keep the itemized receipt and request reimbursement. Anything not clearly eligible needs pre-authorization before you buy.
Related questions
Summary only, not legal advice; your scholarship organization's handbook controls.