Family Empowerment Scholarship - Unique Abilities (FES UA)

Effective July 1, 2022, the McKay Scholarship Program will join the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program under the Unique Abilities category. For information on the transition process, see McKay transition to FES: FAQs. 

This branch of the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program is designed to offer families of students with disabilities, as young as 3 years of age, access to additional education options. Families may choose to enroll their student in another public school, or they may take the opportunity to receive a personal education savings account (ESA) for their student. With an ESA, parents receive a deposit of public funds into government-authorized savings accounts with restricted, but multiple, uses. An ESA can be used to fund not only items such as private school tuition and fees, but also online learning programs, private tutoring, community college costs, higher education expenses and other approved customized learning services and materials. Families apply and annually renew for participation in FES UA through one of the approved SFOs, which are responsible for determining eligibility, awarding, and distributing funding to eligible student accounts, and approving eligible expenditures.  

*Please note that for funding to be disbursed under this option, the student must first be withdrawn from the Florida public school system. *  

Click here for more information or to apply for the FES UA ESA Option.

To request an evaluation, private school services, and/or matrix review for your child who is enrolled  in a private school, please submit a request form at:

Private School evaluation form (home address must match address on driver license provided). Once you fill out the form and click submit we will receive it, so you don't have to send the completed form as an attachment.

If you would rather complete the form manually, click here to download the form and email it esepss@browardschools.com
For more information please visit our Parentally Placed Private School Services Page

Fax:  754-321-3448
Call 754-321-3426 with any questions

For students who are utilizing their FES-UA funds as part of their home school education program, those students must be registered as home education students with the Broward home education office. Parents can obtain the Notice of Intent on the home education website under the "enrollment" section at www.browardschools.com/homeschooleducation  or by clicking: Notice of Intent of Home Education Program

Additionally, requests for registered FES-UA home school education students must go through the home education office. Requests should be emailed to: home.education@browardschools.com 
Please make sure to include your child's name and DOB with each request.   

Call 754-321-3860 with any questions

Each year beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, parents will receive information about the FES UA Program, including our district’s public school choice option, at the time of their child’s annual IEP.   

For Public School Choice options for the upcoming school year (not related to FES-UA public option), you may apply during an open School Choice application window. To learn more about Reassignment, Magnet, or Nova options click here to visit School Choice.

For questions or more information regarding the FES UA Public School Choice Option, please email fes-ua@browardschools.com. Be sure to include your child’s Broward student ID# beginning with 06, or their first and last name and date of birth.