Step-by-Step Guide to Using Your Step Up Scholarship for Online Reading Tutoring
Many Florida families use their Step Up for Students scholarship to pay for reading tutoring, phonics instruction, and structured literacy services. If you’re ready to begin tutoring, the first step is reserving your scholarship funds correctly through the EMA Marketplace.
This guide walks you through the entire process—from logging into your account to reserving funds and confirming your child’s tutoring schedule.
Whether your child needs help with phonics, reading fluency, dyslexia intervention, or catching up to grade level, reserving your funds correctly helps ensure your tutoring provider can begin services without unnecessary delays.
Before You Reserve Step Up Funds
Before getting started, make sure you have:
- An active Step Up for Students scholarship
- Access to your EMA parent account
- Your child’s scholarship information
- The name of your approved tutoring provider
- Your child’s tutoring schedule or recommended service plan
- Available scholarship funds
If you’re enrolling with Viva Phonics, we recommend scheduling a free reading screening before reserving funds. The screening helps determine your child’s current reading level and allows us to recommend the tutoring plan that best fits their needs.
Important: Scholarship Types Work Differently
The reservation process varies slightly depending on which Step Up scholarship your child receives.
FES-UA (Unique Abilities)
Families with the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) can use the EMA Marketplace to reserve funds for approved tutoring providers and educational services.
FES-PEP (Personalized Education Program)
Families using the FES-PEP scholarship may also reserve funds for approved tutoring services through the EMA Marketplace.
FES-EO (Educational Options)
Families receiving FES-EO scholarships may have different funding availability depending on how scholarship funds are allocated. In some situations, tutoring funds may not become available until tuition obligations have been addressed.
If you’re unsure which scholarship you have or whether tutoring funds are currently available, contact Step Up for Students before beginning the reservation process.
Important Tip About Scholarship Funds
Step Up scholarship funding follows specific program rules and deadlines.
To avoid delays or losing access to available funds, reserve and use your scholarship funds as early as possible during the scholarship year. If you’re unsure about your remaining balance or fund availability, check your EMA account or contact Step Up for Students directly.
Step 1: Log In to Your EMA Account
Begin by logging into your EMA parent account.
Once you’re on your dashboard, locate the Marketplace section. This is where families search for approved providers, reserve scholarship funds, and manage educational services.
Step 2: Select “Find Providers”
Inside the Marketplace, click Find Providers.
This allows you to search for approved tutoring providers who can receive scholarship payments through the EMA system.
Using approved providers helps simplify the payment process and may eliminate the need to pay out of pocket when direct payment is available.
Step 3: Search for Your Reading Tutoring Provider
Use the search bar to locate your tutoring provider.
If you’re enrolling with Viva Phonics, search for:
Viva Phonics
Select the provider listing to view the available tutoring services.
If you cannot locate your provider in the Marketplace, contact the tutoring company directly to verify the correct provider listing or confirm whether reimbursement is the appropriate payment option for your scholarship.
Step 4: Select the Correct Reading Tutoring Service
Choose the tutoring service that matches your child’s recommended program.
Services may be listed as:
- Reading tutoring
- Phonics tutoring
- Reading intervention
- Structured literacy
- Online tutoring
Before reserving funds, verify that the selected service matches the tutoring your child will receive.
Selecting the correct service now can help prevent delays with scheduling or payment later.
Step 5: Reserve Your Step Up Scholarship Funds
After selecting the correct tutoring service, follow the prompts to reserve your scholarship funds.
Depending on your scholarship type, you may be asked to enter information such as:
- Student name
- Service dates
- Tutoring schedule
- Amount to reserve
- Provider name
- Any required notes or documentation
Review all of the information carefully before submitting your reservation. Reserving the correct amount helps prevent delays with scheduling or future payments.
Once your funds have been reserved, your tutoring provider can begin the payment process through the EMA Marketplace, if applicable.
Step 6: Confirm Your Reservation With Your Tutoring Provider
After reserving your scholarship funds, let your tutoring provider know that the reservation has been completed.
This allows your provider to:
- Verify that the reservation was received
- Confirm your child’s tutoring schedule
- Prepare for your child’s start date
- Begin the invoicing process when appropriate
If you’re working with Viva Phonics, our team can help confirm that everything has been submitted correctly and answer any questions before tutoring begins.
Step 7: Approve Scholarship Payments When Required
Depending on your scholarship program, you may need to review or approve invoices inside your EMA account before payment can be processed.
Be sure to check your EMA account regularly for notifications or pending approvals.
Completing these approvals promptly helps prevent delays in scholarship payments.
Understanding Your Invoice Status
After tutoring begins, you may see different invoice statuses within your EMA account.
Pending
Your funds have been reserved, and tutoring sessions are scheduled or currently taking place. The invoice is awaiting processing.
Paid
Your invoice has been approved, and payment has been issued to your tutoring provider.
Rejected
The invoice could not be processed because additional information or corrections are needed.
If you receive a rejected invoice, contact your tutoring provider so the issue can be resolved and resubmitted if necessary.
What If My Provider Uses Reimbursement Instead of Direct Payment?
Not every tutoring provider participates in direct payment through the EMA Marketplace.
If your provider requires reimbursement, you will typically:
- Pay the tutoring provider directly.
- Request a detailed invoice showing the dates of service, services provided, and total amount paid.
- Keep proof of payment, such as a credit card receipt or bank transaction.
- Log into your EMA account and navigate to the reimbursement section.
- Upload the required documentation and submit your reimbursement request.
Reimbursement requirements and eligibility may vary depending on your scholarship program. If you are unsure which payment method applies to your family, contact Step Up for Students or your tutoring provider before beginning services.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A few simple mistakes can delay tutoring or scholarship payments.
Avoid these common issues:
- Searching for the wrong provider name
- Selecting the wrong tutoring service
- Reserving an incorrect dollar amount
- Forgetting to confirm your tutoring start date
- Missing invoice approval notifications in EMA
- Waiting until the last minute to reserve funds
Can’t Find “Find Providers”?
If you do not see Find Providers in your Marketplace, it may be because your scholarship has not yet made supplemental education funds available.
For some scholarship programs, tuition and other required educational expenses must be addressed before tutoring services become available.
If the option still does not appear after reviewing your account, contact Step Up for Students for assistance.
Need Help Reserving Your Funds?
If you’re planning to enroll with Viva Phonics, we’re happy to guide you through the reservation process.
While families are responsible for reserving their own scholarship funds, our team can answer questions about selecting the correct tutoring service, confirming your reservation, and preparing for your child’s first tutoring session.
Many families complete the reservation process in just a few minutes once they know where to look.
Using Step Up Scholarship Funds for Reading Tutoring
Many families use their Step Up for Students scholarship to provide additional reading support outside of school.
Reading tutoring can help children who:
- Struggle to sound out words
- Guess at words instead of decoding them
- Read slowly or lack reading fluency
- Have difficulty with spelling
- Are reading below grade level
- Have been identified with dyslexia or other reading difficulties
- Need explicit, structured literacy instruction based on the Science of Reading
Early intervention gives children the best opportunity to build strong foundational reading skills. With individualized instruction and consistent practice, many students improve their decoding, fluency, spelling, and reading confidence.
If you’re unsure whether your scholarship covers reading tutoring, see our guide: Can Step Up for Students Pay for Reading Tutoring?
If you’re new to the scholarship program, you may also find this article helpful: How to Use Step Up for Students Tutoring
Why Families Choose Viva Phonics
Viva Phonics specializes in one-on-one online reading tutoring for students in kindergarten through middle school.
Our instruction is grounded in the Science of Reading and follows a structured literacy approach to help students become confident, successful readers.
Every tutoring plan is personalized based on each child’s assessment results and learning needs.
Our reading program includes:
- Explicit phonics instruction
- Structured literacy lessons
- Reading fluency practice
- Spelling and encoding instruction
- Decodable text reading
- Vocabulary development
- Reading comprehension
- Ongoing progress monitoring
- Individualized one-on-one instruction
Whether your child is learning to read, catching up to grade level, or needs dyslexia intervention, our tutors provide targeted instruction designed to build lasting reading skills.
Learn more about our Step Up for Students tutoring program or schedule your free reading screening below.
Start With a Free Reading Screening
Every new student begins with a free online reading screening.
During the screening, we assess your child’s current reading skills and identify strengths and areas for growth. Based on the results, we recommend the tutoring plan that best fits your child’s needs.
The screening also gives parents the opportunity to ask questions about tutoring, scheduling, and using their Step Up scholarship.
There is no obligation to enroll after the screening.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reserve Step Up funds for reading tutoring?
Log into your EMA parent account, open the Marketplace, select Find Providers, search for your approved tutoring provider, choose the correct tutoring service, and follow the prompts to reserve your scholarship funds.
Can I use my Step Up scholarship for online reading tutoring?
Yes. Online reading tutoring is eligible under FES-UA and FES-PEP scholarships when the provider is listed in the EMA Marketplace. Viva Phonics is an approved online provider — families pay nothing out of pocket.
Can I get reimbursed if I pay my tutor directly?
Yes. If your provider is not set up for direct EMA payment, you can pay out of pocket and submit a reimbursement request through your EMA account. You will need a detailed invoice and proof of payment. Processing typically takes 2–4 weeks. Requirements vary by scholarship type — check current Step Up guidelines before paying directly.
What happens if I don’t reserve my scholarship funds?
If funds are not reserved when required, your tutoring provider may be unable to invoice for services, which could delay your child’s tutoring schedule.
What if I can’t find my tutoring provider?
First, verify that you’re searching for the correct provider name.
If you still cannot locate the provider, contact the tutoring company directly. They can help verify their listing or explain whether reimbursement is the appropriate payment option for your scholarship.
Why can’t I see “Find Providers” in EMA?
Some scholarship programs make tutoring funds available only after certain educational expenses have been addressed.
If you believe you should have access but the option is still unavailable, contact Step Up for Students for assistance.
Is Viva Phonics an approved Step Up provider?
Yes. Viva Phonics is an approved Step Up for Students direct-pay provider. Families can find us in the EMA Marketplace and reserve scholarship funds directly, no out-of-pocket cost.
How long does the reservation process take?
Most families can reserve their scholarship funds in just a few minutes once they have access to their EMA account and know which tutoring service to select.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re ready to use your Step Up scholarship for reading tutoring, the first step is scheduling a free reading screening.
During the screening, we’ll:
- Assess your child’s current reading level
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement
- Recommend a personalized tutoring plan
- Answer your questions about the Step Up scholarship process
- Help you understand the next steps for reserving your scholarship funds
At Viva Phonics, our goal is to make the enrollment process simple so your child can begin receiving high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction as quickly as possible.
Schedule your free reading screening today and take the first step toward helping your child become a confident, successful reader.
