PEP Scholarship Awarded: Next Steps
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2024
- PEP Scholarship Awarded:
What are the Next Steps?
June 5, 2024
Welcome! My name is Katie Lopez. I’m a homeschool mom who loves the Lord deeply.
My goal for the channel is to honor the Lord and help other homeschool families however Holy Spirit leads. If you have questions or want more information about the topics we discuss, please feel free to reach me by email or the comment section.
MyGodWhoNeverFails@gmail.com
In this video, I go over the next steps for those of you who have been awarded the Personalized Education Program Scholarship (PEP).
Link to the 1st PEP Video - What scholarships Florida is offering:
• Step Up (PEP) Scholarship
Link to the 2nd PEP Video - What the PEP Scholarship can be used for:
• Update on Florida PEP ...
Step Up For Students website:
www.stepupfors...
Our family homeschool website:
www.homeschool...
May the Lord bless you on your homeschooling journey.
In Him,
Katie Lopez
MyGodWhoNeverFails@gmail.com
Music by INOSSI
Listen: fanlink.tv/b3xg
Watch:
• INOSSI - Midnight Drive (Official)
Loving the Lord deeply is my jam! Thank you for making this video, you answered a question I had about attendance/hours. So thankful for this scholarship, cried grateful tears today. His heart is for us, always working everything together for our good 🙌❤
Amen! He always is!!
And I’m so thankful the video helped. Praise the Lord 💜🎉
Thank you so much for creating this video. It has been very helpful. I just want to make sure I understand. I printed out the letter of termination of home education program from the step up for students website. I clicked the link for reference test and I see it brings you to the Florida Department of Education website, click directories and then click home education district contacts. I noticed that for my county, the home education contact is not the same as a superintendent of my district. The letter of termination of home education program from the step up website is addressed to the superintendent, so I just wanna make sure that I understand correctly we are not sending this letter to the superintendent. We’re sending it to the home. Education contact of our district?
Extremely helpful! Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for this video I was so lost!
You’re welcome! So glad it helped ☺️
Thank you so much. This was very helpful.
You’re welcome!
So glad it helped 😊
Thank you!!
Ahhhh como eu gostaria de entender o que ela fala 😢
We have PEP first year my little is 5. We are going to start at a 2x week private homeschool school. We did the SLP but only the part you do multiple choice. So basically I selected no my kid won’t be at a 2x week instruction. Because I wasn’t sure. Do I need to change the slp. This is stressful lol
Hi Rachel, yes I would change the SPL to reflect what your true intentions are for homeschool this year for your little one.
On page 10 of the Step Up parent/guardian handbook, they say a PEP student may not be enrolled full time at a private school, but may participate part time in one.
For more details on what part time means to them, you can give them a call directly.
877.735.7837
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for all the information! Do you know if PEP covers extra curriculum activities such as music or swim?
Hello, yes PEP covers extra curricular activities such as sports lessons, sports equipment, team fees, gym/fitness memberships, and so on. You can find more detail on what the scholarship covers in the purchasing guide (link below). I’m getting this sports detail from page 4
go.stepupforstudents.org/hubfs/GUIDES/FTC%20FES-EO%20Purchasing%20Guide%202023-24.pdf?_gl=1*1fao261*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MjIwMTkxOTEuQ2p3S0NBand6SUsxQmhBdUVpd0FIUW1VM3ZsZmZFcGdHdm1BR1hINTk0TjgzaDB6X2dCOWVtNWhCbmhZRWRtT1JHaDVPYUpkS0FhdDVob0NmRXNRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*MzMwNjkzOTI4LjE3MjIwMTkxOTA.*_ga*MTA2MTc0NzU1Ni4xNzIyMDE5MTkx*_ga_V4KBYBT1HD*MTcyMjAyMTM2Ny4yLjAuMTcyMjAyMTM2Ny42MC4wLjA.
Hope this helps.
Have a great weekend.
Thank you so much for a quick response! Your videos have been such a blessing! I just subscribed to your channel! Have a blessed weekend!
- Sophia
So glad the videos are helpful! Praise the Lord ☺️
I plan on homeschooling my children, I applied for the PEP and have not heard back, yet. However, if we were to be approved and I wanted to mainly use an online curriculum… can I use whichever online program I choose? I saw a list of approved online courses… are those just the ones that would be approved for reimbursement? Or would we ONLY be able to use those as educational sources?
Hi Nicole, I’m so glad you’re planning to homeschool! It’s been one of the best decisions for our family over the years.
From what I’m hearing, the turn around time from PEP once you apply is about 3 weeks.
As for online courses, their handbook makes it sound like they will need to be approved (pg 11)
So I spoke with someone at PEP this afternoon to confirm, and yes she said you’ll want to fill out this online Pre-authorization Request form regarding the online course you want to use:
app.smartsheet.com/b/form/6f3b72c1fe8e466bbfc59b8f3ebc9e22
She also said you could fill out this Educational Benefit Form to go with it:
go.stepupforstudents.org/hubfs/Scholarship%20Info/SUFS%20Educational%20Benefit%20Form.pdf?_gl=1*1iqrr6z*_gcl_au*MTY4MDE1Mjc3LjE3MjMyMzM3MDQ.*_ga*NjgyMDQ0MDcuMTcyMzIzMzcwNA..*_ga_V4KBYBT1HD*MTcyMzIzMzcwNC4xLjEuMTcyMzIzNDIxMy42MC4wLjA.
Hope this helps, and hope you have a wonderful homeschool year☺️🎉
Can you wait till you are funded to make purchases? So it does not hit your personal bank account?
Hello, my understanding is that you can make approved purchases from what they have online in the PEP store. I believe this would avoid paying out of pocket.
I chose to buy curriculum outside their store though, so had to pay up front, but will submit receipts for reimbursement once we are funded.
So as long as my dashboard says "awarded" I can go ahead and terminate "homeschool" with my county? Or do I need to wait until I've been "funded."
Hello, yes that’s right. As long as you are awarded, you’re good to terminate whatever other type of homeschool program you’re in. You do not need to wait until you’re funded.
The funding should come soon though. They mentioned middle of August - mid September.
If you do standardized testing, do you need the annual evaluation? By a certified teacher?
Hi Bethlee, great question.
As part of the PEP program, you would not need to continue with annual evaluations, just the standardized testing.
I really enjoy meeting with our certified teacher though, so I plan to continue meeting with her annually for feed back and advice on the children’s progress, but it is not required as part of PEP.
@@homeschoolingforhiskingdom8160 Ty!!
After we submit the termination letter to our county is there something that we're supposed to submit to Step Up to prove that we've done it? Or does the county notify PEP that we've terminated? I'm so confused on this one!
Hi Jared, the Withdrawal Letter is enough. It’s one and the same. It withdraws you from whatever homeschool program your family was in, and registers you as a PEP family all at the same time.
In the Withdrawal Letter to the district is a line marking the reason for the withdrawal. I marked an x on the PEP line. If you marked that line, then you’re all set.
Just to be sure, I asked the FL DOE representative in our district and she said - yes that letter was all they needed to file us as a PEP family.
The next thing you’ll need to do is fill out your Student Learning Plans for each child through the Step Up website. (When they tell you to).
My daughter will be starting kindergarten and using pep for the first time...Do I have to notify the district that she will be a homeschool pep student?
Hi Ruth,
Yes I believe you will still need to use that letter to file as a PEP family in the state of Florida even if it’s your first year homeschooling.
Pls feel free to double check with the PEP folks though.
877.735.7837
Hope this year goes smoothly for you ☺️ I have a Kindy readiness video I put together with my little one about a year ago if you’re interested (tips, prep ideas, etc just for Kindy)
ruclips.net/video/vGx7QlGkkxo/видео.htmlsi=vR9n51co5L1dL50d
@@homeschoolingforhiskingdom8160Thank you so much!
Thank you very much for this video. I was getting a bit overwhelmed. I am still wondering about a couple of things. First, does being a PEP homeschooler interfere in any way with the Bright Futures college scholarships? Does it change any of the parameters for meeting the requirements of the Bright Futures college scholarship awards? Secondly, does anyone have a recommendation for a proctor or administrator of the required annual testing? We are in Orange County. Thank you again!
Hi Angie, I’m glad the video helped! Praise the Lord ☺️
As far as the Bright Futures college scholarship goes, I spoke with the PEP folks about it today. They said because it is a Florida funded scholarship, you would need to pick one or the other. Meaning you could not apply and receive the PEP scholarship while also receiving the Bright Futures scholarship.
Hope this helps.
If you do decide to go with the PEP and forgo the Bright Futures scholarship, you can find a proctor or an administrator for the annual testing by going to the Florida Department of Education website and searching your county for a contact person. They should be able to give you a list in your area.
Step Up for Students website has some online testing and further info you can look into.
Also, Seton testing sells hard copies and also offers online options. This is where I usually purchase mine. I prefer pencil and paper for my younger ones. Just easier, but online does give faster results. Up to you.
www.setontesting.com/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACn5vLizm6Bz2EQnSWMBsE9AnZu5a&gclid=CjwKCAjwzIK1BhAuEiwAHQmU3mwZ2huurAbDlhyCyoJMzP1bu0U9y5XGE_2az85kxg2Q7Xife1i7TxoCs3EQAvD_BwE
@homeschoolingforhiskingdom8160 Thank you so much for your response! Rather than try to use the PEP scholarship and the Bright Futures scholarship simultaneously, I really meant can you use the BF scholarship for college after using the PEP scholarship for elementary, middle, high school. I believe the answer is yes. I did some further research yesterday, and it appears that PEP students are treated the same as homeschool students regarding the guidelines for the BF qualifications. I guess it's a bit confusing for me as to why we need to terminate our homeschool affidavit with the county. This seems scary to me. Is it a funding issue?
Oh I see what you mean. I’m not sure about college level as PEP is only for K-12, but the gal’s main concern when I spoke with her was for us not to use Florida funded scholarships with the PEP scholarship, simultaneously.
Also, yes it was a little concerning for me at first to terminate our private affidavit for homeschool in order to file as a PEP family.
However, once I did a little more research as to why, it didn’t seem to be an issue.
From what I understand, it’s two fold. First they wanted to protect the private affidavit filing option in Florida by keeping that filing untouched by the PEP program. They didn’t want to blend the two filings.
In the event we or other homeschool families do not enjoy being a PEP family, and if the scholarship funds and assessments testing do not fit our family, we have the option to always go back and refile as a private affidavit family and keep homeschooling here in Florida as usual (without the scholarship).
The other reason is like you said, regarding funding. They wanted to keep the PEP families organized in one group. Once Step Up sees your family has filed as PEP, they are allowed to fund your kiddos (if you’ve been awarded).
Back when I was deciding about changing over to PEP, I did ask if this changes anything regarding how I homeschool the kiddos or what curriculum (including Christian curriculum) that I purchase with the funds. The PEP folks said no, not at all. They aren’t going to tell me what curriculum to purchase or how to teach the kiddos.
They do require the annual SLP (student learning plan) and the annual assessments, but those were the main changes.
That is why I had peace to try it this year.
To me it seems to be a huge blessing from the Lord. We’re looking forward to using the funds for Spanish classes, swim classes, piano lessons, etc…
But definitely pray about it and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance for your family.
Thank you! Your videos have been super helpful… I was awarded Pep scholarship for 24-25 school year and will be homeschooling my daughter who just turned 5 and will be in kindergarden so this is all new to me…i think you mentioned you had a 1st grader.. do you know if i just have to just submit a letter of termination since shes just starting or do I follow other fl homeschooling guidelines.. any help would be great.. thanks!
Hello, you may want to call and confirm, but my understanding is the PEP folks want all families who have been awarded the PEP scholarship to fill out the Termination Letter because in it, it re-registers (or in your case) registers you as a PEP family in the state of Florida.
Their number is:
877.735.7837
Also as you’re just starting out, I made a Kindergarten Readiness video last year which may be helpful for you.
Here is the link:
ruclips.net/video/vGx7QlGkkxo/видео.htmlsi=rz9WYgox0aE0jA5p
Homeschooling to me has been so fulfilling and such a blessing from the Lord. I pray you enjoy the journey! 🥰
Thank you so much!! Many blessings to you!🥰
Hi! Thank you for this! This is my first year homeschooling and my son is entering Kindergarten. Do I still need to fill out a Homeschool Termination form? I filled out an Intent to Homeschool form to my district and that was received. Does that count as the same thing? Thank you in advance!
Hi Brandon, great question. The form is a little misleading for families just starting out in homeschool, but yes. You’ll need to file the Homeschool Termination Letter they have online as this form also registers you as a PEP family in your district.
In the reason section, put an x on the PEP line.
You’ll want to keep a copy and also forward it to your representative in the department of education for your county in FL. I just attached a scanned copy by email to my representative and she was fine with that.
Once you’re awarded, this form allows the funds to be available (starting in September I believe).
Hope that helps! Have a great week ☺️
Hello, thank you for all the information. We are under an umbrella Private school called Christian Liberty Academy. Do I have to withdraw my students from this umbrella school?
Hello, yes as far as I understand from speaking with the PEP folks, if we are applying for the PEP scholarship, we all have to register with them as PEP families to receiving funding.
They have a letter of withdrawal on their website that removes us from whatever homeschool type we were formerly registered with in the state of Florida and also registers us as a PEP family.
Here is a link to the letter from their website.
go.stepupforstudents.org/hubfs/Scholarship%20Info/Home%20Education%20Letter%20of%20Termination.pdf
You will need to send this letter to your FL county department of education representative. (I’d keep a copy for yourself as well).
Thank you so much!
My son prek aged on autism spectrum has been awarded the Fes-ua scholarship. I have no idea what to do next. I want to homeschool. It's just awarded no funds yet could you guide me to what should be my next step am I supposed to do something further or wait?
Congratulations on receiving the award! That’s wonderful. 😊
I’m not as familiar with the FES- UA scholarship, but with the PEP we are waiting to start purchases until July 1st. We will also submit our student learning plans to the step up organization as well as make sure our kiddos take the annual assessment testing.
These requirements may be similar with the FES-UA, but pls call in to be sure. They should be able to give you lots of direction:
877.735.7837 (Step Up Number)
The wait times have been upward of an hour, but they do pick up and are very kind and helpful.
Did you say that if we had the pep scholarship for this last year 2023 and 24 year, we would not have to submit a test until year? Or essentially now?
Hi Joanna, the requirements online say the assessments testing is annual. So if you have already received the pep from 23/24 year, then my understanding is you would also have to give your child the assessments test in May or June of 2024, so asap if you haven’t already.
Pls call their office to confirm though as everything was new last year. 877.735.7837
Hi there. Thank you so much for this info. Much appreciated. Question. We are part of Florida Unschoolers, its a private umbrella school that allows us to home educate. We have been awarded the PEP loan. Do you know if I need to withdraw from unschoolers? Ive never had to do any state regulated meetings or keep any records of what/how/when my children do lessons/schooling. With this switch will I remain capable of having no state regulation other than the lesson plan and one standardized test?
We’re in Florida Unschoolers as well and my understanding is that we will need to unenroll and do nothing after that. Hope that helps!
Hi Nathaniel, so I just got off the phone with the Step up folks to be certain. She said you will have to withdraw from unschoolers or any other homeschool type/program you’re in (like we had to withdraw from being a private affidavit homeschool). Then register as a pep family within your district.
They have a withdraw form you can use on their website site.
After that, you continue to homeschool as usual. The only two new requirements are the annual student learning plan and the annual assessments testing.
My understanding is they will guide us through emails and our dashboard when to submit both of these.
@paulamcdonell8240
Hi Paula, if I understand correctly the un-enroll you’re talking about is one and the same with the withdraw letter they have on their website. It un-enrolls you from whatever homeschool program you were in, and at the same time enrolls your family as a PEP family in order to receive funding.
After that, my understanding is we homeschool as usual with the only new requirements being to submit our annual student learning plans and assessment tests.
Only people with documents can obtain PEP?
Hello, what do you mean by documents exactly?
Which area of Florida does your teacher who gives standardized testing to your kids? We just moved in to Florida as well early of this year and I am looking into finding a teacher that can do the same for my kid :) thank you :)
Hello, good question. Here is a link to the Home Education Districts in Florida.
www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/other-school-choice-options/home-edu/district-home-edu-contacts.stml
Once you locate your district, you can give the person a call and see if they have a certified teacher in your area or perhaps a list you can choose from.
Or feel free to email me, and I can give you our certified teacher’s contact information.
MyGodWhoNeverFails@gmail.com
Welcome to Florida! Hope the transition is going smoothly 😊💜
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INFORMATION!!! PEACE AND BLESSINGS TO YOU!😊
Hi! I have a question. I was awarded Pep scholarship for 24-25 school year but we are planning to use an umbrella school from out of state. Will I still be able to use the scholarship? I’m confused about it.
Thank you!
Hi Zuriel, from speaking with one of the PEP representatives this morning, she said they’re not allowing out of state, online classes to be funded by the scholarship.
However, if you’d like to double check with them, pls do 877.735.7837
If we want the scholarship funding, my understanding is we have to un-file from whatever homeschool status we have filed in Florida (charter, private affidavit, etc…).
Then re-file as a PEP family.
Both are done with one letter that’s on their website. The “Home Education Termination Letter”
I’m not sure if you’re using the out of state umbrella school to help you track days etc… but with the PEP, last I read, as part of PEP we no longer are required to count days.
Hope this helps.
Should I do this if not funded?
Hello, good question.
I would wait until you are awarded the PEP before you reclassify your homeschool with the district.
You should initially receive an email saying your child (or children) have been awarded a PEP scholarship (or an email saying they need more information, or one that says they are full for the year).
However, if your family is awarded the PEP scholarship, at that point you can/should submit the Home Education Termination Letter (from their website) to your local FL district representative.
This letter does not mean you are not homeschooling any longer, it simply reclassifies you as a PEP family in your district, and eligible to receive funds.
Later, (when the PEP representatives) send an email telling us it’s time, we will fill out the SLP (the student learning plan) for each of our students.
From speaking with Step Up/PEP representatives, actual first quarter funding should happen in the fall of 2024 (for 2024/2025 year).
So, the long and short of it is no, you shouldn’t wait to be funded. You should wait to be awarded before you start changing anything. Hope this helps 😊