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Florida has quietly become one of the most aggressive states in the country when it comes to publicly funded school choice, and tens of thousands of families may be sitting on money they don't fully know how to use.
In 2025, the state awarded more than 500,000 scholarships under the Florida Empowerment Scholarship and Florida Tax Credit Scholarship programs. The state's two primary scholarships — the Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) — provide homeschool families roughly $8,000 per year, with FES-UA awards for students with disabilities reaching $10,000 or more.
That's real money. And most of it can be spent on private tutoring.
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Florida's Education Shift, By the Numbers
The scale of what has changed in Florida is hard to overstate. In 2001, 86% of Florida K–12 students attended a traditional public school. Today, that number has dropped to just 51%, according to EdChoice's 2025 data. More than half of Florida families are now accessing some form of school choice, whether through charter schools, private school scholarships, or homeschooling.
Homeschooling alone tells a striking story. Florida's homeschool population has grown over 50% over the past five years, surpassing 155,000 students in the 2023-24 school year. The pandemic accelerated the trend, with enrollment jumped 35% in the first year alone, and it has remained steady every year since.
Nationally, homeschooling grew 4.9% in 2024–25, nearly triple the pre-pandemic rate, with 36% of reporting states hitting all-time enrollment highs.
Florida isn't following a national trend, but leading one.
The Spending Gap: What ESA Funds Actually Cover
Despite the size of these programs, many newly enrolled families don't have a clear picture of what ESA funds can pay for. Eligible expenses typically include curriculum materials, tutoring services, online courses, educational therapies, and testing fees, but tutoring tends to get overlooked.
That's a costly oversight. One-on-one tutoring is among the most research-supported methods for improving academic outcomes, yet it's routinely underused by families who assume ESA funds are mainly for textbooks or co-ops.
The PEP program awarded scholarships for 76,274 students for 2025–26 but plans to accommodate 140,000 seats for 2026-27, meaning access will continue to grow. Families already enrolled have a window right now to put those dollars to work before the school year ends.
How to Put ESA Dollars Toward Tutoring
Spending ESA funds on tutoring isn't complicated, but it does require using an approved provider. Families need to work with tutors or platforms that are registered as eligible vendors within the state's scholarship management system.
Florida homeschool ESA tutoring platforms allow families to apply their PEP or FES-EO scholarship toward live, expert-matched tutors without leaving home. This is a practical entry point for parents who want structured academic support but aren't sure where to start.
A few things to keep in mind when evaluating tutoring options:
- Confirm the provider is listed as ESA-eligible in Florida's scholarship portal
- Look for subject-specific tutors matched to the student's current curriculum
- Prioritize platforms that offer flexible scheduling, since homeschool calendars vary widely
Why This Matters Beyond Florida
What's happening in Florida reflects a broader rethinking of how public education funds flow to families. When more than half a state's students no longer attend a traditional public school, the systems built to support them (including tutoring and enrichment resources) need to meet families where they are.
The funding exists. The programs are growing. The gap is awareness.
For families navigating ESA spending for the first time, tutoring isn't a luxury add-on. It's one of the most direct ways to turn a scholarship into a measurable academic result.
