Step Up For Students - Blog | Giving Florida's children a choice. One K-12 scholarship at a time.

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Step Up’s Wall is an old soul – and total geek

By DAVID TUTHILL Keaton Wall is the youngest worker in Step Up For Students’ Clearwater office, but he may also[...]

Mt. Moriah Christian Fundamental Academy molds industrious young students

By GEOFF FOX A three-classroom school tucked inside a church in south St. Petersburg, Florida, is proving that a[...]

Family Spotlight: Futrells benefit by Step Up, Best Buy Education partnership

By GEOFF FOX Missy Futrell and her husband Carl wanted nothing more than to raise a family of their own.[...]

Step Up For Students launches alumni network

By LISA A. DAVIS Step Up For Students is excited to announce the creation of the Step Up For[...]

Two minutes with Step Up President Doug Tuthill

Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students, recently took a few moments to talk about his vision for the[...]

School Spotlight: Pace Brantley School in Longwood

By GEOFF FOX It was just after 10 a.m. and dozens of students at Pace Brantley School were in the[...]

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Income-based scholarships

The Income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) provides low-income families with financial assistance toward private school tuition and fees, or with transportation costs to attend a public school in another county.

Special needs scholarships

The Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts (PLSA) helps families personalize educational plans for their children with certain special needs.

Student spotlight: Darius Lue

By GEOFF FOX Outgoing, loyal, charismatic, hard-working. The adjectives used by officials at Seffner Christian Academy to describe senior[...]

Meet Ben Zanca, Gardiner scholar

By GEOFF FOX Doctors didn’t expect Ben Zanca to live very long. Even before his birth, fluid was drained from[...]

Step Up scholarship helps boost Ariely’s grades and confidence

By GEOFF FOX Linery Burgos’ voice cracked with emotion as she spoke about the academic progress of her oldest daughter,[...]

Student Spotlight: Kamelia Martin was a girl without hope

BY GEOFF FOX Nine years ago, Kamelia Martin was born perfectly healthy in Bulgaria. Yet, her adoptive mother, Christen Martin,[...]

Student Spotlight: Step Up graduate Savannah Lang contemplates the future

BY GEOFF FOX Savannah Lang has time to weigh her options. The 2015 graduate of Merritt Island Christian School (MICS)[...]

Students Spotlight: Alani Charles on a mission to help others

By GEOFF FOX Ten years after graduating from The Rock School, a K-12 Christian school in Gainesville, Alani Charles is[...]

Student Spotlight: Graduate Travis Blanks

By GEOFF FOX The joy in Travis Blanks’ voice was obvious. He had recently returned from scenic Cabo San Lucas,[...]

Student Spotlight: Lacey Nowling, Faith Christian Academy, Jay, Fla.

By JEFF BARLIS As early as sixth grade, Lacey Nowling knew her love for children was calling her to become[...]

Student Spotlight: Darius Cook of Orlando

By GEOFF FOX Darius Cook wants to someday become an entrepreneur. He isn’t sure yet what type of business he[...]

Jordan Massie transitions from hurt to healer, thanks to school choice

By RON MATUS Two years ago, Jordan Massie was lost and hurt. Rocked by turbulence at home, she was skipping[...]

Student Spotlight: Deondre Pride, Victory Christian Academy in Lakeland

BY JEFF BARLIS When Deondre Pride transferred to Victory Christian Academy as a junior in high school, it took him[...]

Student Spotlight: Kira Murillo, Meadowbrook Academy, Ocala

By SHERRI ACKERMAN As a first-grader, Kira Murillo developed stomach pains every Sunday night. That’s how much she hated going[...]

Student Spotlight: Katie Cutford

By SHERRI ACKERMAN When Katie Cutford attended her neighborhood district school in Lake City, classmates sometimes made fun of[...]

Student Spotlight: The Garnes children (Malkia, Rukiya, Osakwe, Anaya, Ngozi, Naima and Aakil Garnes)

By SHERRI ACKERMAN When her three eldest children were ready to start their formal education, Deidre Christopher-Garnes sent them to[...]

Student Spotlight: The Cherry Family

By SHERRI ACKERMAN When Demetrius Cherry’s commissions plummeted at his cell phone sales job two years ago, his family[...]

Student spotlight: Hayden Hernandez and Cambria Rogers

By SHERRI ACKERMAN It didn’t take long for Jenna Rogers to realize her son’s neighborhood school wasn’t working for him.[...]

Student spotlight: Ryan Tetoff, graduate of Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Hollywood, Fla.

By Sherri Ackerman June Welcome looked forward to sending her son, Ryan Tetoff, to his neighborhood school. By first grade,[...]

Student Spotlight: Denisha Merriweather, Step Up graduate; USF graduate student

By Sherri Ackerman The daughter of a teenaged mom and high school dropout, Denisha Merriweather thought she was destined for[...]

Student Spotlight: Savannah Lang, Merritt Island Christian School graduate

By Estefania “Nia” Nunez-Brady Rhonda Ford wanted more of a say in her only child’s education. But the divorced mom[...]

Layla and Jeremiah Cirino

By Lisa A. Davis Meet Layla and Jeremiah Cirino of Kissimmee. They began their academic life attending their neighborhood school,[...]

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