STEP UP FOR STUDENTS INC
4655 SALISBURY ROAD NO 400, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256 www.stepupforstudents.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: STEP UP FOR STUDENTS EMPOWERS FAMILIES TO PURSUE AND ENGAGE IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE LEARNING OPTIONS FOR THEIR CHILDREN, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FAMILIES WHO LACK THE INFORMATION AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO ACCESS THESE OPTIONS. BY PURSUING THIS MISSION, WE HELP PUBLIC EDUCATION FULFILL THE .PROMISE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.

FLORIDA TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: IN THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR, 108,504 UNDERPRIVILEGED STUDENTS ATTENDED 1,855 PRIVATE SCHOOLS ON A STEP UP FOR STUDENTS' TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP. THE K-12 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN 2001 TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE ENORMOUS EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES FACED BY CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN POVERTY, AND IT IS NOW THE LARGEST SUCH SCHOLARSHIP IN THE NATION. ELIGIBLE STUDENTS COULD CHOOSE BETWEEN SCHOLARSHIPS WORTH AN AVERAGE OF $6,673 TO $7,169, DEPENDING ON GRADE LEVEL AND COUNTY RESIDENCE, FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION AND FEES OR UP TO $750 IN TRANSPORTATION COSTS TO ATTEND AN OUT-OF-DISTRICT PUBLIC SCHOOL. THE AVERAGE INCOME FOR PARTICIPANTS WAS 13% ABOVE THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, AND 53% OF THE STUDENTS WERE FROM SINGLE-PARENT HOUSEHOLDS.A STUDY ON STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES RELEASED IN JULY 2020 SHOWED THAT SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS ACHIEVED THE SAME GAINS IN READING AND MATH AS STUDENTS OF ALL INCOME LEVELS NATIONALLY, EVEN AS THE STUDENTS WHO CHOSE THE SCHOLARSHIP WERE AMONG THE POOREST AND LOWEST-PERFORMING STUDENTS FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THEY LEFT BEHIND. IN FEBRUARY 2019, THE URBAN INSTITUTE REPORTED THAT SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS ARE 43 PERCENT MORE LIKELY THAN THEIR PUBLIC-SCHOOL PEERS TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND 20 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO EARN BACHOLER'S DEGREES.

THE ALABAMA OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP FUND (ALOSF) IS A SCHOLARSHIP GRANTING ORGANIZATION FORMED TO IMPLEMENT THE ALABAMA ACOUNTABILITY ACT. ALOSF AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO ELIGIBLE LOW-INCOME K5-12TH GRADE STUDENTS WITH PRIORITY GIVEN TO STUDENTS WHO ARE ZONED TO ATTEND A FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOL. THE SCHOLARSHIPS PAY FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION OR TRANSFER FEES TO A NON-FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOL. THE FIRST SCHOLARSHIPS WERE GRANTED FOR THE SEMESTER STARTING JANUARY 2014. ALOSF HAS AWARDED OVER 12,000 SCHOLARSHIPS OVER 6 1/2 YEARS REPRESENTING 46 OF THE 67 COUNTIES IN ALABAMA. THE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE FUNDED BY DONATIONS OF INCOME TAX LIABILITY FROM INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS WHO RECEIVE AN ALABAMA STATE INCOME TAX CREDIT.

THE GARDINER SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNT PROGRAM: IN THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR, STEP UP ADMINISTERED A STATEWIDE SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE TO SPECIAL-NEEDS STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC DISABILITIES THAT INCLUDE: AUTISM, CEREBRAL PALSY, DOWN SYNDROME, SPINA BIFIDA, INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND WILLIAMS SYNDROME. FOR 2019-20, THE PROGRAM SERVED 13,462 STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS WORTH AN AVERAGE OF $10,392 EACH. THE PROGRAM EMPOWERS FAMILIES TO CHOOSE THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES THAT BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR STUDENT, AND THE MONEY CAN BE SPENT FOR SCHOOLS, THERAPISTS, SPECIALISTS, CURRICULUM, TECHNOLOGY - EVEN A COLLEGE SAVINGS ACCOUNT.

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