Tuition & Scholarships
Tuition and scholarships: $8,000, and $0 for most families
Florida's Step Up For Students scholarship covers the full cost of SWREA tuition for most eligible families. We'll walk you through every step.
New Step Up applications close November 15, 2026.
After that, a family waits until the next school year. The average award covers our full tuition, so for most Florida families a year here costs nothing.
Tuition
$8,000
per student / year
Avg Step Up award
$8,000
FES-EO and FTC
Your out-of-pocket
$0
for most eligible families
This isn't a discount or a coupon. Step Up For Students is a state-funded scholarship program available to every K-12 Florida resident eligible to attend public school. For most families, it covers the full cost of SWREA.
The whole bill
Every line, so you can compare.
Private schools near Kissimmee list tuition in one place and fees in another, so the real yearly cost takes some adding up. Here is ours in one table: what is mandatory, what the scholarship covers, and what could remain.
Compare it with the category ranges in our guide, what private school costs in Kissimmee.
| Mandatory costs | Per year |
|---|---|
| Tuition, 2026-27Per student, for the year. | $8,000 |
| Registration feeNo fee to register or to hold a seat. | $0 |
| Materials feeThe Montessori materials are part of tuition. | $0 |
| Curriculum, technology, activity or testing feesNone. | $0 |
| UniformThere is no uniform. | $0 |
| Total mandatory cost | $8,000 |
| Average Step Up award, FES-EO or FTCPaid by the state directly to the school. | about $8,000 |
| What most families payWhen the award is $8,000 or more. See the conditions below. | $0 |
When $0 applies, and what could remain
- Eligibility. FES-EO and FTC are open to any K-12 Florida resident eligible for public school. Priority goes to households at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, then to 400%.
- Award amounts. Set each year by the Florida Legislature and vary by grade and county. Your exact figure comes from Step Up, not from us.
- If your award is below $8,000. The difference is spread across ten monthly payments, and we tell you the number before you enroll.
- FES-UA. Awards for students with qualifying disabilities average about $10,000.
Not in the total
- Lunch. Packed from home each day.
- Transportation. Through our partner, for families who need it. Cost depends on where you live and the days you need.
What tuition covers
Your $8,000 includes the whole school day.
Around Kissimmee, private schools that publish their prices add between about $175 and $1,500 a year in registration, curriculum, technology, activity or testing fees. At SWREA there are none of those, so the number you compare is the number you pay.
Arranged separately
- Lunch. Packed from home each day.
- Transportation. Available through our partner. Cost depends on where you live and the days you need.
- The full school day8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday, 180 instructional days.
- $0 registration feeNo fee to register your child or hold a seat.
- $0 materials feeThe Montessori materials your child works with every day are part of tuition.
- No uniform to buyComfortable clothes your child can move, paint and garden in.
- Twelve children to a teacherSmall enough that the teacher knows where your child is in every subject.
- English and Spanish, every dayWoven through Morning Meeting, stories and the calendar, not a weekly extra.
- Help with Step UpWe help with your scholarship application and match your award to SWREA in EMA.
Three programs
Which scholarship is for you?
SWREA is an approved Step Up partner for all three Florida scholarship programs that pay private-school tuition.
FES-EO
Family Empowerment Scholarship: Educational Options
Any K-12 Florida resident eligible for public school. Priority for households at or below 185% of the federal poverty level.
Avg award
~$8,000
FTC
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship
Income-prioritized. Funded by corporate tax-credit donations and used at participating private schools.
Avg award
~$8,000
FES-UA
Family Empowerment Scholarship: Unique Abilities
Students ages 3-22 with one of ~20 qualifying disabilities (autism, Down syndrome, specific learning disability, speech impairment, and others).
Avg award
~$10,000
Timeline
From apply to enrolled.
01
Apply to SWREA first
Apply online (about ten minutes per child). Founding Class seats go in the order families apply, and you do not need scholarship approval to claim one.
02
Start your Step Up application
Step Up For Students opens its window each February for the following school year. Apply as soon as you can and we'll coordinate with you on the documents as you go.
03
Approval in 2-6 weeks
Step Up reviews your application and notifies you of approval. Income docs speed up priority placement.
04
Enroll and route funds
We match your scholarship to SWREA in EMA. The state invoices the school directly; you pay any gap. If approval lands after the first day, your child still starts on day one.
How SWREA compares
What other Kissimmee private schools charge and offer.
We read the tuition sheets and admissions policies of the private elementary schools within about ten miles of our classroom. Here is how SWREA lines up.
| Topic | SWREA | Elsewhere in Kissimmee |
|---|---|---|
| Out of pocket after an average Step Up award | SWREA$0 for most families. Tuition is $8,000 with no registration or materials fee. | ElsewhereOften a gap of $900 to $6,000 a year, plus registration, curriculum and technology fees. |
| Children per teacher | SWREA12 | Elsewhere15 to 22 at most of the larger schools nearby. |
| How children learn | SWREAMontessori, with Christ at the center. | ElsewhereChristian schools nearby mostly teach from textbook programs; the Montessori schools nearby are secular. |
| Spanish-speaking families | SWREAWelcome. English and Spanish every day, and we talk to families in both. | ElsewhereMostly English only. At least one nearby school requires fluent English to apply. |
| Getting in | SWREANo admissions testing, no church membership requirement and no English fluency requirement. | ElsewhereSome nearby schools require test scores, a minimum grade average, church attendance or fluent English. |
| Getting to school | SWREAA transportation partner can help get your child to and from school. | ElsewhereUsually left to the family. |
Based on tuition, fees, ratios and policies published by private K-5 schools within about ten miles of 1904 Michigan Ave, checked October 2026. Several schools do not publish tuition.
What private school costs in Kissimmee, in fullCommon questions
The things parents ask first.
What if my income is above the priority bracket?
Since Florida's 2023 universal expansion, FES-EO is available to any K-12 Florida resident regardless of income. Priority placement (≤185% FPL) just goes first in the queue; broader eligibility (≤400% FPL and above) follows.
What if my scholarship isn't approved by the time school starts?
We never penalize a family for a Step Up timing delay. We'll work with you so your child starts on day one and the scholarship gets routed once approved.
Does Step Up cover the full $8,000?
For most K-5 families, yes. The average FES-EO / FTC award is approximately $8,000, which matches our tuition. Some families have a small out-of-pocket; some pay zero.
Are there registration or materials fees?
No. Tuition is $8,000 a year and there is no registration fee and no materials fee, so the average Step Up award covers the whole cost for most families.
How do I apply for the scholarship?
Start at stepupforstudents.org and create an EMA account. We'll walk you through the rest on your admissions call. You can submit your SWREA application before or after starting the Step Up process.
We'll walk you through it.
Start your SWREA application now. We'll call within one business day and guide you through the Step Up application step by step.
Plain answers