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    How to Start Homeschooling in Florida    

Considering Homeschooling?

You’re in good company. Thousands of Florida families choose home education to tailor learning to their children’s pace, values, and gifts. You can, too, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Traditional Homeschooling
 

You lead the learning. You set the pace, choose the curriculum, and homeschool under Florida law.
 

  • Notice of Intent: File once with your county (Hillsborough or Polk)
  • Legal Requirements: Keep a portfolio, perform annual evaluation
  • Flexibility: You choose scope, schedule, and materials
  • PCHC Support: classes, connection, planning help



Public School at Home
(FLVS / District Virtual)

You stay enrolled in public school but attend online. Your school is the district/FL virtual program.

 

  • FLVS Full Time is Florida’s tuition-free online public K–12 school. 
  • FLVS Flex / a la carte courses: enroll in individual classes, supplement your homeschool curriculum. 
  • Structure & oversight: you follow their calendar, pacing, and assessments
  • Diploma & credits: earn accredited credits; FLVS issues a diploma if you complete the requirements



Step Up For Students /
Scholarship-Funded Route

You use state scholarships or education savings accounts (ESA) to fund private schooling, approved vendors, or hybrid models.


  • Offers multiple scholarship types (PEP, FES-EO, FES-UA, FTC, and more) so you can mix, match, and find what works for your family
  • PEP (Personalized Education Program) through Step Up allows homeschoolers to access funds to pay for curriculum, services, or private courses. 
  • Private School Scholarships (FTC / FES-EO / ESA) can fund private school tuition and related educational services. 
  • Unique Abilities (UA / FES-UA) option for students with special needs or diagnoses. Funds can cover therapy, tutoring, private school, and more.
  • Requirements: may need a Student Learning Plan (SLP), assessments, and withdrawal from any already established home education program (if applicable)
  • Flexibility: you can mix and match (hire tutors, pay for programs) within rules

Traditional Homeschooling

Homeschooling the traditional way means you lead the learning. You decide what, when, and how your child learns, and Florida law gives you the freedom to do it your way.

Getting Started: 

  1. File a Notice of Intent with your county school district:
  2. Keep a simple portfolio. This is just samples of work, project notes, or photos that show progress.
  3. Complete an annual evaluation. This can be done through:


Why Families Choose This Path

  • Maximum flexibility and freedom
  • Parent-directed pace and curriculum
  • More time for family, creativity, and real-world learning
     

Perfect for: Families who want full control of their child’s education while staying independent from public or scholarship systems.


How PCHC Helps

At Plant City Homeschool Collective, we fill in the gaps, offering:

  • Hands-on enrichment classes 
  • Field trips, community events, and social time
  • Parent connection and support

Public School at Home (FLVS & Local District Virtual)

For families who want to stay enrolled in public school but learn from home, Florida offers free virtual options through Florida Virtual School (FLVS) and district-managed virtual programs.

Florida Virtual School (FLVS): 

  • A state-wide, fully online public school program through the State of Florida. Your child is enrolled in FLVS as their school of record.
    • FLVS Full Time: A statewide, fully online public school where FLVS is the student’s school of record.
    • FLVS Flex: A flexible course-by-course option often used by homeschool families or students who only need select classes.
    • Learn more: Visit the official FLVS website to compare Full Time and Flex options.


Hillsborough Virtual School (HVS): 

  • Hillsborough Virtual School is the online public school option offered through Hillsborough County Public Schools.
    • Full-Time: A full-time online public school option through Hillsborough County Public Schools.
    • Part-Time: A course-by-course option for students who need individual online classes.
    • Credit Recovery: An option for eligible students who need to recover high school credits. 
    • Explore Hillsborough Virtual School



Why Families Choose This Path

  • Public, accredited online education with certified teachers
  • Access to electives and advanced courses not easily taught at home
  • Fits families who want the structure, accountability, and graduation benefits of the public school system, without commuting

 

Perfect for: Families who prefer online learning but still want the benefits of public school support and reporting.




How PCHC Helps

Even if you’re enrolled virtually, PCHC can add the real-world connection your child craves:

  • Local meetups, social learning days, events, and life-skills enrichment
  • A built-in community of other hybrid and online learners

Step Up for Students
(Scholarship-Funded Route)

Florida’s Step Up for Students program helps families access education funding through state scholarship programs. These funds may be used for approved education expenses, private school tuition, curriculum, tutoring, therapies, or other eligible services depending on the scholarship.

Personalized Education Program (PEP)

  • For eligible Florida families who want a flexible, home-based education option with funding support for approved learning expenses.
  • Funds can be used for curriculum, educational supplies, tutors, and approved programs.
  • Families must create a Student Learning Plan (SLP) and submit annual evaluations.
  • Learn about the Personalized Education Program


Private School Scholarships

  • Programs like FTC and FES-EO help eligible students attend a participating private school, with scholarship funds paid toward tuition and approved school expenses.
  • Families will enroll in a participating private school, and Step Up can the school directly.
  • Learn about the SUFS Private School Scholarship


Unique Abilities Scholarship

  • FES-UA supports eligible students with specific disabilities or diagnoses and may help families access approved services such as private school, therapy, tutoring, curriculum, and other specialized supports.
  • Learn about the Unique Abilities Scholarship



Why Families Choose This Path

  • Access to education funding
  • More flexibility in choosing learning options
  • Ability to combine curriculum, classes, tutoring, therapies, or private programs depending on scholarship rules
  • More control over how a child’s education is supported


Good fit for: Families who want more flexibility and financial support while choosing the education path that best fits their child.


How PCHC Helps

PCHC is an approved Step Up for Students vendor, which allows eligible families to use scholarship funds toward approved PCHC offerings, such as:


  • Enrichment classes
  • Workshops and field trips
  • Community-based learning experiences



Compare Your Options

Feature
Traditional Homeschooling
Public School at Home (FLVS)
Step Up for Students (PEP / Scholarship)
Accountability
Annual evaluation only
Standardized tests, attendance, teacher grading
Light accountability. Submit learning plan & evaluation once a year
Accreditation
Optional. Parents may choose accredited curricula or umbrella schools for transcript support
Automatically accredited through FLVS (public school system)
Optional. Parents may use scholarship funds for accredited or non-accredited programs. Your choice of path, materials, and recordkeeping.
Cost
Out-of-pocket
Free (publicly funded)
Funded by the state. Covers curriculum, classes, and approved materials
Curriculum Choice
100% Parent-selected
Set by FLVS / district
100% Parent-selected. You choose what to buy using state-provided funds
Daily Schedule
Fully flexible
Follows school calendar (Full Time) or self-paced (Flex)
Fully flexible. You decide pace, schedule, and resources
Diploma / Credits
Parent-issued or umbrella school
FLVS issues transcripts & diploma from FL DOE
Parent or private school issues diploma depending on setup
Enrollment Status
Home education program
Public school student
PEP student (independent but funded) or private school scholarship student
Perfect For
Families wanting total independence
Families wanting structure & FL DOE accreditation
Families wanting homeschool freedom plus financial support for extras
Recordkeeping
Parent keeps portfolio & annual evaluation
FLVS manages all grades & records
Simple progress check-ins and a yearly evaluation through Step Up
Who Oversees Learning
Parent / Guardian
Certified Public School Teachers
Parent (you’re still in charge) with light reporting through Step Up

Quick Notes & Helpful Links

If you’re homeschooling traditionally, yes. You’ll file a simple Notice of Intent with your county.

If you’re using Step Up for Students (PEP or scholarship), registration happens through their portal instead. 

If you aren't in Hillsborough or Polk, locate your county's website.

  • Absolutely! When choosing your curriculum (outside of the public-school-from-home path), you can use a different program for each subject. We've seen blends of Singapore Math, The Good & The Beautiful ELA, and Science through Nature - to name a few.
  • Many families blend traditional homeschooling with FLVS Flex or Step Up-funded classes. Just be sure each path is properly registered and reported where required. EX: If you want to do FLVS while on a Step Up Scholarship, it is considered to be a privately funded path & is no longer free. 
  • For the most current Florida laws, forms, and updates:

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    We’re here to help you start strong, but we’re not the official source for every regulation or policy. Everything is subject to change at any time. While we've compiled a quick checklist with links, always seek direct information via the path you choose to go with.


    Final Thought:
    Every family’s journey looks a little different, and that’s the beauty of homeschooling in Florida. Start where you are, choose what fits, and let PCHC be your local community for growth, guidance, and friendship.