Florida PEP Reimbursement Deadline: When You MUST Submit to Get Paid

Step Up for Students extended the 2025–26 submission deadline from July 31 to October 31, 2026 (announced July 1, 2026). Active PEP accounts with purchases between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 now have until Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET to submit reimbursement requests. Miss this date and you permanently lose the funds for those purchases.

What the Deadline Actually Means

October 31 is the last day you can submit a reimbursement request for any purchase made during the July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026 school year. Even if your receipt is perfect and the item is fully eligible, submitting on November 1 means you get nothing back.

Why Families Miss It Every Year

• The school year ends June 30, so many parents assume that's the submission deadline too
• Summer is chaotic: vacations, loose receipts, and "I'll do it next week"
• Extended deadlines can create false confidence — do not wait until October 31
• Hold notices sent in October require a 30-day response; a notice you miss could still cost you the reimbursement

How to Make Sure You Don't Miss It

1. Submit outstanding requests now: treat October 31 as the absolute last resort, not the plan.
2. Check EMA for holds: any "more information needed" notice has a 30-day response window from the notice date — not the deadline date.
3. Do a full sweep: log into EMA and confirm every purchase from July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026 is in the system.
4. Submit as you buy: for future years, submitting within days of each purchase is the single most effective habit change.

Processing note: Step Up's volume is high. Submit as soon as possible rather than waiting until October to avoid processing delays.