The New World Reading Scholarship – Apply Now!

Access to an education savings account (ESA) is made available by New World Reading Scholarship. Similar to a bank account, the ESA contains money that can be used to purchase instructional materials.

This comprises:

• Reading tutoring on the side
• programs offered over the summer or after school to advance literacy or reading abilities
• Books and some technological devices are included in the curriculum or instructional materials.
• The scholarship money must be used to advance literacy and reading.

The Florida Legislature established New Worlds Reading as a statewide initiative to inspire a lifetime love of reading and improve the literacy rates of Florida’s youth. Free books in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole are provided by New Worlds Reading every month to students in Florida’s VPK who are not yet making age-appropriate progress in reading and to students in grades K-5 in the state’s public and charter schools who are not yet reading at grade level.

After signing up, students receive books, and they and their families have access to online reading guides designed to foster literacy and a love of reading.

Through Step Up For Students’ Education Market Assistant (EMA), families can use their scholarship funds directly on pre-approved services and goods without paying out of pocket. Families also have the option to purchase services and products and submit a reimbursement claim through EMA.

About The New World Reading Scholarship

Families with children participating in New Worlds Reading have access to various fun literacy materials, games, and guides designed to foster conversation about books and improve their children’s language skills. Students who enroll in this program at no cost to their families can stay in it until they finish the sixth grade.

Children’s interest in reading increases when they find books that appeal to their interests and in which they can recognize themselves. New Worlds Reading’s mission is to inspire a lifelong love of reading in young people by providing them with the reading materials and the thrill of a monthly home book delivery. To acquire and disperse these books, the UF Lastinger Center has collaborated with Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s literature. 

Success in school begins with developing strong reading skills. Those who need help with reading may never be able to realize their full academic potential. Early intervention is made possible through New Worlds Reading Scholarship Accounts so that kids can get the help they need to succeed.

Students in grades K-5 can benefit from the program since their families can open an education savings account (ESA) with a $500 maximum contribution toward reading instruction.

Applications for the New Worlds Scholarship from the 2022-2023 school year are now closed. Want to further your education with a New Worlds Scholarship in 2023–2024? Please join our list of people who are interested in this. You will receive early notice of any updates to the program and a reminder when it is time to apply.

The state government of Florida supports the New Worlds Reading Initiative. In addition, the New Worlds Reading Initiative is supported by tax-deductible donations to the UF Lastinger Center for Learning, which is a registered Scholarship Funding Organization (SFO).

New World Reading Scholarship Requirements

• Students in Florida’s state-funded or district-sponsored charter schools in grades K-5 who are not reading at grade level, or students in Florida’s state-funded or district-sponsored charter schools in grades VPK who are not making age-appropriate progress on the FAST tests 2.

• A parent must apply directly to a scholarship funding organization that meets the criteria for the student’s need.
• This scholarship program will be administered solely by Step Up For Students for the 2022-2023 academic year.

How To Apply For The New World Reading Scholarship

• Step Up For Students EMA is where you can submit your scholarship application. Click here to access!
• If your request for ESA funding is accepted, Step Up For Students will let you know when the money is ready.
• To access EMA-approved products and services, simply login to the EMA portal. The ESA can make direct payments to providers and vendors, or families can buy services and items that have already been approved for their kid and then submit reimbursement requests to EMA.

In what ways does The New World Reading Scholarship Help Children’s development?

A child’s reading skills can be improved with the help of Readability, a reading program that has won multiple awards. Every student begins the program at their personalized reading level, often one level lower than their existing reading proficiency.

Children are introduced to the curriculum at a somewhat easier level to help them feel comfortable and successful immediately. They will advance to the next reading level quite rapidly. Children need to show proficiency in reading fluency and comprehension to go on to the next reading level. Children should only be encouraged to read at a more challenging level.

The development of a child can be monitored at any time by the parents. The service provides parents with a secure portal called the Parent Dashboard. There is a separate dashboard for each child using Readability, and up to three kids can share one account.

These are the kind of costs that can be reimbursed:

Materials for instruction, Coursework, and Expenses associated with hiring a private teacher for a limited time. Services must be performed by someone with the appropriate credentials, such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the field, a valid teaching certificate as defined in section 1012.56 of the Florida Statutes, an adjunct teaching certificate as defined in section 1012.57 of the Florida Statutes, or proof of subject-matter expertise as defined in section 1012.56(5) of the Florida Statutes.

Costs associated with reading and literacy-focused after-school and summer programs. Expenses related to reading and literacy-focused summer camps.

The child’s reading progress in the program is shown on the Parent Dashboard. Parents can view reading comprehension and reading speed (in words per minute). The amount of time a youngster spends in the app is also shown on the dashboard.

Questions About the New Worlds Reading Program Scholarship in Florida

1. Who handles the scholarship administration?

The state government of Florida supports the New Worlds Reading Initiative. In addition, the New Worlds Reading Initiative is supported by tax-deductible donations to the UF Lastinger Center for Learning, which is a registered Scholarship Funding Organization (SFO).

2. How is the New World Reading Scholarship awarded?

Step Up for Students is in charge of that.

3. To be eligible for the scholarship, does my child still need to attend a Florida public or charter school from kindergarten through fifth grade?

Verdict: Yes

4. Can my child use both years of Florida Reading Scholarship funding if they qualified for the program last year but now have a significant reading deficit?

The answer is yes.

Conclusion

Scholarships are available for $500 and can be used to cover the cost of a qualified Florida teacher’s time spent tutoring a student after school, during the summer, or the cost of reading and literacy-focused classroom resources.