Emotional and Behavioral Disability with FES-UA
Funding options for Florida families
Anxiety, depression, ODD, and other EBD conditions qualify. Here's what documentation you need and what FES-UA can fund.
💡 Quick Answer: Does EBD Qualify for FES-UA?
Yes. "Emotional or a behavioral disability" is one of the 23 qualifying conditions in Florida Statute 1002.394. This category covers anxiety disorders, mood disorders, ODD, OCD, and other mental health or behavioral conditions that affect educational performance. Documentation can be an IEP with EBD eligibility, or a diagnosis from a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist that documents both the condition and its educational impact. FES-UA funds can cover 1-on-1 tutoring in low-stress settings, mental health therapy from licensed Florida providers, curriculum and homeschool support, and executive function coaching.
If your child has anxiety, depression, ODD, or another emotional or behavioral condition that's affecting their education, FES-UA may be an option. This category — "Emotional or a behavioral disability" — is one of the 23 qualifying conditions.
This guide covers how EBD qualifies, what documentation you need, why many families leave public school for FES-UA, and what services make the biggest difference.
EBD Is One of the 23 Qualifying Conditions
Florida Statute 1002.394 lists "Emotional or a behavioral disability" as one of the disability categories that qualify for FES-UA.
This broad category can include:
- • Anxiety disorders — generalized, social, separation, panic
- • Mood disorders — depression, bipolar, dysthymia
- • Disruptive behavior disorders — ODD, conduct disorder
- • OCD — Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- • PTSD and trauma-related conditions
- • Other conditions affecting emotional regulation
The key qualifier:
The condition must affect educational performance. A diagnosis alone may not be enough — documentation should show how the condition impacts learning.
Source: Florida Statutes 1002.394
The "Educational Impact" Requirement
This is important: for EBD, documentation should demonstrate that the condition affects educational performance.
What counts as educational impact:
- • Difficulty attending school (school refusal, excessive absences)
- • Anxiety that interferes with participation, testing, or performance
- • Behavioral challenges that disrupt learning
- • Emotional dysregulation that affects focus and engagement
- • Social difficulties that affect classroom functioning
- • Depression symptoms affecting motivation and performance
A diagnosis letter that just states the condition without addressing educational impact may not be sufficient. When getting documentation, ask the clinician to include a statement about how the condition affects learning.
What Documentation Qualifies
To apply for FES-UA with an emotional or behavioral disability, you typically need ONE of the following:
Option 1: IEP with EBD eligibility category
If your child has an Individualized Education Program from a Florida public school with "Emotional/Behavioral Disability" as the eligibility category, that qualifies directly.
This is the clearest path because the IEP already establishes that the condition affects educational performance.
Option 2: Diagnosis from a qualified professional
A diagnosis letter from a:
- Physician (MD, DO)
- Psychiatrist
- Licensed psychologist
- Licensed mental health counselor (LMHC)
- Licensed clinical social worker (LCSW)
The letter should include the specific diagnosis AND a statement about how the condition affects educational performance.
Option 3: Comprehensive psychological evaluation
A full evaluation documenting the emotional or behavioral condition and its educational impact. More detailed than a diagnosis letter and provides baseline data.
Why Families Leave Public School for FES-UA
We hear common patterns from EBD families:
School refusal
The child can't tolerate the traditional school environment. Anxiety, sensory overload, or past negative experiences make school feel unsafe. Forcing attendance often makes things worse.
Bullying and social dynamics
The child is a target for bullying, or social anxiety makes the school environment unbearable. The school's response is inadequate.
Traditional environment triggers
Fluorescent lights, noise, crowds, transitions, and unpredictability create constant dysregulation. The child spends all their energy managing the environment, with nothing left for learning.
Suspension/expulsion cycles
Behavioral expressions of the underlying condition lead to discipline. The child misses school, falls further behind, and the cycle continues.
Mental health crisis
Hospitalization, intensive outpatient, or a significant mental health event makes return to the traditional school impossible or inadvisable.
FES-UA offers an alternative: funding for educational services in environments that work better for the child.
How Families Use FES-UA for EBD
FES-UA covers several types of support relevant to students with emotional and behavioral disabilities:
1-on-1 Tutoring in Low-Stress Settings
This is often the most impactful service. Unlike a classroom with 25 students, 1-on-1 tutoring offers:
- • A controlled, predictable environment
- • No social comparison or peer dynamics
- • Flexible pacing based on the child's state that day
- • Ability to build trust with one consistent adult
- • Accommodation for anxiety, breaks, and emotional needs
Many families find online tutoring works particularly well — the child is in their safe home environment, and the screen provides a comfortable buffer.
Mental Health Therapy
FES-UA can fund therapy from Florida-licensed mental health providers:
- Psychologists (licensed in Florida)
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)
- Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC)
Therapy addresses the underlying emotional and behavioral condition while tutoring addresses academic progress.
Curriculum and Homeschool Support
Many EBD families end up homeschooling. FES-UA can fund curriculum, instructional support, and educational materials — allowing families to create a learning environment tailored to their child's needs.
Executive Function Coaching
Anxiety, depression, and other EBD conditions often affect executive function. Coaching builds skills for task initiation, time management, and emotional regulation during difficult tasks.
Families in Naples and Gainesville use FES-UA for online tutoring and therapy — creating a support system that works with their child's emotional needs rather than against them.
The Hope Scholarship Note
If your child's emotional or behavioral difficulties stem from bullying, harassment, or violence at school, you may also want to know about other scholarship pathways.
The Hope Scholarship was designed for students who experienced bullying, harassment, battery, assault, or other safety concerns at school.
Note: The Hope Scholarship program is transitioning — in some cases, it's being absorbed into the broader FTC (Florida Tax Credit) and FES-EO scholarship framework.
For current options, see our FES-UA vs FES-EO vs PEP guide.
The important point: if your child's EBD situation was triggered or worsened by school safety issues, multiple scholarship pathways may apply.
What to Look for in a Tutor for an EBD Child
Working with students who have emotional and behavioral disabilities requires specific skills. When evaluating tutors:
1. Patience and flexibility
Ask: "How do you handle it when a student is having a difficult day emotionally?"
Look for: Understanding that some days will be harder than others. Willingness to adjust expectations.
Red flag: "They just need to push through it."
2. Trauma-informed approach (where appropriate)
Ask: "How do you build trust with a student who's had negative experiences with school?"
Look for: Understanding that behavior often communicates something. Focus on safety and relationship first.
3. Comfort with slow progress
Ask: "What does success look like in the first month?"
Look for: Realistic expectations. Building trust may take time before academic progress accelerates.
Red flag: Pressure for immediate academic gains.
4. Communication style
Ask: "How will you communicate with me about how sessions are going?"
Look for: Regular updates that include emotional and behavioral observations, not just academic progress.
5. Experience with similar students
Ask: "Have you worked with students who have anxiety/depression/behavioral challenges?"
Look for: Specific experience, not just willingness.
Matrix Codes and EBD
Your child's FES-UA funding amount depends on their matrix code, which evaluates support intensity across four domains: self-care, ambulation, communication, and behavior.
Important:
The "behavior" domain is directly relevant to EBD. Children with significant behavioral support needs can score higher in this domain, potentially resulting in higher matrix codes.
However, a child with anxiety who presents as quiet and compliant (even though they're struggling internally) may not score high in the behavior domain. The evaluation looks at observable support needs. If your child's internal struggles aren't reflected in the matrix evaluation, provide additional documentation about the intensity of support they need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Emotional or Behavioral Disability qualify for FES-UA?
Yes. EBD is one of the 23 qualifying conditions in Florida Statute 1002.394. This includes anxiety disorders, mood disorders, ODD, OCD, and other conditions affecting emotional regulation and behavior.
What documentation do I need for FES-UA with EBD?
An IEP with EBD eligibility, or a diagnosis from a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist that includes a statement about educational impact.
Does a diagnosis of anxiety qualify?
It can, if the documentation shows that the anxiety affects educational performance. A diagnosis alone without educational impact may not be sufficient.
Can FES-UA pay for therapy?
Yes. Mental health therapy from Florida-licensed providers (psychologists, LCSWs, LMHCs) is an approved FES-UA expense.
My child can't attend school due to anxiety — can FES-UA help?
Yes. FES-UA can fund tutoring and educational services delivered at home or online, allowing your child to learn in an environment that works for them.
How much funding will my child receive?
Funding depends on matrix code, which evaluates support intensity. Children with significant behavioral support needs may score higher in the behavior domain.
Can I use FES-UA for homeschooling?
Yes. FES-UA can fund curriculum, tutoring, and instructional services for homeschool families.
What if my child's EBD was caused by bullying?
You may qualify for FES-UA under EBD and also be eligible for other scholarships (Hope, FES-EO) depending on the circumstances. Multiple pathways may apply.
Does online tutoring work for students with anxiety?
For many, yes. Online tutoring allows the child to learn from their safe home environment, with a screen buffer that can reduce social anxiety. It's not right for everyone, but many EBD students do well online.
Can FES-UA fund executive function coaching?
Yes. Executive function coaching is an educational support service that can be funded through FES-UA.
Ready to Get Started?
If your child has an emotional or behavioral disability and you're approved for FES-UA — or working on your application — we can help with tutoring designed for how your child learns best.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your child's needs and how FES-UA can fund their support.
Book a Free Consultation →Sources: Florida Statutes 1002.394, Step Up For Students, NAMI
Last updated: May 2026