Step Up for Students at Gracie Barra Davenport — Direct Pay, No Refund Wait

If your child is homeschooled and you have a Step Up for Students scholarship, you may have already run into one of the biggest frustrations families face: finding a provider that accepts it — and actually makes it easy to use.

Most activity providers in Florida accept Step Up in theory. In practice, many require you to pay first and wait to be reimbursed. That process can stretch for weeks. Some families wait months. Some never get paid back at all.

Gracie Barra Davenport does it differently.

We Are a Step Up for Students Direct Pay Partner

As an approved direct pay provider, we bill the Step Up for Students scholarship fund directly. That means:

• You never pay out of pocket. The scholarship covers the cost — we handle the billing on our end.
• No waiting for a refund. There is no reimbursement process, no paperwork you need to chase, no checking your account to see if the money came back.
• Your child starts training right away. Once you add us as your provider in the Step Up portal, we handle everything. You just bring your child to class.

For families already managing a busy homeschool schedule, removing the financial friction makes a real difference.

What Does the Scholarship Cover?

Your Step Up for Students funds can be used for multiple things at Gracie Barra Davenport — not just classes.

Monthly Membership

Our homeschool BJJ program runs Monday and Wednesday at 10:30 AM and Tuesday and Thursday at 2:00 PM — all Gi, four days per week, following the full Gracie Barra Kids curriculum with proper belt progression. Your monthly membership covers all four sessions.

Gi Uniform (Kimono)

Every student trains in an official Gracie Barra gi. For families just starting out, the uniform is often the first expense — and it's one that scholarship funds can cover. Your child gets properly outfitted from day one without any out-of-pocket cost.

Private Lessons

For students who want to accelerate their development, private lessons are available and can also be paid using Step Up funds. Private instruction is one of the fastest ways to build technique, address specific weaknesses, and prepare for belt evaluations.

Why BJJ? Why This Program?

Jiu-Jitsu is a natural fit for homeschool families — and not just because of the scheduling flexibility.

Homeschooled children often get excellent academic instruction at home. What can be harder to replicate is the structured group environment: learning to work alongside peers, respond to an instructor, manage frustration, earn something through consistent effort. BJJ delivers all of that in a single class.

Our homeschool students train together as a cohort. They know each other, encourage each other, and hold each other accountable in the way that only comes from training together over time. Many families tell us this program has become the social anchor of their child's week.

What Sets Gracie Barra Apart

Gracie Barra is the world's largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu organization, with over 900 schools across six continents. Our Davenport location follows the same certified curriculum used worldwide — which means your child's rank and development are recognized everywhere, not just here.

Our instructors are certified by Gracie Barra and trained to teach kids with the patience, structure, and encouragement that young students need. This is not a recreational activity layered on top of an adult program. The homeschool program has its own dedicated class times, its own cohort, and instructors who are there specifically for those students.

How to Get Started

If you already have a Step Up for Students account, the process is simple:

1. Contact us — by phone, email, or through our website.
2. We'll give you our provider information to add to your Step Up portal.
3. Once you link us as your direct pay provider, we handle the billing.
4. Your child comes in for a trial class — and if it's a fit, they're enrolled.

If you don't have a Step Up scholarship yet but think your family may qualify, visit the Step Up for Students website to check eligibility. The application process is straightforward and worth the time — especially when you have a direct pay provider ready to go.

The Bottom Line

Most families with Step Up scholarships want to use them for meaningful activities that build real skills. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu does that. And at Gracie Barra Davenport, you can use your scholarship without any of the hassle that makes other providers frustrating.

No refund wait. No out-of-pocket payments. No chasing reimbursement checks.

Just bring your child to class.

Learn more about our homeschool program or contact us today to get started.