Bright Futures Scholarship Programme for High School Graduates

Bright Futures Scholarship Program creates scholarships with lottery funding to honor outstanding academic accomplishments among Florida high school graduates. So if you are a high school student let’s get started, this article is for you.

Florida residents have a fantastic opportunity to receive a full scholarship to college under the Bright Futures program. But in addition to being a highly lucrative opportunity, it also has a tight set of prerequisites and is extremely competitive.

The “Bright Futures guide” contains a lot of prerequisites, which can discourage kids from applying.

Therefore, we’ve done the legwork for you and improved the requirements’ readability. Learn more about the qualifications for the Bright Futures scholarship by reading on.

General Scholarship Requirements

1. Have Florida residency, as determined by the student’s postsecondary school, and be a citizen of the United States or an eligible noncitizen.

2. Finish the FFAA by August 31 following high school graduation.

3. Complete a home education program; or obtain a standard Florida high school diploma, or its equivalent, from a Florida public high school or a private high school that has been approved by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE).

4, Unless the student has been awarded clemency by the governor and cabinet acting as the executive office of clemency, they must not have been found guilty of or pled nolo contendere to a felony offense.

5. Be accepted by and enroll in a degree- or certificate-granting program at an approved independent or public postsecondary institution in Florida.

6. Be enrolled for at least six non-remedial semester credit hours (or the equivalent in a quarter or clock hours) per term.

7. If not funded in the academic year immediately following high school graduation, apply within five years of high school graduation to have your award reinstated.

(Please refer to the ‘Reinstatement Requirements’ section of Chapter 3 for more information regarding the reinstatement process.)
(Please refer to the ‘Deferment of the Scholarship’ section at the end of this chapter concerning students who enlist in the military or engage in a full-time religious or service obligation after graduation.)

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Postsecondary Enrollment Requirements

1. Earn an equivalent to the Florida high school diploma.

2. Depending on the student’s postsecondary institution, be a resident of Florida and a citizen of the United States or an eligible noncitizen.

3. After graduating from high school, enroll as a degree- or certificate-seeking student in a Florida postsecondary institution.

4. By the end of the drop/add period, enroll in a program of study for a minimum of six non-remedial semester hours (or the equivalent in a quarter or clock hours) each term.

(A student who has fewer than six total hours remaining on his/her scholarship or needs fewer than six hours to complete the first associate or baccalaureate degree, may enroll and receive funding for less than six hours.)

5. If not funded in the academic year immediately following high school graduation, apply within five years of high school graduation to have the award reinstated.

(Please refer to the ‘Reinstatement Requirement’ section of Chapter 3 for more information regarding the reinstatement process.)

Award Amounts

When attending a public postsecondary institution, Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) will be given an award that will pay for 100% of their tuition and other associated costs.

As shown in the Private Award Chart, students attending nonpublic institutions will earn a corresponding sum.
During the summer sessions, FAS students may be eligible for a scholarship to cover tuition and other associated costs.

When attending a public postsecondary institution, Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) will be given a grant that will pay for 75% of their tuition and other associated costs.

As shown in the Private Award Chart, students attending nonpublic institutions will earn a corresponding sum.
During the summer sessions, FMS students may be eligible for an award to pay for their tuition and other associated costs.

Beginning in fall 2021, students enrolled in an associate degree program at a Florida College System institution will receive an award to cover 100% of tuition and applicable fees.

The applicable fees for both FAS and FMS recipients include the activity and service fee, health fee, athletic fee, financial aid fee, capital improvement fee, campus access/transportation fee, technology fee, and tuition differential fee.

Length of the Scholarship Award

Recipients of Bright Futures awards who did not receive financing straight away after high school graduation must reapply for the award within five years of their high school graduation.

A Florida Academic Scholar (FAS) or Florida Medallion Scholar (FMS) may receive financing for up to 120 semester hours (or equivalent) of certificate or first-baccalaureate degree completion for a period of up to five years following high school graduation.

This also applies to undergraduate students enrolled in 3/2 programs. FAS and FMS students enrolled in a single program of study that requires more than 120 hours may apply for extended hours of funding by submitting the “Extended Hours Application” seen below.

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How to Apply

By filling out the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) by the deadline of August 31 following high school graduation, students can apply for the scholarship.

If a student decides to attend an out-of-state postsecondary institution or if eligibility requirements have not yet been met, the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) strongly advises them to complete the FFAA.

A student cannot be awarded a scholarship if their application is submitted after the deadline.

All qualifying requirements must be satisfied by the time a student graduates from high school, although for evaluation reasons, test results from the ACT®, SAT®, and P.E.R.T. was taken up until June 30 and are accepted.

After submitting the FFAA, the student is responsible for checking the status of their application and awards online, updating OSFA on any institutional or demographic changes, and making sure that funding for an academic year is accurate by getting in touch with the financial aid office at their school.

If the student continues to meet the standards for renewal after receiving program funding, the Bright Futures Scholarship will automatically renew each year (up to the scholarship limit).

For the Bright Futures Scholarship to be renewed, an FFAA is not necessary.

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