Are you interested in the Florida Bright Futures scholarships? The Florida Bright Futures Scholarships offers invaluable financial aid to students pursuing higher education in Florida.
Discover eligibility criteria, application details, and how this scholarship can shape your academic journey towards success.
The Florida Bright Futures Scholarships stands as a beacon of opportunity for students aspiring to pursue higher education in the Sunshine State. Established to recognize and support academic achievement, this scholarship program offers various awards tailored to different levels of accomplishment.
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Understanding its criteria, application process, and benefits can pave the way for students to access significant financial assistance, making their educational dreams more attainable.
Types of Florida Bright Futures Scholarships
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS)
The Florida Academic Scholar (FAS) award stands out as the pinnacle of the Bright Futures scholarships, recognized for both its generosity and competitiveness. Recipients of this prestigious scholarship can benefit from financial aid for a span of up to five years post high school graduation, allowing coverage for a maximum of 120 semester hours towards their initial bachelor’s degree completion.
Moreover, the Florida Academic Scholar with the highest academic standing in each county is further honored with the Academic Top Scholars Award, marking their exceptional academic achievement within their respective regions. This elite recognition emphasizes both the scholarship’s competitive nature and its significant support for deserving students across Florida.
FAS AWARDS
Florida Academic Scholars are granted an award equivalent to 100% coverage of tuition fees along with several other applicable fees. These fees comprise a range, including activity and service fees, health fees, athletic fees, financial aid fees, capital improvement fees, campus access/transportation fees, technology fees, and tuition differential fees.
For each credit hour, the Florida Academic Scholars Award amounts to $212.28, reflecting the substantial financial support provided to recipients pursuing higher education.
In addition, the Academic Top Scholars, the highest-ranking Florida Academic Scholar in each county, are recognized with an award amounting to $44 per credit hour, highlighting their exceptional academic accomplishments within their respective regions.
Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)
The Florida Medallion Scholarship (FMS) represents a tier slightly less competitive than the FAS, albeit still maintaining notable minimum test score and GPA criteria. Recipients of the Florida Medallion Scholar award can avail themselves of financial support for a duration of up to five years following high school graduation, enabling coverage for a maximum of 120 semester hours towards attaining their primary bachelor’s degree.
While the FMS stands as a level below the FAS in terms of competitiveness, it remains a significant opportunity for deserving students, offering substantial aid for their higher education pursuits.
FMS AWARDS
The Florida Medallion Scholars are entitled to an award equivalent to 75% coverage of tuition fees, encompassing applicable fall, spring, and summer fees. These fees consist of various components such as activity and service fees, health fees, athletic fees, financial aid fees, capital improvement fees, campus access/transportation fees, technology fees, and tuition differential fees.
For every credit hour pursued, the Florida Medallion Scholars Award stands at $159.21, reflecting the substantial financial support extended to recipients pursuing their academic endeavors.
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Bright Futures Eligibility and Requirements
You can access eligibility and application criteria either through your high school guidance office or the Florida Bright Futures Program website.
While submitting the FAFSA isn’t mandatory for both initial and renewal Bright Futures eligibility, it’s encouraged. This step helps students explore potential eligibility for further state and federal aid.
Please be aware that UCF doesn’t offer Gold Seal (CAPE or Vocational) Scholarships as we primarily focus on degree programs as a postsecondary institution.
General Florida Bright Futures Scholarships Requirements
Each Bright Futures award maintains distinct academic criteria, award amounts, and semester hour requirements. However, there are overarching prerequisites common to both awards. To qualify for either of these Bright Futures awards, you must:
- Reside in Florida and hold U.S. citizenship or be an eligible non-citizen.
- Complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) by August 31 in the year of your high school graduation.
- Attain a standard Florida high school diploma from a Florida public high school or an accredited Florida Department of Education private school.
- Not have a conviction or plea of no contest to a felony charge.
- Gain acceptance and enroll in a degree or certificate program at an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary institution.
- Enroll for a minimum of six (non-remedial) credit hours per term.
Meeting these criteria sets you on the right path towards obtaining your own Florida Bright Futures award.
Exceptions to Florida Bright Futures Scholarships Requirements
Students needing fewer than 6 credit hours for graduation to qualify for the FAS and FMS awards can do so by providing a memo on letterhead from an academic advisor. This memo should include:
- Student’s name and UCFID
- Expected semester of graduation
- Confirmation that fewer than 6 hours are needed to fulfill graduation requirements
Address the memo to the Bright Futures Department and use the Document and File Uploader tool. Select the routing option labeled “Graduation Memo” for submission.
Students seeking approval for graduate-level hours essential for their degree completion can do so through their academic advisor. These courses will be billed at an undergraduate rate. To enroll in graduate-level courses under these conditions, students must submit a memo from their academic advisor detailing:
- Student’s name and UCFID
- Confirmation that the graduate-level courses fulfill undergraduate graduation criteria
- Title(s) of the graduate course(s) enrolled
- Name of the undergraduate degree to be conferred
Direct this memo via the Document and File Uploader tool and choose the routing option labeled “Bright Futures / Benacquisto Scholarships” for submission.
How to Apply for Florida Bright Futures Scholarships
To secure the scholarship, students are required to submit the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) before the deadline, which falls on August 31 following their high school graduation. This timely submission is crucial to ensure eligibility for the scholarship opportunity.
Bright Futures Timeline
Beginning in February and extending until the end of May, UCF initiates the allocation of estimated Bright Futures awards for the upcoming academic year, commencing in August. These estimates, reliant on available records encompassing SAT/ACT scores and high school GPAs, are initially computed during this period.
By the conclusion of May, UCF incorporates the Master Eligibility List (MEL) furnished by the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA), comprising students who have received the Bright Futures Initial Award Letter from OSFA.
Students for whom UCF has estimated an award, but whose final eligibility determination is pending at the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA), will receive notification from UCF regarding their status.
UCF remains in receipt of weekly updates from OSFA. Students newly added to the list can anticipate their awards within approximately a week following OSFA’s final determination.
Summer Funding for Bright Futures Scholars
The Bright Futures Scholarship extends its benefits to Bright Futures Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) and Bright Futures Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) by offering award funding for summer terms.
For FAS students, the award encompasses 100% coverage of tuition and applicable fees during the summer term.
Meanwhile, FMS students are entitled to an award covering 75% of tuition and fees for the summer term.
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FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for summer funding, both FAS and FMS students must adhere to the following criteria:
Enroll in at least 6 credit hours throughout all summer sessions.
Students needing fewer than 6 credit hours to graduate may receive FAS and FMS by submitting an advisor-endorsed memo affirming their imminent graduation.
Graduate-level course enrollment requires approval from the academic advisor. Students pursuing these courses must provide a memo from their advisor verifying that these courses fulfill undergraduate graduation prerequisites.
Renewal & Reinstatement / Restoration
Renewal Eligibility
At the conclusion of the spring term, renewal eligibility is automatically assessed for students who received funding in the previous year. Renewal necessitates meeting specific criteria: achieving the requisite GPA and fulfilling the required hours across all college coursework attempted, encompassing transient enrollment hours.
Students can seek the exclusion of dual enrollment courses completed during high school from their GPA calculation, if necessary, to meet the renewal requirements.
Reinstatement / Restoration
Students eligible for Bright Futures but did not receive disbursement in the prior academic year have the opportunity to request reinstatement of the award.
In cases where a student falls short of the scholarship’s GPA criteria, they might qualify for a one-time restoration. However, this option is available solely if the failure to renew happened at the culmination of the student’s initial year of funding.
Repayment for Dropped or Withdrawn Courses
Institutions must reassess Bright Futures awards in cases where a student withdraws or drops one or more classes post the Drop/Swap and Add period.
Students who have already received disbursements will be liable to reimburse UCF for any withdrawn and/or dropped classes. Failure to settle this amount will result in registration holds, delayed grade receipts, and could jeopardize future eligibility for Bright Futures.
Repayment for withdrawn and/or dropped courses is imperative to renew a Bright Futures award for the following academic year. The UCF Repayment Deadline is specified in the Academic Calendar. A late payment fee of $100.00 will be incurred if payment is not received by the due date.
The Florida Department of Education (OSFA) Repayment Deadline necessitates students to pay UCF before the spring term concludes for automatic reporting. Payments made post the spring term require completion of the Bright Futures/Benacquisto – Renewal Re-Evaluation Form.
Students encountering verifiable illnesses or unforeseen emergencies beyond their control may appeal the repayment obligation. The appeal requires completion of the State Programs and Scholarships Appeal Form, accompanied by supporting documentation. Appeals regarding repayment for withdrawn courses must be submitted no later than April 30th unless an appeal is granted; the student remains accountable for repaying awards for all withdrawn or dropped courses.
Repayment for the cost of withdrawn or dropped courses is a requisite to renew a Bright Futures award for subsequent academic years.
The UCF Repayment Deadline is contingent upon the Academic Calendar for the respective term. Should payment not be received by the due date, a late fee of $100.00 will be imposed.
Regarding the OSFA Repayment Deadline, students are required to remit payment to UCF before the spring term concludes for automatic reporting. Any payments made subsequent to the spring term’s conclusion mandate completion of the Bright Futures/Benacquisto – Renewal Re-Evaluation Form.
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Scholarship Appeals Procedures
Should you fail to meet the renewal GPA and/or necessary hours owing to a verifiable illness or unforeseen emergencies, you have the option to submit a State Programs and Scholarships Appeal Form to our office. It is imperative to document the medical or emergency circumstances that impacted the specific semester/s in question. To facilitate the appeal process, furnish our office with comprehensive documentation pertaining to the illness or emergency.
Conclusion on Florida Bright Futures Scholarships
The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship serves as a beacon of financial support and opportunity for students pursuing higher education in the state. This comprehensive program not only recognizes academic excellence but also provides various avenues for students to access aid, fostering their educational aspirations. Understanding its criteria, application process, and the opportunities it offers can significantly impact a student’s journey towards academic success and achievement.