The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program makes college affordable for state residents. This program, open to students who graduate from a Florida high school, reduces the amount of tuition that students pay out of pocket. It does not make college free for state residents, however. The amount of money a student earns depends on his academic credentials and the school he enrolls in.
Financial Benefits
Florida groups Bright Futures applicants into four areas, depending on their high-school academic record -- Academic Top Scholars, Florida Academic Scholars, Florida Medallion Scholars and Gold Seal Vocational Scholars. Academic Top Scholars, the highest-achieving students, earn $178 a semester hour at Florida schools. Florida Academic Scholars receive $125 a semester hour, while Medallion Scholars earn $94 a semester hour at four-year schools and $58 at two-year schools. Finally, students enrolled at career and vocational schools earn the designation of Gold Seal Vocational Scholars and receive $94 a semester hour at a four-year school and $58 at a two-year school.
Academic Requirements
Academic requirements determine how much money Florida students can put toward their college education. Florida Academic Scholars must have a 3.5 high school grade point average and a 1270 on the SAT or a 28 on the ACT. Academic Scholars earning the top grades and test scores in their region earn the designation of Top Scholars. Florida Medallion Scholars have to earn a 3.0 GPA and a 970 SAT score or 20 ACT score. Gold Seal Vocational Scholars must earn a 3.0 GPA in 16 core high school courses and minimum standardized test scores.
Other Requirements
Florida Bright Futures recipients have to graduate from a public Florida high school or a state-sanctioned private school. Students who aim to be Florida Academic Scholars must complete 75 hours of community service; the other designation levels have no community service requirement.
Participating Schools
Students can use their Bright Futures scholarship money at most Florida colleges and universities. Large state schools like the University of Florida, University of Central Florida and Florida State University accept Bright Future monies. Smaller colleges like Rollins College and St. Leo College also participate in the program. Students who are on the career or vocational track can put their money to use at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Atlantic Technical Center and Dade Medical College.
Tags: Academic Scholars, Bright Futures, Florida Academic, Florida Academic Scholars, high school, semester hour, Gold Seal