How to Win a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship – There are many different types of scholarships that is available for the students of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Apart from this, there are scholarships that are also available for Hispanic and Latino students, which is a separate scholarship known as Hispanic scholarship fund. So, there are plenty of scholarships that is available for the students if they only search in worlds best apps i.e. buchananreform. Today in this guide you will come to know about one more type of scholarship known as Florida Bright Futures Scholarships. You know about the eligibility criteria, what the scholarship is and comprises of and the tips for a winning application. So, continue reading to know more about this scholarship program.
One of the most uncommon form of winning an amount to pay the college fee is through lottery. But how about this? You win a scholarship that is funded by lottery ticket sales. But this is possible now. All thanks to Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program. It is 100% guaranteed. This scholarship is available to all the residents of Florida. Now, the Florida residents can apply for up to 4 different types of scholarship and win the scholarship and pay off 100% tuition fee. This guide will cover the following topics for your better understanding –
- How much Bright Futures scholarships are worth
- The eligibility requirements for each of the scholarships
- A few exceptions to the eligibility requirements
- How to apply for Bright Futures scholarships
- The application timeline, including the open date and deadline
- 3 tips to increase your chances of winning a Bright Futures scholarship
Now, let us look at what is Florida Bright Scholarship Program and what all is required further.
Contents
What is the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program?
An initiative, was taken long time back in the year 1997 to pick up talented and highly educated and achieving students from the State of Florida for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program. This program was started back then i.e. 24 years back. This program is funded by ticket sales for the Florida lottery.
One of the best things that you will know about this scholarship is that it has helped many students to attend post secondary colleges. And there are more than 7, 25,000 students who are very thankful to this scholarship program committee members for giving an opportunity. There is also a Burger King Scholars program that awards burger king scholarship to students and employees of burger king, you can even apply for that.
The Bright Futures scholarship awards include:
- The students who have an ‘A’ grade with average (3.5 + GPA) for them there is – Florida Academic Scholars Award (FAS) for them.
- The students who have a ‘B’ grade with average (3.0+GPA) there is – Florida Medallion Scholars Award (FMS) for them.
- The students who are pursuing a technical degree or certificate program (shall be explained further) for them there is – Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (GSV).
- The students who are pursuing a technical degree or certificate program before transitioning to a Bachelors of Science or Bachelor of Applied Science degree program for them there is – Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars Award (GSC).
Now, the readers might be thinking how are these bright future scholarships different from each other. They do not have the same amount and apart from that some scholarship can be used for specific degree programs. Let us look deep into the details.
How is the Bright Futures Scholarships Different? How much is Each Award Worth?
All of the scholarships are generous and here are the details of each one of them. They are as follows –
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) –
Are you a student with a 3.5 GPA or above and top scores on the SAT/ACT (29/1330+)? Then the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) could be for you.
This scholarship is one of the most competitive one. Plus, in this scholarship the students get 100% of tuition and applicable fees and $300 for both fall and spring semesters. Plus, this scholarship covers add-on educational expenses of public colleges or similar amount at the non-public colleges. If you are a FAS award recipient, you can get the award that covers summer sessions and tuition fees also.
Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) –
If you do not have those good scores, then there is another option available for you and that is Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) award. This is also one of the most competitive scholarships and those students are eligible – the students who have at least a 3.0 GPA and good test scores on the SAT/ACT (25/1210+). Apart from that, 75% of tuition and applicable fees at public colleges is also covered in the FMS scholarship award.
It is somewhat similar to the FAS award and you can receive a similar amount even if you are attending a private college. It will cover the expenses for tuition fee, applicable fees and summer sessions.
Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) and Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC) –
For the above-mentioned FAS and FMS award, one of the benefits is that the students can choose whichever subject they like to study. But if you’re interested in technical degree programs (e.g. an associate’s degree to become a Registered Medical Technician, Veterinary Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, etc.), then you should check out the Florida (GSV) and Florida (GSC). One of the things that you will note in this scholarship and why this is better than FAS and FMS is because it is less competitive and offers less scholarship, but it is worth it for the students in technical field.
Up to 72 credit hours of the following degree programs offered by community colleges is covered by both GSV and GSC –
Associate of Science (AS)
Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
College Credit Certificate (CCC)
Post-Secondary Adult Vocational (PSAV)
Either award can also cover up to 60 credit hours of an Applied Technology Diploma (ATD).
The Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) is for you if you’re planning to enroll in a technical career education (AS or AAS) or certificate program (CCC or PSAV).
The Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC) award is for you if you are pursuing an associate’s degree (AS or AAS) through a Florida Career and Professional Education Act (CAPE) industry certification program. You can also get an additional award for a maximum 60 credit hours for the B.Sc or B.Asc. i.e. (Bachelors of Science or Bachelors of Applied Science) once you get a associate degree as a GSC scholar.
How long do Bright Futures scholarships last? Are they renewable?
These scholarships can be renewed for up to 5 years and they get renewed automatically. One of the best things that you will know about this scholarship is that once you have made the applications you don’t need to submit any further applications. The only thing is that you have to maintain a needed GPA and required credit hours for your applications to be renewed automatically.
Apart from that, if you are into any degree program & want to extend it past 5 years and that requires more than 120 hours, then the winners of FAS and FMS can apply for an extension.
Bright Futures Scholarship Program Eligibility Requirements
Hopefully, after reading the above till now the readers have understood that this scholarship program is for the residents of Florida. But now you must be thinking what are the other requirements ? There are still a lot of things that you should know about the Bright Future Scholarships. You will not believe there is a whole chapter in the students handbook regarding Bright Futures which has full details on the eligibility requirement.
But that book is there only to remove the confusions among the students as to which scholarship awards to win. And this is the best part that the students need not pay attention to all the requirements – they can just focus on the one’s that they are applying for.
The students need to focus only on these two sets and their eligibility requirements. They are as follows –
1) The Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) and Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)
2) The Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) and Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC)
General Requirements for ALL Bright Futures Scholarships –
You should have the following eligibility requirements if you are applying –
- You should be a resident of Florida and also a US citizen or you can be a eligible non-citizen (as determined by your post secondary college)
- You should complete the Florida Financial Aid Application(FFAA) no later than August 31 after high school graduation.
- You should have a standard Florida HS diploma or equivalent degree from Florida public high school or a registered Florida Department of Education (FDOE) private high school; or complete a home education program
- You should not have been found guilty of, or pled nolo contendere to, a felony charge, unless you have been granted clemency by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Executive Office of Clemency.
- You should be accepted and you should enroll for a degree or certificate program at an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary institution.
- You should enroll in at least six non-remedial semester credit hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) per term.
You should apply within 5 years of high school graduation if you want your award to be reinstated incase if you are not funded for the present academic year. Apart from that, there are some unique requirements that you should fulfill regarding the bright future scholarships.
Unique Requirements for the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) and/or Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) and To qualify for the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) award or the Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) award, you must:
Meet all the requirements listed in the prior general requirements section
Complete the required high school coursework (check the table below)
Achieve the required minimum high school grade point average (GPA) (check the table below)
Achieve the required minimum score on either the ACT® or SAT® college entrance exam (check the table below)
Complete the required number of service hours (check the table below)
Eligibility Requirements for Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) and Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)
For more sources, check online the similar posts.
Other Ways to Qualify –
If you have a record of academic merit through a recognition program, like the AICE curriculum or the IB curriculum, you may still be eligible to apply for the FAS and FMS Bright Futures scholarship awards.
Merit Recognition Programs that Qualify for Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) and Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) Eligibility
AICE Curriculum
Complete a minimum of 14 AICE credits identified by the Cambridge Assessment International Education (Cambridge International) in the Diploma Core and three academic areas as follows:
AICE Diploma Core – AICE Global Perspectives & Research AS level (Two Credits required)
Group 1 – Mathematics and Sciences (Two Credits required)
Group 2 – Languages (Two Credits required)
Group 3 – Arts and Humanities (Two Credits required)
Group 4 – Interdisciplinary Skills (Optional – Four Credits maximum)
Six additional credits required in any combination from the above four groups
IB Curriculum
Complete a minimum of 10 credits identified by the International Baccalaureate Organization:
Two credits each in three of the following areas and one credit each in the remaining three areas: Language Arts, World Language, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics and Arts/Electives. Each of these credits must be an IB or AP course. Pre-IB courses do not meet IB curriculum requirements.
One credit in Theory of Knowledge
Complete the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) requirement
Complete an extended essay
Unique Requirements for the Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) –
To qualify for the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) award, you must:
Meet all the requirements listed in the prior general requirements section
Achieve the required weighted minimum 3.0 GPA in non-elective high school courses
Take at least 3 full credits in a single Career and Technical Education program
Achieve the required minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA in the career education courses
Achieve the required minimum score on the ACT, SAT or Florida Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.) exams (see table below)
Complete 30 service hours during high school and by high school graduation
Standardized Testing Eligibility Requirements for Gold Seals Vocational Scholars (GSV)
Unique Requirements for the Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC) –
To qualify for the (GSC) award, you must have the following eligibility criteria. They are as follows –
- You should meet all the requirements listed in the prior general requirements section
- You should earn a minimum of five postsecondary credit hours through CAPE industry certification courses that are taken for college credit
- You should complete 30 service hours by high school graduation.
Exceptions to the Eligibility Requirements
You will also find certain exceptions to the eligibility requirements that have been mentioned above. See if the following exceptions are there –
Students Participating in a Home Education (HE) Program
It is important for you to be registered with the district for the present and prior academic year, if you are participating in the HE (Home Education) program. If you are not registered with the district home education office for the present and prior academic year but have the required transcripts and test scores, you may be able to apply as a Florida GED Diploma recipient.
To qualify as a Florida home-educated student, you must:
Meet the General Requirements for Bright Futures
Submit a timely Florida Financial Aid Application
Earn required minimum standardized test scores (depends on the award; see charts above)
Complete the minimum number of service hours (30-100 hours depending on the award)
As a home-educated student, you do not need to provide a student transcript. The test score and service hour requirements are the same as traditional students.
General Educational Development (GED) Students
You should be able to meet the high school coursework and grade point average requirement before you take the GED exam and to be Eligible for scholarship as a GED student. In the academic year in which you earn your GED, your eligibility for scholarship would be determined on that basis.
To apply as a GED student, you’re required to submit the following:
- Florida Financial Aid Application
- Exam scores for the ACT, SAT, or P.E.R.T.
- High school transcripts
- GED certificate
- Documentation of your service hours
- Out-of-State (OOS) Students
Although generally, a Bright Futures Scholarship application requires a standard Florida high school diploma, there are Exceptions.
You may still be eligible with a high school diploma from a non-Florida school if you:
Meet the General Requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program (see above)
Have at least one parent who is a Florida resident and is: A) serving active duty in the military or B) on public service assignment away from Florida during your last year of high school
Submit a completed FFAA online during the last year in high school (no later than August 31)
Submit official high school transcript(s)
Submit ACT/SAT scores
Submit documentation for out-of-state assignment
Submit Proof of Dependency
Submit documentation of your service hours
Mid-Year Graduates
For the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, you’re considered a mid-year graduate if you’re:
Graduating between September 1-January 31 of the academic year
Seeking funding for the spring academic term following graduation
If you graduate early but do not seek funding until a subsequent academic year, you are not considered a mid-year graduate for Bright Futures.
But if you do qualify as a mid-year graduate and want to apply for a Bright Futures scholarship, you must:
Submit the FFAA by December 31 of your senior year of high school (no exceptions to this deadline)
Meet the general scholarship requirements for the academic year of your graduation
How to Apply for a Bright Futures Scholarship
Here are some of the tips on how you can successfully apply for a bright futures scholarships. It is not that bad.
All you have to do to apply for a Bright Futures scholarship is:
1. Submit the Florida Financial Aid Application
For eligibility of a Florida Bright Futures Scholarships, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is given permission to evaluate your high school transcripts. If you need help filling out the Florida Financial Aid Application, check out the Florida Department of Education’s helpful reference guide.
2. Submit official high school transcripts
For bright futures evaluations, the public high schools automatically send your transcripts to FDOE. If you are attending a private school then make sure that the electronic copies of your transcripts gets sent to the [email protected]
3. Submit standardized test scores
You can send your request to the ACT/ SAT committee to send your official score report to your university. You can do this step when you register for the tests. Until June 30th you can take the test or you can take the test until January 31st if you qualify as a mid year graduate.
4. Submit documentation of your service hours
The workplace where you have earned the service hours should provide a letter on their office’s letterhead about the number of hours and dates of service completed. The hours should be written in writing and should have been signed both by you, or guardian, or parent and by a representative of the organization. Apart from that, there is no information online regarding when and how to submit this document. You should wait for the official instructions or take instructions from guidance counselor.
5. Submit any required supporting documents
In this case for instance, you are applying as a GED student, then you should also submit a copy of your GED Certificate. On exceptions to the eligibility requirement above you can find out about other documents that you may need to submit. Online it is not stated when and how you are to submit this document. But its better that you submit it earlier.
Bright Futures Scholarship Application Timeline
Here is the important dates of the scholarship programs. They are as follows –
On October 1, the Florida financial aid application opens. January 31: Last day to submit transcripts and test scores for Early Evaluation period deadline. Then, in March, the students who apply for Early Evaluation begin receiving notice of their Bright Futures scholarships eligibility determination. Till June 30, All ACT®/SAT®/P.E.R.T. tests must be taken by this date. Then, in the month of July, Students who apply for the Final Evaluation period begin receiving notice of their Bright Futures scholarships eligibility determination. Lastly, August 31st is the Last day to submit the FFAA and meet the Final Evaluation deadline. For more information check online.
3 Tips to Increase Your Chances of Winning a Bright Futures Scholarship –
This must be the toughest scholarship eligibility program as the eligibility requirements are many. But most of the eligibility requirements are regarding the test scores, service hours and academics. So, here are 3 important tips specifically to help you enhance yourself in these areas .
1. Aim to Achieve a High GPA
Simply your GPA cannot determine your eligibility for bright futures scholarships. But it is also important that students do their best and keep a record of their grades by being on top of your homework and assignments, taking good notes, making a justifiable study schedule, and getting help from a lecturer or tutor when you need it.
2. Start Preparing Early for SAT/ACT
The scores of SAT or ACT is important for your college applications as well as for the bright futures scholarship applications too. To get good scores in this test it is important that you start preparing early and as per Khan Academy, you should take a simple diagnostic test to know about your abilities and learning skills.
3. Begin Community Service During Freshman Year
The scholarships require service hours ranging from 30 to 100 hours. So, it is better that you don’t wait long till your deadlines comes. It is better you start your service hours from the year of high school and then building them over time. Make sure that you do follow the volunteer service guidelines set by the scholarship program committee.
Where to Find More Scholarships
Hopefully, this posts has helped students in understanding how you can apply and win this scholarship and what are the eligibility criteria. But this is not the end, there are many other scholarship programs that can help you to meet your education expenses like tuition fee, study material cost etc. You can find about the best scholarships in buchananreform as there are so many scholarships that is available. You can check for the similar posts where you can find tips and other information on other scholarships like Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship and various Full-Ride Scholarships.
Conclusion
Hopefully, through this guide the students must have understood about this scholarship. Some students may find it a little tough and tedious to understand, especially the eligibility criteria part. But those students can also refer to the Bright future scholarships handbook to refer the eligibility. But the main eligibility criteria is already mentioned above. Apart from that, how to apply for this scholarship, the students can check online and get further details and also stay connected with their guidance counselor to know more. Apart from that, there are different types of scholarship which the students can re-read above and understand their eligibility and the difference between each scholarship.
