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Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

 
 

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship is a Florida lottery-funded scholarship program that rewards students for their academic achievements during high school by offering funding for the pursuit of postsecondary educational and career goals in Florida.

Applicants for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship must complete the Florida Financial Aid Application prior to their high school graduation.  Eligibility and application criteria are available from your high school guidance counselor, or the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program web site.

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program consists of the three awards for Undergraduate students listed below. Each award has its own academic eligibility requirements, award amounts and funding length. A student may receive funding for only one award. The highest award earned by the student will be selected.

  • Florida Academic Scholars Award
  • Florida Medallion Scholars Award
  • Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholarship

For the Academic Year 2012-2013 bright futures will pay a flat per credit fee.  For the Academic scholarship it will pay $100.00 per credit hour.  For the Medallion and Gold Seal scholarships it will pay $75.00 per credit hour.  If you drop any classes after the Add/Drop period you will be required to repay all Bright Futures funds associated with the dropped classes.

If a student drops a class after the advertised add/drop date, (see Academic Calendar) you are required by state of Florida to repay FGCU for any credits for which Bright Futures paid.  Fees and holds will be immediately placed on the account the moment the class is dropped.
Summer grades and hours earned after spring evaluation may be used if necessary to meet the scholarship renewal requirements.  The student must ask a financial aid officer to submit a grade and hours update to the Bright Futures office indicating the adjusted cumulative GPA and/or hours.  If a student attended another college or university and has transfer credits, they may request that the transfer credits be used in the cumulative GPA calculation.  Please call Barbara Font at 239-590-7972.

If a student's cumulative GPA was less than a 2.75 and he/she was ineligible for funding, the student may apply for restoration in an academic year after which the 2.75 cumulative GPA requirement was met. (The 2.75 GPA must be met before the fall term for which the student is applying.)

A student who does not meet the minimum hours requirement during the academic year (fall through spring) or the summer after spring evaluation will not be eligible to receive the scholarship in the upcoming year but may apply for RESTORATION at the Bright Futures website at the end of the following year.

More details about the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program can be found on the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program web site. Please contact the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program or call 1-888-827-2004 for additional questions.


The following chart summarizes the academic renewal criteria for each Florida Bright Futures Scholarship:

Students must apply prior to high school graduation.  A student may receive funding for only 1 award (the highest award earned by the student will be selected).

Type

Forms Required

Deadline

Annual Maximum Amount

Need Based
(requires FAFSA)

Additional Award Criteria

Minimum Credit Hours for Disbursement Per Term

Renewal Criteria

Florida Academic Scholars*

Florida Financial Aid Application

High school graduation

Pays $100 per credit hour for fall and spring semesters.**

No

See high school counselor or Bright Futures website

6 credit hours

3.0 cumulative GPA and required earned hours/year

Florida Medallion Scholars

Florida Financial Aid Application

High school graduation

Pays $75 per credit hour for fall and spring semesters.**

No

See high school counselor or Bright Futures website

6 credit hours

2.75 cumulative GPA and required earned hours/year

*  Florida Academic Scholars will renew as Florida Medallion Scholars with 2.75-2.99 GPA.

For additional questions, please go to the Office of Student Financial Assistance website at

http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/