Bright Futures After 2007-2008

FLORIDA BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

2010 - 2011

CRITERIA FOR STUDENTS ENTERING NINTH GRADE DURING THE 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS


GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FLORIDA BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

  • Apply for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship by completing the Florida Financial Aid Application during your last year in high school. Students may apply on-line at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org beginning December 1st of their senior year. This application gives the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) permission to evaluate their high school transcripts for eligibility for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship.
  • Be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. (The college or university you attend is responsible for verifying your Florida residence and citizenship status.)
  • Receive a Florida standard high school diploma or its equivalent.
  • Be accepted by and enrolled in an eligible Florida public or private college or vocational school as a degree-seeking or certificate-seeking student.
  • Be enrolled in a minimum of twelve semester credit hours, or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours, per term.
  • Not have been found guilty of, or pled no contest to, a felony charge.
  • Begin using the award in the year following your high school graduation or apply for reinstatement within three years of high school graduation (students entering the military following graduation are not bound by this requirement).
  • Meet the academic requirements for the award students would like to earn.

Florida Academic, Medallion and Gold Seal Scholars Awards GPA Calculations for Scholarship Eligibility

Additional weight of .25 per semester course will be assigned to Advanced Placement, Academic Dual Enrollment, Pre-International Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate and Level Three courses. This additional weight will be added to the unweighted numerical grade. Foreign language grades are not weighted, unless it is an Advanced Placement course. Florida Bright Futures gives the following weight to the final semester grade; A=2.0, B=1.5, C=1.0 and D=.5. For purposes of eligibility for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship at the Academics Scholars or Medallion Scholars Awards, a student’s weighted GPA will be calculated using the 16 academic courses identified as college preparatory courses. For purpose of eligibility for a Florida Bright Futures Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award, a student's weighted GPA will be calculated using the 16 high school courses (excluding electives) required for graduation or the 15 high school courses (excluding electives) required for graduation if following the 18 credit career path option. Academic courses taken in excess of the fifteen academic credits (up to a total of 18 total credits) will be included if the grades improve the student’s GPA.

Deadlines for Meeting Eligibility Requirements

Test score requirements must be met before the end of June of student’s graduation year. All other requirements must be met by the date of graduation.

Early Admission

Students enrolled in the Early Admission Program need to verify with their high school guidance counselor that their postsecondary courses will satisfy scholarship curriculum requirements for a Bright Futures Scholarship Award. Early Admit students will no longer be eligible to apply for Bright Futures prior to their senior year in high school. Students may apply for an award beginning December 1 of the student’s high school graduation year.

    FLORIDA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS AWARD

Florida Academic Scholars Award Criteria

Students applying for the Florida Academic Scholars Award must meet the following criteria:

  • Meet general eligibility criteria requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; and
  • Complete 75 hours of documented community service. Students must be attending high school, have approval from their high school community service designee, complete the required paperwork and have this paperwork approved and signed by the high school community service designee before beginning to earn their 75 hours. These hours must be completed by the date of graduation.

In addition, meet one of the following:

  • Earn an unrounded, weighted GPA of 3.5 using the 16 high school academic courses identified as college-preparatory courses plus earn a 1270 SAT or 28 ACT test score; or
  • Earn an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma; or
  • Complete the IB curriculum plus earn a 1270 SAT or 28 ACT test score; or
  • Earn the AICE Diploma; or
  • Complete the AICE curriculum plus earn a 1270 SAT or 28 ACT; or
  • Be a National Merit or Achievement Scholar or Finalist, or be a Hispanic Scholar; or

Award Level for Florida Academic Scholars

  • A Florida Academic Scholar recipient who is enrolled in a public postsecondary education institution is eligible for an award of 100% tuition and mandatory fees, excluding summer terms, prorated by term and hours (based on the 2008-2009 disbursement amounts). A student who is enrolled in a private postsecondary educational institution is eligible for an award equal to the amount that would be paid for the average tuition and allowable fees at a comparable Florida public postsecondary educational institution, excluding summer term, prorated by term and hours. In either case, the award may cover up to 45 semester credit hours per academic year. Renewal is based on a cumulative postsecondary GPA of 3.0 and a minimum of twelve credit hours for each semester funded.

FLORIDA MEDALLION (FORMALLY MERIT) SCHOLARS AWARD

Florida Medallion Scholars Award Criteria

Students applying for the Florida Medallion Scholars Award must meet the following criteria:

  • Meet general eligibility criteria requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

In addition, meet one of the following:

  • Earn an unrounded, weighted GPA of 3.0 using the 16 high school academic courses identified as college-preparatory courses plus earn a 970 SAT or 20 ACT test score; or
  • Complete the IB curriculum plus earn a 970 SAT or 20 ACT; or
  • Complete the AICE curriculum plus a 970 SAT or 20 ACT; or
  • Be a National Merit or Achievement Scholar or Finalist, or be a Hispanic Scholar with no documented community service hours; or

    Award Level for Florida Medallion Scholars

  • A Florida Medallion Scholar recipient who is enrolled in a Florida public postsecondary education institution is eligible for an award equal to 75% of tuition and allowable fees, excluding summer terms, prorated by term and hours (based on the 2008-2009 disbursement amounts).. A student who is enrolled in a Florida private postsecondary educational institution is eligible for a fixed award amount based on 75% of the average tuition and allowable fees at a comparable Florida public postsecondary educational institution, excluding summer term, prorated by term and hours. Renewal is based on a cumulative postsecondary GPA of 2.75 and a minimum of twelve credit hours for each semester funded.
  • The 2006 Florida Legislature amended section 1009.535, Florida Statute; beginning fall 2006, Florida Medallion Scholars who choose to attend a Florida public community college may receive an award of 100% of their tuition and allowable fees for college credit courses leading toward an associate degree.

FLORIDA GOLD SEAL VOCATIONAL SCHOLARS AWARD

Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award Criteria

Students applying for the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award must meet the following criteria:

  • Meet general eligibility criteria requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; and
  • Earn an unrounded, weighted GPA of 3.0 using the 16 high school core courses required for graduation or the 15 high school core courses required for graduation, if following the 18 credit career path graduation option; and
  • Complete a program of study that requires a minimum of three vocational job-preparatory or technology education credits in one vocational program (excluding on-the-job training); and
  • Earn a unweighted GPA of 3.5 in the three vocational credits; and
  • Earn the following scores: College Placement Test (CPT) – Reading 83, Sentence Skills 83, Algebra 72; or

SAT – Verbal 440, Math 440, or

ACT – Reading 18, English 17, Math 19.

    Award Level for Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars

  • The Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is funded for a maximum of 90 semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clack hours).
  • A Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholar recipient who is enrolled in a Florida public postsecondary education institution is eligible for an award equal to 75% of tuition and allowable fees, excluding summer terms, prorated by term and hours (based on the 2008-2009 disbursement amounts). A student who is enrolled in a Florida private postsecondary educational institution is eligible for a fixed award amount based on 75% of the average tuition and allowable fees at a comparable Florida public postsecondary educational institution, excluding summer term, prorated by term and hours. Renewal is based on a cumulative postsecondary GPA of 2.75 and a minimum of twelve credit hours for each semester funded.

Jane Howell Financial Aid/Florida Bright Futures 727-588-6013

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Please disregard earlier information sheets 10/01/09

The Florida Legislature could change scholarship requirement during any legislative session. For further information and updates, check with your guidance counselor, the Florida Department of Education Home Page (http://www.firn.edu/doe/brfuture) or the Pinellas County Schools Home Page (www.pinellas.k12.fl.us). Information supplied is the most current at this time.

 
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