How Much Money Do I Get From Bright Futures

The Florida Brilliant Futures scholarship programs are cracking resources for Florida students who plan on staying in-state for college. To appointment, the Bright Futures program has helped 725,000 Florida students go to higher!

As with any scholarship program, though, at that place's a lot of information to process well-nigh the awards. Just sifting through all the eligibility requirements and award limitations can be overwhelming, never heed figuring out how to actually submit an application.

In this guide, we've compiled all the information yous need about the Bright Futures scholarships. We'll talk about the dissimilar award programs, their eligibility requirements, the application process, and strategies to help you win your ain.

Changes to the 2021 Bright Futures Scholarship Due to COVID-19

Considering COVID-19 disrupted many Florida students' senior years, the Department of Education has made a few adjustments to some of the awards requirements and application submission deadlines. Specifically, there have been changes to the submission of volunteer hours and ACT/Sat exam scores for 2021.

Volunteer Hours

The coronavirus affected many students' volunteer opportunities, which means they may not take been able to see the Bright Futures' volunteer hr requirements. To adjust for this, the Florida Department of Education is accepting documentation from guidance counselors (or other board-approved administrators) that shows students intendedto complete their volunteer hour requirements before graduation.

In that location's no clear information about what that documentation looks similar, how administrators are supposed to submit that information, or when the submission deadline is for these hours. And then be sure to contact your guidance counselor every bit soon as possible so that they can ship the documentation.

Test Score Submissions

Because many of the Sabbatum, Human action, and PERT testing dates were cancelled or inverse due to the pandemic, the Department of Didactics is extending the borderline for students to take their examination and submit their test scores. The new standardized examination submission borderline is December 1st, 2021.

Right now, there'due south no indication that the testing deadline will exist extended further, or that at that place will be exceptions made for students who aren't able to take and submit the Sat, Human action, or PERT by December 1st, 2021.

As well, these changes merely bear on students who graduated high school in 2021. No announcements have been made for the Form of 2022 nonetheless.

For the well-nigh upwards-to-date information about the Bright Futures scholarship and how information technology'southward been afflicted by the coronavirus, bank check out the scholarship's website. You can besides read the emergency social club that lays out many of the changes here.

What Is the Vivid Futures Scholarship Program?

The Bright Futures plan offers merit-based scholarships to Florida residents who stay in Florida for college or vocational schoolhouse (unfortunately, you won't exist eligible for an award if yous attend college out of country).

Any educatee who meets all of the eligibility requirements for Bright Futures will receive funds to attend whatsoever public or private college in Florida. Fiscal demand is not considered in awarding Bright Futures scholarships (although if you go a Bright Futures scholarship, that will be considered if you utilise for a federal loan in addition to the scholarship).

There are iv different scholarship programs, all with unlike eligibility requirements and award amounts. All of these scholarships are renewable—as long every bit you continue to meet eligibility requirements, you can go these awards upward to five years after the engagement of your graduation:

• Florida Academic Scholars (FAS): This is the most competitive scholarship and near generous scholarship. It's geared towards "A students." FAS winners can receive funding for the entire elapsing of their course of study.

• Florida Merit Scholars (FMS): This scholarship is less competitive than the FAS, but it still has relatively high minimum test score and GPA requirements. It'southward geared towards "B students." FMS winners can receive funding for the entire duration of their form of study.

• Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV): This scholarship helps students pursue post-high school vocational and certificate degrees. Information technology's one of the least competitive awards and offers the least funding. GSV winners tin receive scholarship funding for up to 72 credit hours of a technical degree program or career document program OR up to lx credit hours of an applied technology degree program.
• Gold Seal Cape Scholars Plan (GSC): This scholarship is for students who are finishing an associates degree in science or applied science through a Greatcoat program and want to continue on to earn a Bachelors of Science degree or Bachelors of Engineering science degree. GSC winners receive scholarship funding for up to lx credit hours.

Honor Amounts

As we mentioned in a higher place, scholarship funds are awarded per credit hr. Scholarship recipients receive a fixed amount based on scholarship type, schoolhouse type, and credit type.

Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) who nourish public schools will have 100% of their tuition and applicative fees covered. They'll too receive $300 per semester to cover additional expenses, which can include room and board, books, or lab equipment. Students who attend individual schools will receive a comparable amount (which we'll note in a chart below).

Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) who attend public schoolhouse will take 75% of their tuition and applicable fees covered. If you're attending a private school, you lot'll have a comparable amount paid for (see the nautical chart beneath).

Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) have their tuition paid for on a per-credit-hour basis. That means the award pays a specific dollar amount toward your education based on what type of classes and how many hours y'all're taking.

For instance, if you lot're taking 12 hours in a career document program, you lot'll be awarded $39 per credit hour. Yous tin figure out the full award amount by multiplying the per-credit-hour honour by the number of hours you're taking. So in this example, you lot'd exist getting $468 toward your education!

These criteria also utilize to Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC). You can earn a GSC award if you a) complete an associates caste in science or technology from a Greatcoat program and b) want to continue on to earn a Bachelors of Science or Bachelors of Applied Scientific discipline degree.

Hither's a complete listing of award amounts GSV & GSC scholars:

PROGRAM Blazon	CREDIT Hour AWARD - SEMESTER	CREDIT 60 minutes Honour - QUARTER	CLOCK HOUR AWARD
Career certificate program	$39	$26	$1.30
Applied technology degree program	$39	$26	$ane.30
Technical degree instruction program	$48	$32	$1.60
Bachelors of Science/Bachelors of Applied science (GSC recipients only)*	$48	$32	--

*GSC recipients must earn a qualifying associates degree to receive this funding.

Individual Schoolhouse Award Amounts

Like we mentioned above, the Brilliant Futures program awards a different amount of money to students who are attention a private, in-state college.

When yous nourish a private school, awards are calculated on a per-hour basis (but like with the GSV scholars we talked about above). You'll have to do some simple math to effigy out how much your award will be worth...and how many of your overall expenses it will comprehend.

Private School Award for FAS Students

For FAS students, the award is calculated with this formula:

Cost Per Credit/Clock Hour x Credit/Clock Hours Enrolled + College-Related Expenses Stipend = Total Award Corporeality

Here's the amount you'll receive per credit hour if you attend a semester-based establishment:

Establishment TYPE	COST PER CREDIT 60 minutes	COST PER CLOCK HOUR	Higher-RELATED EXPENSES STIPEND
four-Year	$211		$300
2-Yr	$104		$300
Vocational/Technical	$85	$ii.86	$300

The award is calculated a fiddling differently if you attend a university that uses the quarter system. If your schoolhouse operates with this kind of structure, here'southward the amount you'll get per 60 minutes:

INSTITUTION Blazon	COST PER CREDIT Hr	Price PER CLOCK HOUR	COLLEGE-RELATED EXPENSES STIPEND
4-Year	$140		$200
2-Year	$70		$200
Vocational/Technical	$57	$1.91	$200

Individual School Award for FMS Students

Like we talked about above, the FMS awards are slightly less than their FAS counterparts. That ways you'll need a dissimilar formula to figure out how much money you'll be able to put toward your college expenses. The FMS formula looks similar this:

Price Per Credit/Clock 60 minutes x Credit/Clock Hours Enrolled = Total Award Amount

With that in mind, here'south the amount you lot'll receive per credit hour if you attend a semester-based institution:

INSTITUTION TYPE	Toll PER CREDIT HOUR	Price PER CLOCK Hour
iv-Year	$158
2-Year	$78
Vocational/Technical	$63	$2.14

And here'southward the per-hour award amounts for quarter based universities:

INSTITUTION Blazon	Price PER CREDIT Hour	COST PER CLOCK HOUR
iv-Twelvemonth	$105
ii-Year	$52
Vocational/Technical	$42	$ane.42

For more information on how Brilliant Futures applies to individual universities, check out this nautical chart.

Award Limits

In improver to eligibility limits (which we'll go to shortly), there are some restrictions on how and where you tin use Brilliant Futures scholarship money.

You tin can only use the funds at Florida schools—for more information, you tin can check this full list of eligible or participating institutions. Brilliant Futures money tin't be used to fund remedial coursework (such as developmental math or writing courses). Simply, equally of this twelvemonth FAS and FMS award winners tin can use their funds for summertime course work.

How Do You lot Know If You're Eligible?

Now that you know all well-nigh the sort of funding y'all can get with a Bright Futures award, you're probably interested in figuring out if you're eligible. First, you should determine if yous see the general Bright Futures requirements (these apply to all four scholarships):

• You must be a Florida resident and US citizen or eligible noncitizen (this is adamant by your college). As long as you are a Florida resident your parents or guardians don't need to be.

• Yous must consummate the Florida Fiscal Aid Application (FFAA) by August 31 of the year of your high schoolhouse graduation.

• You must earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its equivalent from a Florida public high school or a registered Florida Department of Pedagogy private schoolhouse.

• Yous can't have been convicted of (or pleaded no contest to) a felony charge.

• You must exist accepted past and enroll in a caste or certificate program at an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary institution (postsecondary institution = college, academy, vocational school).

• You must enroll for at least 6 non-remedial credit hours per term.

• You have to qualify for the award as a senior in high school (or at the time you consummate your GED). If you don't, you can't retroactively receive a Vivid Futures Scholarship. That ways that if you actually desire a Florida Vivid Futures Scholarship, y'all should start planning as presently as yous starting time high school.

At that place are additional academic criteria for the FAS, FMS, GSC, and GSV scholarships. The FAS and FMS scholarships have pretty demanding criteria for GPA, Deed/SAT scores, and service hours, whereas the GSV and GSC programs aren't quite as demanding:

FAS Requirements

• 3.50 minimum GPA (weighted)
• 2020-2021 graduates: 29 minimum Human activity score or 1330 minimum Sat score (taken by June 30 of the educatee'southward graduation year)
• 100 minimum community service hours

FMS Requirements

• iii.00 minimum GPA (weighted)
• 2020-2021 graduates: 25 minimum ACT score or 1210 minimum Sabbatum score (taken past June xxx of the pupil's graduation yr)
• 75 minimum community service hours

GSV Requirements

• 3.00 minimum GPA (weighted) in non-elective high school courses
• Take 3 full credits in a unmarried Career and Technical Education plan
• Accomplish a minimum 3.5 GPA (unweighted) in the Career and Technical Didactics courses
• Reach the minimum scores on the ACT, SAT, or Florida Postsecondary Educational activity Test (which you tin find here)
• Complete xxx service hours

GSC Requirements

• Earn a minimum of 5 postsecondary credit hours through Greatcoat industry certifications that count for higher credit
• Consummate 30 service hours prior to graduating from high school

In that location'due south quite a fleck of fine print when it comes to eligibility requirements (including superscoring the SAT/ACT). If y'all want to larn more (and you should), check out our complete guide to Vivid Futures requirements.

What Data Do You Need to Use?

Thankfully, in that location isn't likewise much of this involved in submitting a Vivid Futures application.

You'll be able to streamline the whole application procedure if you lot accept all the necessary paperwork and materials in lodge before you begin. Hither's everything yous'll need to set if yous want to apply for a Bright Futures scholarship:

Florida Financial Assistance Application

You'll need to submit the Florida Fiscal Aid Application, or FFAA, no later than August 31 of the year of your high school graduation. If you don't submit the FFAA, yous won't be able to get any Bright Futures funding. The application typically opens December 1.

Official Transcripts

Fortunately, Florida public high schools automatically submit official transcripts to the Florida Section of Teaching for Vivid Futures evaluation. If your loftier schoolhouse doesn't automatically send transcripts, you can ask them to submit yours via email to OFSA.transcripts@fldoe.org.

Sabbatum or ACT Scores

You lot can take the Sat or ACT for the purpose of submitting your scores to the Bright Futures scholarship plan through June thirty of your graduation twelvemonth. (These criteria are different during COVID-xix.) Obviously much later than you would have the tests for college applications, this long window too gives you some extra fourth dimension to meet score requirements if needed.

You lot can submit your ACT/SAT scores for Bright Futures consideration when yous register for the exams. At registration, asking that your scores be sent to ane of Florida's 12 state universities, public community colleges, or public high schools. The scores volition automatically be forwarded to the Florida Department of Education repository.

The application process should run equally smoothly (and as automatically) every bit a well-oiled machine.

How Do You Submit an Application?

Much of this process is automated, which means you won't have to do much actress work outside of submitting the FFAA and keeping an eye on your awarding to brand certain everything is processed correctly. Here are all the steps you lot should take to brand certain yous submit a complete and successful Bright Futures awarding:

Step 1: Submit the Florida Financial Aid Application

Call back, this must exist submitted by August 31 the yr of your loftier school graduation. Your Florida Vivid Futures business relationship login data volition be sent to you after yous submit the FFAA.

Step 2: Have the Human action or Saturday and Submit Your Test Scores

You'll take to take either the Deed or SAT for higher applications anyway, so this shouldn't require extra work on your role. Send your scores to a Florida public school (as mentioned earlier in this post) to ensure that the Florida Section of Education receives them.

Pace 3: Check on the Submission of Your Official Transcripts

If you nourish a Florida public high schoolhouse, your transcript will be automatically submitted for Vivid Futures consideration. It's a good thought to check with your guidance counselor to confirm submission, especially if you don't attend a public school.

Stride 4: Keep the Information in Your Brilliant Futures Application Account Updated

Again, yous'll get account login data for your Brilliant Futures application account once you submit your FFAA. In one case yous have access to this business relationship, y'all tin can utilize it to manage and monitor dissimilar parts of your application. To make certain that your scholarship application is on track, you should:

• Monitor your number of reported service hours.

• Update your postsecondary institution. Once you lot've enrolled at a FL college or vocational school, y'all should make a note of this in your account.

• Update any demographic data.

• View your eligibility determination—cheque your account once everything's been submitted to see if you're eligible for the scholarship.

And that'south information technology! No letters of recommendation or essay required.

When Do You lot Find Out Whether You lot've Been Selected?

In that location are two different evaluation timelines: Early Evaluation and Final Evaluation.

For the Early Evaluation timeline, yous tin can get an eligibility determination posted to your online account as early equally March. Your transcripts and exam scores must be submitted by January 31.

For the Final Evaluation timeline, you can go an eligibility conclusion posted to your online account as early on as July. Your transcripts and test scores tin can be submitted during or after your last high schoolhouse term.

You lot actually don't become much of a say in how this greenbacks is used (which may exist a good thing if coin tends to burn down a pigsty in your pocket).

How Tin You Use Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Coin?

Now that yous're upwards to speed on the application process, yous'll probably want to know what actually happens with the Bright Futures funding once y'all get information technology.

Yous won't receive the money directly. The financial aid role at your school will calculate your award and then disburse funds (i.east. apply the funds to your university business relationship) after the end of the add/drop period each term. Like we mentioned before, you have to use the funds at an eligible Florida school.

Interested in studying away? Your school decides if any Vivid Futures funding tin can be applied to study abroad programs. That means you'll need to check direct with your university's study away office for more information.

Strategies: How to Increase Your Chances of Winning a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

Winning a Vivid Futures scholarship could mean that the bulk of your tuition expenses (and maybe even some room and board costs) would be covered for up to five years. If y'all're going to submit a Brilliant Futures application, you'll want to make it count.

There are 4 master eligibility requirements that y'all have control over (bated from state residency): coursework, GPA, Deed/SAT scores, and service hours. Here are some strategies to make certain you meet all of those requirements.

Coursework

If you nourish any loftier school in Florida, yous're likely on track to encounter all the coursework requirements. If you lot're in whatever way concerned, schedule a meeting with a guidance counselor ASAP to see if your schedule needs to be adjusted. For more information on coursework requirements, see our Bright Futures eligibility guide.

GPA

If yous're concerned that your GPA isn't high plenty to win the FAS scholarship—the most competitive of the awards — you can set a more reasonable goal by aiming for the FMS, GSV, or GSC scholarships. If information technology's still early in your loftier school career however, check out our guide to raising your GPA!

Also, proceed in mind that all the GPA requirements listed are weighted. If your GPA is currently unweighted, your weighted GPA may exist higher if you've taken any avant-garde or honors classes. Come across your guidance counselor for more aid in calculating your weighted GPA.

Human activity or SAT Scores

You lot'll be doing yourself a favor in a couple of ways if you work on bringing up your ACT or Sabbatum scores. Higher scores volition open up more scholarship opportunities in addition to better-ranking schoolhouse options.

To give yourself time to bring up your scores, kickoff preparing for and taking the tests earlier rather than later. The terminate of your sophomore year through the get-go of your junior twelvemonth is a good fourth dimension to start working on prep.

Optimize your scores past choosing one exam to work on, rather than splitting your energies between the Human action and SAT. If you lot're unsure which test to take, check out our guide to figure out which test is best for you.

If yous're an upperclassman and don't accept much time to prepare for the tests, cheque out our fast prep guides for the ACT and Saturday.

Service Hours

The all-time way to meet the service hours minimum is through consistency. Endeavour to set a schedule (e.g. get at the aforementioned time every week) so that information technology feels like more than of a serious delivery.

The more consequent you are and the earlier you lot outset chipping abroad at your community service hours, the fewer hours you take to volunteer per week. If you lot start as a freshman, you'd demand to volunteer for 1 60 minutes every two-3 weeks to meet your minimum. If you start equally a senior; however, y'all'd need to volunteer i.5-2 hours every week.

Information technology'll be easier to stick with your volunteer delivery over the long run if you work with an established, legitimate agency that will consistently track your hours (although it's a good idea to keep your own records as backup). If you demand community service ideas, read upwards on the ix all-time places to volunteer.

A Piddling About Reinstatement and Restoration

One of the full general requirements for the Florida Bright Futures scholarship is that you must apply for it within five years of graduating high schoolhouse. (Call up, this scholarship does have provisions for students who earn high school equivalency degree, so be sure to read through the handbook if you lot're a non-traditional student.)

Reinstatement

If you're a student who qualified for a Bright Future Scholarship but didn't have funds disbursed to you the previous year, you can apply for reinstatement. This tin only happen if yous earned a Bright Futures Scholarship correct after high school graduation and if y'all still fit inside the five-twelvemonth scholarship disbursement window.

To file for reinstatement, y'all'll need to follow the instructions for scholarship reinstatement on the Vivid Futures website. You lot'll exist required to fill out a Reinstatement/Restoration Application, which you can do by creating and logging into your OSFA account. This information will be used to determine whether yous're eligible for reinstatement. Keep in listen that the borderline for submitting all of your materials is May xxx of each year, then be certain to programme accordingly!

If you enlisted in the armed forces (or other religious or social service) immediately after high school and now want to attend higher, there are a few unlike options for you. The Bright Futures website states that you lot should apply for the scholarship during your senior twelvemonth, and then defer the award if you choose to enlist. Y'all can so utilize for reinstatement or restoration within five years of the termination of your service, even if that exceeds the five-year graduation timeframe outlined in the scholarships'due south full general requirements.

Restoration

Restoration is an option for students who are in their offset twelvemonth of college and take received Bright Futures money, but have lost their eligibility for one of 2 reasons:

• The student didn't run across the minimum ii.75 GPA renewal requirement but did meet the hours renewal requirement.
• The student was dropped from an FAS award to an FMS honor because they didn't see the three.0 GPA requirement for the FAS. This student can employ to accept their FAS honour restored.

A student can apply for restoration i time during or immediately after their first year of college. That means you lot merely take one slim opportunity to restore your scholarship if you lot don't meet renewal requirements.

Put another way: it's much easier to make sure you're upholding the terms of your scholarship than it is to effort and have your scholarship restored!

For more data about renewal requirements, reinstatement/restoration requirements, or the reinstatement/restoration application, check out Chapter 3 of the Bright Futures handbook.

"Assist! What If...": Where to Find More than Information

This article covers all of the full general information you need to know virtually the Florida Bright Futures scholarship. (We take some other article that goes over the requirements for the scholarship in more detail, then be certain to check that one out, besides.)

Merely there's a run a risk you're in a unique state of affairs. Possibly you were homeschooled for a few years, or you've volunteered in a not-traditional programme not affiliated with your high school. Or maybe you attended an out-of-land school but are transferring back to a Florida university! There are a lot of situations this article doesn't cover, so it's of import that you reach out to additional experts if you need some extra help.

First and foremost, you should speak to the Florida Department of Education's Office of Educatee Financial Assistance. This is the office that manages the Bright Futures scholarship, so they'll take the most upward-to-date data and communication. You lot tin can discover their contact information at the bottom of the Florida Bright Students Scholarship primary page.

If you're however in high school or graduated inside the concluding year, your individual school might be able to respond your questions. Bank check with your guidance advisor early and oft, especially if you're curious about whether your volunteer hours will count or if you're taking the right classes to fulfill the scholarship requirements. If you're having bug with your transcript, you lot'll probably need to have a visit with your school'southward registrar instead.

If you're in college and take questions about maintaining or restoring your scholarship, swing by your schoolhouse'southward scholarship office. They will have people on staff who are experts in the Florida Bright Futures program that can give you more than clarity about your unique state of affairs and help you plan your adjacent steps.

What's Next?

At present that you know exactly what to focus on in order to get a Brilliant Futures scholarship, you tin commencement working on making sure you run across all the eligibility requirements.

Concerned about meeting those minimum test scores? Check out our prep guides for the Act and SAT.

Want to bring upwardly your GPA? Read nearly four ways to bring up your high school grades fast.

Interested in more community service ideas? Cheque out our guide to 129 neat community service projects. You may as well be interested in other community service-based scholarships.

Want to improve your Sat score by 160 points or your Deed score by four points? Nosotros've written a guide for each examination virtually the top 5 strategies you must exist using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for gratis at present:

Take friends who too need help with test prep? Share this article!

About the Author

Francesca graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and scored in the 99th percentile on the SATs. She's worked with many students on Sat prep and college counseling, and loves helping students capitalize on their strengths.

Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/complete-guide-to-the-florida-bright-futures-scholarship

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