Review of Florida's Bright Futures Scholarship Program

Since its inception in 1988, Florida's lottery has put billions of dollars into the state's educational system. The lottery was designed so that 50% of revenue generated by ticket sales is to be paid out as prizes to lottery winners, 39% is designated for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, and the remaining money is allocated for operating expenses.

Although the percentages haven't changed, educational funding has been more apparent in recent years with the legislature's approval in 1997 of Florida's Bright Futures Scholarships. Florida's high school graduates all have the opportunity to earn money for college regardless of their economic standing or other grants and scholarships they may earn.

The Bright Futures Scholarship has three levels of awards, and specific requirements for each one. The lowest award level is Gold Seal Vocational (GSV) Scholars Award. High school graduates must finish school with a 3.0 grade point average in the 15 credits required for graduation and a 3.5 gpa in a specific 3-credit vocational program. In addition, students must pass the SAT exam with a 440 in critical reading and a 440 in math or pass the ACT exam with scores of 18 in reading, 17 in English, and 19 in Math. This award will pay for 75% of tuition at Florida public institutions or 100% of tuition at a Florida community college. Students must maintain a grade point average of 2.75 in college courses.

The Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) Award is the next level of the scholarships available under the Bright Futures Scholarship program. Under this award, students must graduate high school with a 3.0 grade point average in the 15 credits required for graduation, and receive a 970 combined score on the SAT or a composite score of 20 on the ACT. Like the GSV award, recipients of the FMS scholarship must maintain a 2.75 grade point average in college. The FMS award will pay 75% of recipients' tuition at Florida public universities or 100% of tuition at the state's community college level.

The highest award offered by Florida's Bright Futures program is the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) Award. Requirements for the FAS award are more stringent as students must graduate with a 3.5 grade point average in the 15 credits required for graduation, earn a combined 1270 on the SAT or composite score of 28 on the ACT, and complete 75 hours or documented community service prior to graduation from high school. The extra effort required to obtain the FAS scholarship is rewarded by a scholarship that pays 100% of tuition and fees at any Florida public university or community college plus an additional award of $600 per award year to be used for additional educational expenses. The student is required to maintain a college grade point average of 3.0 to continue receiving the award throughout his college career. Students whose gpa drops to 2.75 - 2.99 will receive the benefits of the FMS award to complete his college coursework.

Students may attend private institutions with the Bright Futures award, but the award amounts are disbursed based on the average amounts of tuition and fees at a comparable public institution. For all awards, enrollment must occur within 3 years of graduation, though students who enlist in the military after graduation have until 3 years after separation from the military to enroll in college. Students must enroll as degree-seeking and be enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester. The award does not fund summer terms at this time, but may be made available in the future if funds are available.

Florida's Bright Futures Scholarships have become an important addition to the financial aid package available to Florida college students. Enrollment in Florida's university system has continued to increase year after year since the inception of the Bright Futures Awards.

Source: www.floridastudentfinancialaid.com