Florida Bright Futures Program Details

Source: https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/florida-bright-futures/florida-bright-futures-program-details/ Parent: https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program provides scholarships based on high school academic achievement. It has two award levels: the Florida Academic Scholars Award and Florida Medallion Scholars Award.

Each award has different academic criteria for eligibility and provides a different award amount and/or number of semester hours. The Florida Academic Scholar with the highest academic ranking in each county will also receive the Academic Top Scholars Award.

Eligibility and Application:

Eligibility and application criteria are available from your high school guidance office, or the Florida Bright Futures Program website.

Students are not required to submit a FAFSA in order to receive both initial and renewal Bright Futures eligibility. Students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA to learn of potential eligibility for additional state and federal aid.

• Florida Academic Scholars will receive an award amount equal to 100% of tuition and applicable fees. Applicable fees include: activity and service fee, health fee, athletic fee, financial aid fee, capital improvement fee, campus access/transportation fee, technology fee and tuition differential fee. This means that you can expect the scholarship to be calculated at $212.71 per registered credit hour. Florida Academic Scholar recipients are currently eligible to receive summer awards.
• Florida Medallion Scholars will receive 75% of tuition and applicable fees. Applicable fees include: activity and service fee, health fee, athletic fee, financial aid fee, capital improvement fee, campus access/transportation fee, technology fee and tuition differential fee. This means that you can expect the scholarship to be calculated at $159.53 per registered credit hour. Florida Medallion Scholar recipients are currently eligible to receive summer awards.

Repayment

Students will be required to repay their award hours for any course dropped or withdrawn, unless an exception is recommended by the student’s home postsecondary institution, and the student does not receive a refund of fees which would repay the amount due. An exception will be granted only for a verifiable illness or emergency beyond the control of the student.

Repayment for the cost of dropped or withdrawn courses is required to renew a Bright Futures award for the subsequent academic year. Hours repaid for dropped or withdrawn courses are added back to the student’s total semester hours available, and are not included in the student’s total credit hours required to renew the award. Nonpayment of dropped or withdrawn Bright Futures award hours may also affect renewal eligibility for other state programs.

Renewal Requirements

All Bright Futures recipients are required to meet minimum credit hour and GPA requirements to renew their award each year. Students enrolled full time for both semesters are required to earn at least 24 semester hours in order to renew their award at the end of each academic year. For students not enrolled full time for both semesters, the hours required to renew are prorated.

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

The SFA Bright Futures Renewal Predictor tool offers another way for students interpret their renewal requirements for the next academic year.

Reinstatement/Restoration

Students who lose their Bright Futures scholarship may be eligible for a ONE-TIME ONLY scholarship restoration of their award.

• Students may ONLY restore their award if the award is lost due to insufficient GPA, during the first year of funding

An eligible student who did not receive scholarship funds for the previous academic year (fall through spring) is eligible for “reinstatement.”

Students who qualify for restoration or reinstatement must complete a Reinstatement/Restoration application available on the OSFA website.

Bright Futures for Transient Students

In order to receive Florida Bright Futures as a transient student, you must be enrolled at least halftime in any State of Florida university or college.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: You are responsible for meeting any registration and fee payment deadlines at the host school.

If you are attending a Florida school, you will need to complete a transient application through Florida Shines.\ https://www.floridashines.org/succeed-in-college/take-a-course-at-another-school Per federal regulations, financial aid, including Bright Futures awards, cannot be approved for non-required coursework. This is determined by your academic advisor and is reflected on your Florida Shines Transient Student Admission Application. Your enrollment information will be received electronically.

If you are attending a private Florida school or out of state institution, you are required to provide the following 3 documents:

NOTE: All forms and documents must be dated and signed after the Drop/Add period of all institutions attended during the term.

1. Your transient form must include sections completed by you, your Academic Advisor, and the Home Institution Registrar. Once all sections have been completed and signed, you must submit a copy to the University of Florida Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
2. An official certification of enrollment from the Registrar or a tuition statement from the host school.
3. A copy of your class schedule for the semester in which you have enrolled at the host school, which must include course number, number of credits per course, and course start/end dates. A screenshot of your student portal is acceptable.

Documents must always include your UFID and can be submitted by email or mail:

• Email: SFA-help@mail.uf.edu
• Mail:\ University of Florida\ Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships\ ATTN: Transient Coordinator\ P.O. Box 114025\ Gainesville, FL 32611-4025

After all documentation has been received, your Florida Bright Futures Scholarship will be awarded and disbursed via direct deposit. See additional information for Bright Futures award for transient students. If you have any questions, please contact the OneStop at www.onestop.ufl.edu or by phone at (352) 392-2244.

Innovation Academy & Bright Futures

Returning Innovation Academy students will be eligible to receive their Bright Futures awards in the fall semester. Florida Academic level recipients will receive 100% of tuition and applicable fees. Florida Medallion level recipients will receive 75% of tuition and applicable fees.

Incoming Innovation Academy students are not degree-seeking until their first spring semester and are therefore ineligible to receive Bright Futures in the fall semester prior to their first spring. For example, an incoming 2024-25 IA student is not degree-seeking until spring 2025 and would not be eligible to receive Bright Futures in the fall 2024 semester. The first fall semester they would be eligible for Bright Futures would be fall 2025, assuming no changes in legislation.

Graduate Funding

Bright Futures Scholarship recipients who graduate with a baccalaureate degree may be funded for one semester of graduate study, not to exceed 15 semester hours paid at the undergraduate rate if they meet the following requirements:

• Earn their baccalaureate degree in seven semesters or fewer

OR

• Earn their baccalaureate degree in 105 semester hours or fewer

AND

• Have time remaining on their program