What's New

• Florida Legislative Session 2008 Updates
• Florida Legislative Session 2007C Updates
• Florida Medallion Scholars May Receive 100% Funding at Community Colleges
• Bright Futures Updates

Student Quick Links

• First-Time Applicants
• Initially Awarded Student Information Page
• Renewal Students
• Eligible Colleges and Schools
• Award Amounts
• Summer Funding
• Frequently Asked Questions

Administrator Quick Links

• High School Guidance Counselors
• Resources for Postsecondary Institutions
• Comprehensive Course Table

What is the Academic Top Scholars Award?

One FAS award recipient in each district (including public and private high schools) will be designated as the ATS award recipient.  The ATS recipient will receive an annual award of $1500 (prorated if the student does not attend full-time) in addition to the Florida Academic Scholars award.  To be designated an Academic Top Scholar, a student must:

• Attend a Florida high school during the last year of high school.
• Meet the eligibility requirements for an initial Florida Academic Scholars award.
• Have received funding at an eligible Florida postsecondary institution during the fall term of the academic year following high school graduation.
• Be the highest ranked Florida Academic Scholars award recipient in the county where the student last attended high school.  For this determination, FAS award recipients will be ranked based on the product of their Bright Futures' grade point average (GPA) and combined SAT score, or equivalent ACT score.

In the event of a tie (until the tie is broken), the Department shall apply the following criteria in the following order to students who are tied in the same county:

• The product of each student's weighted Bright Futures GPA and best combined SAT (excluding the writing section) or equivalent ACT (excluding the writing section) score at a single administration of the test;
• The product of each student's weighted Bright Futures GPA and best combined SAT (excluding the writing section) or equivalent ACT (excluding the writing section) score at the earliest single administration of the test;
• The higher of the total number of high school credits earned

If a tie cannot be broken, more than one award may be given in the county.

The Academic Top Scholars award is determined by the Department before the end of the fall term following high school graduation and after term-one disbursements.