Renewal Requirements for Bright Futures Scholarships
A student is a renewal student if he/she received an award during one or more terms of the
immediately preceding academic year. Renewal of a student's award for subsequent academic years is
determined by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) based on completed hours and institutional
cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) submitted by the postsecondary institution.
Qualifications for Renewal:
- A student who receives funding during the current academic year (fall through spring) is automatically evaluated for
renewal at the end of the spring term. Renewal cumulative GPA and completed hours requirements
are outlined in the table below.
- The postsecondary institution where a student is enrolled as degree- or certificate-seeking is the home postsecondary
institution. That postsecondary institution determines the courses to be included in each student's renewal
postsecondary institutional cumulative GPA.
- A student may request that a financial aid officer at the home postsecondary institution use his/her high school
dual enrollment courses to his/her advantage when calculating the renewal postsecondary institutional cumulative GPA.
| |
Florida Academic Scholars Award |
Florida Medallion Scholars
Award |
Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award |
| Minimum Cumulative GPA Required for Renewal (unrounded & unweighted) |
3.0* |
2.75 |
2.75 |
| 2008-09 Minimum Hours Required Per Term Funded |
6 semester**
(completed hours) |
6 semester**
(completed hours) |
6 semester**
(completed hours) |
| 2009-10 Minimum Hours Required Per Term Funded full time*** |
12 semester**
(earned hours) |
12 semester**
(earned hours) |
12 semester**
(earned hours) |
*Florida Academic
Scholars with 2.75-2.99 will renew as Florida Medallion Scholars.
**Or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours. |
***Note: Beginning with the 2009-10 academic year, a student must earn at least 24 semester credit hours (or
the equivalent) if enrolled full time for the entire academic year. A student enrolled full time (12 or more
semester hours or the equivalent) for only one term must earn at least 12 semester hours for that term. If a
student is enrolled part time for any part of the academic year, the student must earn a prorated number of
credit hours.
- A student enrolled three-quarter time (9-11 semester hours or the equivalent) for a
term must earn at least 9 semester hours for that term.
- A student enrolled half-time (6-8 semester hours or the equivalent) for a term must
earn at least 6 semester hours for that term.
- See also, Required Hours for Renewal.
A student must reimburse the postsecondary institution for the cost of course(s) dropped or withdrawn after the initial
drop/add period. Non-refunded hours may affect the student's renewal eligibility.
- Summer grades and hours earned after spring evaluation may be used if necessary to meet the scholarship
renewal requirements. A student must ask a financial aid officer at the home postsecondary
institution (that reported his/her spring renewal grade and hours) to submit a summer grade and hours update
to the Bright Futures office indicating the adjusted cumulative GPA and hours.
- A student who earns the Florida Medallion Scholars award or Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award in high school may not
renew to the Florida Academic Scholars award because initial eligibility for the award was based on high school academic
accomplishments.
- Academic Top Scholars renewal eligibility is based on the Florida Academic Scholars annual renewal
requirement. Renewal of the Florida Academic Scholars award will also earn renewal of the Academic Top Scholars award.
Use of the scholarship for a partial academic year
A student may choose to enroll and receive Bright Futures funding for only one term during the academic
year. Beginning with the 2009-10 academic year, renewal criteria will include completion of a minimum of 12 semester hours
(or the equivalent) per term funded for a full-time student or prorated for a part-time student
and the minimum institutional cumulative GPA requirement.
Scholarship Restrictions
- A maximum of 45 semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) may be funded in one academic year (fall
through spring).
- All hours are paid at the undergraduate rate. Graduate hours may be funded at the undergraduate rate only if they
are used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements. Graduate or undergraduate classification is determined by the
postsecondary institution.
- No remedial course work is funded.
- See section on Scholarship Length.
Dropping or withdrawing from a course(s) after a term's drop/add period
A student should contact his/her postsecondary institution's financial aid office regarding its policy on withdrawal and
how that policy may affect the scholarship. Beginning with Bright Futures students funded
in the 2009-10 academic year, if a student drops or withdraws hours that were disbursed in a Bright
Futures award after the last day of the drop/add period, he/she will be responsible for reimbursing
the postsecondary institution for the cost of course(s) dropped or withdrawn. A student may make a
written appeal, however, for hours dropped or withdrawn (due to verifiable illness or emergency)
after the last day of the drop/add period to the home postsecondary institution. The postsecondary
institution will then make a recommendation to the Florida Department of Education. The department
may accept or deny the postsecondary institution's recommendation for exception. Non-refunded hours
may affect the student's renewal eligibility.
Funding for courses taken at two different postsecondary institutions during the same term
A student must notify the financial aid office at his/her postsecondary institution. A student's home
postsecondary institution is where the student is enrolled as degree- or certificate-seeking and will be the
postsecondary institution from which Bright Futures funds are disbursed.
Not meeting the Bright Futures renewal requirements due to a verifiable
illness or other circumstance beyond a student's control
A student may request a Postsecondary Institutional Appeal
- The student may request that the financial aid office at the home postsecondary institution he/she attended
conduct a review of the courses included in the cumulative GPA.
- In the case of illness or emergency beyond the student's control, the student may provide pertinent documentation
regarding the illness or emergency to the appropriate home postsecondary institution.
- The home postsecondary institution will review the student’s request and send recommendation of
approval/denial. Appeal request guidelines may be obtained through the financial aid office of a student’s
home postsecondary institution.
- An institutional academic progress appeal is to be filed within 30 days of the date
of the ineligibility notice sent to the student or by the date
established by the institution's financial aid office, whichever is later. Ineligibility notices are posted to the student's
Financial Aid Recipient History web screen during the summer following spring evaluation.
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