2008-09
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
Fact Sheet

Florida Statutes 1009.53 - 1009.538

Florida Academic Scholars Award (FAS)
   (including Academic Top Scholars award (ATS)
Florida Medallion Scholars Award (FMS)
Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (GSV)

• Be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.  A student’s residency and citizenship status are determined by the postsecondary institution. Questions regarding such status should be directed to the financial aid office or admissions office of the institution the student plans to attend.
• Not owe a repayment or be in default under any state or federal grant, loan, or scholarship program unless satisfactory arrangements to repay have been made.
• Meet specific coursework and minimum grade point average (GPA) and test score requirements which are outlined on the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) Web site www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org/SSFAD/bf/acadrequire.htm.
• ATS – The Florida Academic Scholar with the highest academic ranking in each county will receive a $750 award per semester (award amounts will differ at quarter or clock hour institutions) in addition to the FAS award, prorated by term and hours and excluding summer term.

• Submit a fully completed error free Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application during his/her last year in high school (after December 1 and prior to graduation) by accessing www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org online (select State Grants, Scholarships & Applications, then Apply Here).  The application gives the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) permission to evaluate the student’s high school transcript and standardized test scores for eligibility for a Bright Futures Scholarship and other state scholarships and grants.
• Apply during his/her last year in high school, before graduation, or forfeit all future eligibility for a Bright Futures Scholarship.

• 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 institutional cumulative GPA and completed hours requirements are outlined in the table below.
• The institution where a student is enrolled as degree- or certificate-seeking is the home institution.  That institution determines the courses to be included in each student’s renewal institutional cumulative GPA.
• A student may request that a financial aid officer at the home institution use his/her high school dual enrollment courses, if to his/her advantage, when calculating the renewal institutional cumulative GPA.
  

  Bright Futures Renewal Requirements
  

  	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
  Minimum Earned Hours Required Per Term Funded	6 semester** (completed hours)	6 semester** (completed hours)	6 semester** (completed hours)
  *Florida Academic Scholars with 2.75-2.99 will renew as Florida Medallion Scholars.
  **Or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours.

  
  

• 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 institution (that reported his/her spring renewal grade and hours) to submit a grade and hours update to the Bright Futures office indicating the adjusted institutional cumulative GPA and/or hours.
• A student who does not meet minimum hour requirements during the academic year (fall through spring) or the summer after spring evaluation will no longer be eligible for a Bright Futures award.
• A student who earns the FMS or GSV in high school may not renew to the FAS because initial eligibility for the award was based on high school academic accomplishments.
• Academic Top Scholars renewal eligibility is based on the FAS annual renewal requirement.  Renewal of the FAS will also earn renewal of the ATS.
• A student may choose to attend and receive Bright Futures funding for only one term during the academic year.  Renewal criteria for this student will include completion of a minimum of six semester hours per term funded (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) and the minimum institutional cumulative GPA requirement.

• If a student’s institutional cumulative GPA (unrounded and unweighted), as reported by the home postsecondary institution, was less than a 2.75 and he/she was ineligible for funding, the student may apply for restoration in an academic year after which the 2.75 institutional cumulative GPA requirement was met. (The 2.75 GPA must be met before the fall term for which the student is applying.)
• To request restoration, a student must complete a Reinstatement/Restoration Application for Students available on the OSFA Web site at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org by selecting the links State Grants, Scholarships & Applications, Apply Here, and then Reinstatement/Restoration Application for Students. New applications are available February 1 each year.
• A student has a one-time opportunity to restore his/her scholarship.
• In addition to the application, the last Florida institution where the student attended as degree- or certificate-seeking must certify online the institutional cumulative GPA which will determine his/her eligibility to restore.
• A student who last attended an out-of-state postsecondary institution must request that his/her transcripts be submitted to:  OSFA, Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, 1940 North Monroe Street, Suite 70, Tallahassee, Florida 32303-4759.
• By contacting the financial aid office at the last postsecondary institution attended, a student may request that high school dual enrollment courses be used in calculating the institutional cumulative GPA if the use of these courses benefits the student.
• OSFA recommends that restoration applications be submitted online by July 1 for a timely fall disbursement or by December 15 for a belated fall or timely spring disbursement.  The deadline for submission of 2008-09 academic year restoration applications is May 30, 2009.
• Funding is not available to a student prior to restoring the scholarship.

Bright Futures Restoration Requirements

• A student has a one-time opportunity to restore his/her scholarship.
• Each subsequent renewal period, a renewing student will automatically be evaluated for restoration to the FAS if the student’s institutional cumulative GPA is reported by the home postsecondary institution at the minimum required 3.0 or above.  No application is required.
• Funding will then be available to the student at the FAS level beginning in the fall of the upcoming academic year.  This will be the one-time restoration opportunity.

• If an eligible student did not receive scholarship funds for the last academic year (fall through spring), he/she must complete a Reinstatement/Restoration Application for Students available on the OSFA Web site at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org to reinstate the scholarship. Select the links State Grants, Scholarships & Applications, Apply Here, and then Reinstatement/Restoration Application for Students.  Please note that the academic year for which a student is applying is at the top of the application.  New applications are available February 1 each year.
• OSFA recommends that reinstatement applications be submitted online by July 1 for a timely fall disbursement or by December 15 for a belated fall or timely spring disbursement.  The deadline for submission of 2008-09 academic year reinstatement applications is May 30, 2009.
• If eligible for reinstatement, the student will receive the Bright Futures award (FAS, FMS, or GSV) for which he/she was last determined eligible.
• A student must receive funding within three years after high school graduation or apply for reinstatement within three years after high school graduation and receive funds for the next academic year.
• Once a student has received funding (for a minimum of one term), he/she is eligible to apply for reinstatement up to seven years from high school graduation.

• An initially eligible student who enlists in the United States Armed Forces immediately after high school graduation (within three years after separation from active duty), or
• A student who is receiving a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship and discontinues his/her education to enlist in the United States Armed Forces commences the remainder of his/her seven-year renewal period upon the date of separation from active duty.
• To reinstate the scholarship, a student must:
  • complete and submit a Reinstatement/Restoration Application for Students online, and
  • submit an official DD Form 214 via mail to verify time served in the military.  The DD Form 214 should be mailed to:  OSFA, Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, 1940 North Monroe Street, Suite 70, Tallahassee, Florida 32303-4759.

• Begin funding the scholarship the fall term following an eligible student’s high school graduation.
• Send scholarship funds to postsecondary institution to be applied to the student’s account after the last day of the drop/add period.
• Fund an eligible student who registers for at least six non-remedial semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) per term.

• Public Institution – A student will receive an award equal to 100% of tuition and allowable fees* plus an amount established by the Florida Legislature in the General Appropriations Act for college-related expenses (excluding summer term) prorated by term and hours.  The FAS 2008-09 college-related expense allotment is $375 per year prorated by terms and hours.
• Private Institution – A student will receive a fixed award amount based on 100% of the average tuition and allowable fees covered at a comparable Florida public institution including the specified amount established by the Florida Legislature in the General Appropriations Act for college related expenses (excluding summer term) prorated by term and hours.  The Web site at http://www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org ( linking to State Grants, Scholarships & Applications, Postsecondary Institutions, and then Private School Award Amounts for Bright Futures) provides the current year award amount for private institutions.
• ATS – The Florida Academic Scholar with the highest academic ranking in each county will receive a $750 award per semester in addition to the FAS (prorated by term and hours and excluding summer term).

• Public Community College – A student will receive an award equal to 100% of tuition and allowable fees* for college credit courses leading to an associate degree.
• Other Public Institution – A student will receive an award equal to 75% of tuition and allowable fees.*
• Private Institution – A student will receive a fixed award amount based on 75% of the average tuition and allowable fees covered at a comparable Florida public institution (excluding summer term) prorated by term and hours.  The Web site at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org ( linking to State Grants, Scholarships & Applications, Postsecondary Institutions, and then Private School Award Amounts for Bright Futures) provides the current year award amount for private institutions.

• Public Institution – A student will receive an award equal to 75% of tuition and allowable fees.*
• Private Institution – A student will receive a fixed award amount based on 75% of the average tuition and allowable fees covered at a comparable Florida public institution (excluding summer term) prorated by term and hours.  The Web site at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org ( linking to State Grants, Scholarships & Applications, Postsecondary Institutions, and then Private School Award Amounts for Bright Futures) provides the current year award amount for private institutions.

• Access and Transportation
• Activity and Service
• Athletic
• Building
• Capital Improvement
• Financial Aid
• Health
• Technology

• All Bright Futures awards are fully funded by the Florida Lottery and administered by the FDOE.  These scholarship funds are sent to postsecondary institutions and then applied to a student’s account after the last day of the drop/add period.
• Bright Futures funding is disbursed for fall through spring terms.  Funds are not available for 2009 summer awards.

• May receive funding up to 110% of his/her program of study or 132 semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) toward completion of a certificate or a first baccalaureate degree, or for up to seven years from high school graduation (if the student initially was funded within three years after high school graduation), whichever comes first.
• If enrolled in an undergraduate program of study that requires more than 120 semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours), the student may apply for an extension of hours for funding.  The application will be mailed to the student automatically when he/she approaches the last 30 semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) of his/her scholarship program.

• A student who enlists in the United States Armed Forces immediately after completion of high school will begin the three-year eligibility period for his/her initial award upon the date of separation from active duty.
• A student who is receiving a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship and discontinues his/her education to enlist in the United States Armed Forces commences the remainder of his/her seven-year renewal period upon the date of separation from active duty.

• An applicant may appeal if he/she believes the FDOE erred in determining eligibility or in failing to transfer an award.
• If aid is denied for failure to meet state academic progress requirements, an applicant may appeal the denial to the institution by providing proof of illness or other emergency beyond the applicant's control.

• By accessing and updating the student record on OSFA Web site at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org, using the assigned User ID and PIN:
  • Select State Grants, Scholarships & Applications,
  • select Application Status & Award History, and then
  • under Initial Student Update, select the appropriate option.
• By calling OSFA toll-free at 1-888-827-2004.