2009-10
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
Fact Sheet

Florida Statutes 1009.53 - 1009.538

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

• 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 Academic Top Scholars award, announced by the Florida Department of Education before the end of the fall term after all term one disbursements are reported, is awarded to the Florida Academic Scholar with the highest academic ranking in each county (based on the product of multiplying the Bright Futures GPA and the highest qualifying SAT/ACT test score).  The recipient receives a cost per credit hour award established by the Florida Legislature in the General Appropriations Act in addition to the Florida Academic Scholars award.  For current year award amounts visit: www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf/awardamt.htm.

• Submit a fully completed error free Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application during the 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 the 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 grade point average (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 high school dual enrollment courses, if these courses are to the student's advantage, when calculating the renewal postsecondary 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
  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.
  • Visit www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org./SSFAD/bf/ and select the link Required Hours for Renewal for details on full time and part time hour requirements.

  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 spring renewal grade and hours) to submit a grade and hours update to the Bright Futures office indicating the adjusted postsecondary institutional cumulative GPA and/or hours.
• A student who earns the Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) award or Gold Seal Vocational (GSV) award in high school may not renew to the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) award 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 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.

• If a student’s postsecondary 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 postsecondary 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 the scholarship.
• In addition to the application, the last Florida institution where the student attended as degree- or certificate-seeking must certify online the postsecondary institutional cumulative GPA which will determine the student's eligibility to restore.
• A student who last attended an out-of-state postsecondary institution must request that transcripts be submitted to:  Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance, Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, 1940 North Monroe Street, Suite 70, Tallahassee, Florida 32303-4759.
• The Office of Student Financial Assistance (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 2009-10 academic year restoration applications is May 30, 2010.
• Funding is not available to a student prior to restoring the scholarship.

• A student who does not meet the minimum credit hours requirement will lose eligibility for renewal for one academic year.  The student may apply for restoration the following academic year after the required hours are earned (for which he/she was enrolled at the level defined by the department) and the required GPA for renewal has been met.  This will be the student's one-time restoration opportunity.
  
  

  Bright Futures Restoration Requirements
  

  	Florida Academic Scholars Award	Florida Medallion Scholars Award	Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award
  Minimum Cumulative GPA Required for Restoration (unrounded & unweighted)	3.0*	2.75	2.75
  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.
  • Visit www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org./SSFAD/bf/ and select the link Required Hours for Renewal for details on full time and part time hour requirements.

• A student has a one-time opportunity to restore the scholarship.
• Each subsequent renewal period, a renewing student will automatically be evaluated for restoration to the FAS award 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.
• An FAS who loses the scholarship and then restores to and accepts funding as an FMS may not be awarded a second restoration to the original FAS level.

• If an eligible student did not receive scholarship funds for the last academic year (fall through spring), a Reinstatement/Restoration Application for Students must be completed and is 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.
• 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.
• 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 2009-10 academic year reinstatement applications is May 30, 2010.
• If determined eligible for reinstatement, the student will receive the Bright Futures award (FAS, FMS, or GSV) for which he/she was last determined eligible.

• An initially eligible student who enlists in the United States Armed Forces immediately after high school graduation must (within three years after separation from active duty):
  • complete and submit a Reinstatement/Restoration Application for Students online
  • submit a DD Form 214 via U.S. mail to verify time served in the military.
• A student who is receiving a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship and discontinues his/her education to enlist in the United States Armed Forces must commence the remainder of the seven-year renewal period upon the date of separation from active duty.  To reinstate the scholarship, the student must:
• complete and submit a Reinstatement/Restoration Application for Students online, and
• submit an official DD Form 214 via U.S. mail to verify time served in the military.

The DD Form 214 should be mailed to:  Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance, 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.
• Request reimbursement for the cost of course(s) dropped or withdrawn after the last day of the drop/add period through the student's postsecondary institution.  If a student drops or withdraws from course(s) after the last day of the drop/add period, he/she will be responsible for reimbursing the postsecondary institution for the cost of the course(s).  A student may make a written appeal, however, for hours dropped after the last day of the drop/add period to the home postsecondary institution due to verifiable illness or emergency.  The postsecondary institution may then make 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.

Students will receive the cost per credit hour award amounts listed
below as specified in the 2009-10 General Appropriations Act.

Note: Institutional fees are not included in the appropriation.

• 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 summer 2010 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.  This also applies to students in 3/2 programs who are classified as an undergraduate.  Graduate or undergraduate classification is determined by the postsecondary institution.  Unused hours may not be used for further course funding after a student earns a baccalaureate degree.
• Enrolled in an undergraduate program of study that requires more than 120 semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) may apply for an extension of hours for funding.  This 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 the scholarship program.

• May receive up to a maximum of 90 semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) toward completion of a certificate or first baccalaureate degree, or for up to seven years from high school graduation (if the student was initially funded within three years after high school graduation), whichever comes first.

• 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 home postsecondary 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.