2011-12
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
Fact Sheet

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) website 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.
• NEW - Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The FAFSA does not have to indicate financial need; however, must be complete and processed error free prior to a student’s first disbursement of the 2011-12 academic year.  Visit the website at www.fafsa.ed.gov for online processing.

• 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) available online at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org (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 earned 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 (unrounded & unweighted)	3.0*	2.75	2.75
  Minimum Hours Required Per Term if funded Full Time (12+ hours)	12 semester** (earned hours)	12 semester** (earned hours)	12 semester** (earned hours)
  Minimum Hours Required Per Term, if funded Three-quarter Time (9-11 hours)	9 semester** (earned hours)	9 semester** (earned hours)	9 semester** (earned hours)
  Minimum Hours Required Per Term, if funded Half Time (6-8 hours)	6 semester** (earned hours)	6 semester** (earned hours)	6 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. See also, Required Hours for Renewal.

  
  
• Dropped or Withdrawn Courses - 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 will affect the student's renewal eligibility.
• Summer grade 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 Reinstatement/Restoration Application is not required.
• 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.
• A Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholar (GSV) may not renew as a Florida Medallion Scholar, as the 2009 Florida Legislature amended Section 1009.53(4), Florida Statutes, by removing the provision which allowed GSV recipients to renew as Florida Medallion Scholars.  GSV students may receive funding for up to 90 semester hours.
• Academic Top Scholars renewal eligibility is based on the FAS annual renewal requirement.  Renewal of the FAS will also earn renewal of the ATS.
• NEW - Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The FAFSA does not have to indicate financial need; however, must be complete and processed error free prior to a student’s first disbursement of the academic year.  Visit the website at www.fafsa.ed.gov for online processing.

• A student may choose to enroll and receive Bright Futures funding for only one term during the 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.

• 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 must be completed and is available on the OSFA website at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org to reinstate the scholarship.  Select the links State Grants, Scholarships & Applications, Apply Here, and then Reinstatement/Restoration Application.  New applications are available in February 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.
• Students graduating from high school in the 2009-10 academic year and earlier - once a student has received funding (for a minimum of one term), the student is eligible to apply for reinstatement up to seven years from high school graduation.
• Students graduating from high school in the 2010-11 academic year and thereafter - once a student has received funding, for a minimum of one term, the student is eligible to apply for reinstatement up to five 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 timely spring disbursement.  The deadline for submission of 2011-12 academic year reinstatement applications for both fall and spring (or equivalent) is May 30, 2012.
• If determined eligible for reinstatement, the student will receive the Bright Futures award (FAS, FMS, or GSV) for which the student was last eligible prior to reinstatement.

• 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 any Bright Futures funded 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, the student will be responsible for reimbursing the postsecondary institution for the cost of the course(s).  A student may make a written appeal to the home postsecondary institution for hours dropped after the last day of the drop/add period 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 will affect the student's renewal eligibility.

Students will receive the cost per credit hour award amounts listed below as specified in the 2011-12 General Appropriations Act.

2011-12 Award Amounts per Credit Hour
Florida Bright Futures Scholarships

• Bright Futures awards are 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 2012 awards.

• Bright Futures Scholarship recipients who graduate with a baccalaureate degree in the 2010-11 academic year or after, in seven semesters or fewer (or the equivalent in credit hours), and who wish to pursue graduate study, may apply the unused portion of their FAS or FMS award toward one semester of graduate study, not to exceed 15 semester hours paid at the undergraduate rate.

• 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 the OSFA website 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.