Overview
- Amount: $158 – $211/credit hour
- Eligibility: Florida resident
- Credit Hours: 24 credits/year
- GPA: 3.0 (Academic) & 2.75 (Medallion)
- Deadlines: August 31 (FFAA)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Renewal: Maintain GPA and credit hours
- Resources: Bright Futures & OSFA
About
The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program is a state-funded initiative designed to reward Florida high school students for academic achievement and community involvement. It provides funding to help cover tuition costs at eligible Florida colleges and universities, including Palm Beach Atlantic University.
The program offers different levels of funding based on a student’s academic performance, test scores, and completed service hours. Students must apply during high school and meet all eligibility requirements to qualify for consideration.
Bright Futures includes multiple award options, primarily the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) and Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) programs, as well as opportunities to use funding during the Summer Term. Each option provides varying levels of support and has specific requirements for initial eligibility and renewal.
Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholarship
The Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholarship is awarded to full-time undergraduate students who meet the initial GPA, SAT/ACT, and community service eligibility requirements. Students must be Florida residents and apply before high school graduation.
Initial eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Submit the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) no later than August 31 after high school graduation. Contact your high school guidance counselor for additional help.
- Be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, as determined by the postsecondary institution.
- Earn a standard Florida high school diploma, or its equivalent, from a Florida public high school or a registered Florida Department of Education (FDOE) private high school; or complete a home education program.
- Achieve the minimum 3.5 GPA required weighted GPA in the 16 college-preparatory courses.
- Complete the minimum of 100 required service hours.
- Achieve the required combined ACT or composite SAT score.
$211 per credit hour
Renewable for up to 120 credit hours.
- Earn 24 credits hours per academic year.
- Maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Florida Bright Futures Medallion Scholarship
The Florida Bright Futures Medallion Scholarship is awarded to full-time undergraduate students who meet the initial GPA, SAT/ACT, and community service eligibility requirements. Students must be Florida residents and apply before high school graduation.
Initial eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Submit the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) no later than August 31 after high school graduation. Contact your high school guidance counselor for additional help.
- Be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, as determined by the postsecondary institution.
- Earn a standard Florida high school diploma, or its equivalent, from a Florida public high school or a registered Florida Department of Education (FDOE) private high school; or complete a home education program.
- Achieve the minimum 3.0 GPA required weighted GPA in the 16 college-preparatory courses.
- Complete the minimum of 75 required service hours.
- Achieve the required combined ACT or composite SAT score.
$158 per credit hour
Renewable for up to 120 credit hours.
- Earn 24 credits hours per academic year.
- Maintain a 2.75 cumulative GPA.
Summer Bright Futures Eligibility
Students are eligible to use a portion of their Bright Futures Scholarship over the summer semester. In order to meet the requirements student must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours for the summer semester. Those students with the Bright Futures Academic Scholarship will not be eligible for the additional $300 book stipend over the summer semester. Students do have the option to decline the use of the scholarship by simply emailing the Financial Aid Office.