I've been hearing a lot about the Bright Futures Scholarship here in Florida, and it seems like a great opportunity to help pay for college. However, I'm a bit confused about what the exact requirements are. Can anyone clarify what the eligibility criteria are for a bright future scholarship? Things like the GPA, SAT/ACT scores, or required service hours? It'd be super helpful to know so I can start working towards meeting these requirements early on. Also, if there have been any recent changes that I should be aware of, that info would be amazing.
Sure, I'd be happy to help clarify the requirements for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. This scholarship program includes multiple awards, but the two most common include: the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) and Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS). The eligibility criteria for these two major awards are as follows:
For the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS):
1. Be a Florida resident and U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
2. Complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) by August 31 of your senior year.
3. You must earn a minimum 3.5 weighted GPA in certain high school courses.
4. You must earn a minimum score of 1330 on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT.
5. Complete 100 service hours.
6. Graduate with a standard Florida high school diploma or its equivalent.
For the Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS):
1. Be a Florida resident and U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
2. Complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) by August 31 of your senior year.
3. You must earn a minimum 3.0 weighted GPA in certain high school courses.
4. You must earn a minimum score of 1210 on the SAT or a 25 on the ACT.
5. Complete 75 service hours.
6. Graduate with a standard Florida high school diploma or its equivalent.
In terms of changes, it's important to keep an eye on the program's official website or communicate with your school's guidance counselor, who can always offer the most up-to-date guidelines and changes. Additionally, aside from these main eligibility criteria, the scholarship program requires you to meet certain coursework requirements throughout your high school career. If you decide to aim for this scholarship, keep track of the required courses you need to take until graduation. Hope this helps!
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