Florida Bright Futures Program
The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship program has undergone many changes in the last several years. We recommend that you visit the Bright Futures website for the most current information about the program.
For Academic Year 2013-2014
Students are no longer required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before Florida Bright Futures Scholarship funds can disburse. This requirement was repealed by 2013 legislation.
Award Amounts for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 (as determined by the Florida State Legislature):
| |
Per Credit Hour |
| Florida Academic Scholars |
$103.00
|
| Academic Top Scholars |
$44.00 (In addition to the Florida Academic Scholarship) |
| Florida Medallion Scholars |
$77.00 |
| Gold Seal Vocational Scholars |
$77.00 (Students initially eligible upon high school graduation in the 2011-2012 academic year and thereafter are not eligible to receive GSV at UNF. Contact One Stop for additional information). |
At UNF, Bright Futures is initially awarded to students with a "placeholder" amount. This placeholder is based on an average of 15 credit hours at the prior year's rate per credit hour. Once registration has begun for the upcoming academic term, students will notice that their Bright Futures awards have adjusted. This adjustment is based on their actual number of hours enrolled and the current year's award rate (as established by the Florida State Legislature).
Renewal Eligibility
Renewal eligibility is an automatic process that occurs at the end of the spring term for those students who received funding during the current year. UNF reports the overall cumulative GPA and hours completed for the year to the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) of the Florida Department of Education in Tallahassee. Renewal students must earn the GPA and the required hours indicated below on all college coursework attempted, including high school dual coursework. The student may request the exclusion of dual enrollment courses completed while attending high school from the GPA, if needed to meet requirements by submitting a Bright Futures Action Request Form.
Renewal for Awards Funded in 2011-2012
| |
Academic Scholars |
Medallion Scholars |
Gold Seal Scholars |
| Minimum cumulative GPA (unrounded) |
3.0
|
2.75
|
2.75 |
| If funded full time (12+ hours) |
12 earned hours |
12 earned hours |
12 earned hours |
| If funded 3/4 time (9-11 hours) |
9 earned hours |
9 earned hours |
9 earned hours |
| If funded 1/2 time (6-8 hours) |
6 earned hours |
6 earned hours |
6 earned hours |
*Florida Academic Scholars with a 2.75-2.99 will renew as Florida Medallion Scholars.
Withdrawn Classes
A student must repay the state any scholarship funds received for a course dropped or withdrawn after the initial add/drop period. A debt will be placed on the student account, which must be paid to UNF. UNF will then reimburse the state. Failure to pay back a debt owed due to withdrawn hours will render a student ineligible to receive funding in subsequent years.
Failure to meet renewal requirements
Renewal criteria must be met each academic year. Failure to meet renewal criteria will result in loss of scholarship. If a student fails to meet renewal criteria when grades and hours are reported to the State at the end of the Spring term, a student may be able to attend summer semester in order to attempt a restoration of their scholarship for the next academic year. However, eligibility for restoration differs from student to student based on high school graduation year. Please visit the Florida Bright Futures website for detailed explanations of their restoration policies. A student who did not meet renewal criteria due to circumstances beyond his or her control should contact One Stop Student Services prior to registering for summer courses.
