Florida 2021 Seniors: Apply for the Bright Futures Scholarship
Apply online now for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship. This scholarship program rewards Florida high school graduates for academic achievement and community service.
You should apply for the Bright Futures Scholarship even if you are NOT planning to attend a Florida college. If you later transfer to a Florida college for any reason, this money will be available to you. As we all learned this year, it’s best to be prepared for an uncertain future.
This is NOT a need-based scholarship. There are no downsides to applying.
How to apply for the Bright Futures Scholarship
STEP ONE
Check to see if you are eligible by visiting
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/FAS-FMS.pdf
All Florida seniors who meet the requirements should complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) in order to qualify for this non-need based scholarship. It takes five minutes. If you do not register, you will not be considered for any of these awards.
STEP TWO
To access the FFAA, a student must first Create a Student Account. After logging into your account, you may proceed to complete the FFAA. See directions below.
STEP THREE
When you take the SAT or ACT, make sure you send your scores to a Florida public university, even if you are not applying for admission. They will save the results and they will be available for Bright Futures.
STEP FOUR
Submit your community service hours to your guidance counselor before graduation. Each guidance counselor sets their own deadline to receive them. Please check with your counselor for your school’s deadline.
How to create a FFAA Student Account
1. Visit https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPHome/SAPHome?url=home
2. Click on “First-Time Applicants”
3. Fill out the profile page, which is very straightforward. Make sure you have your social security number handy. Hit submit.
4. On the next page, you will get a USER ID. Write this down; you will need it later.
5. Fill out the FFAA. The questions are about demographics and academic background.
6. After you hit submit, you will be sent to a “Results page.” Print this out. It is a receipt of your application submission and contains your Login Credentials.
7. The Results page will contain names of programs for which you are eligible. Click on “Bright Futures Scholarship Program.”
After Submitting the Application
Be sure to watch for an official email acknowledgement. This email provides instructions for accessing the submitted application, receiving updated information, and checking the status of the application.
It is your responsibility to review your account information on a regular basis to track your application process and make updates.
For General and Specific Scholarship Requirements
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/BFHandbookChapter1.pdf
Details on the Bright Futures Scholarships
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) can receive an award to cover up to 100% of tuition and applicable fees and $300 for both fall and spring semesters for additional educational expenses. Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) will receive an award to cover up to 75% of tuition and applicable fees.
A Florida Academic Scholar (FAS) or Florida Medallion Scholar (FMS) may receive funding for up to five years from high school graduation. However, scholars must apply to reinstate the award if they do not use their funding immediately after high school graduation. The Bright Futures Scholarship aid is available for almost all undergraduate schools in the state of Florida.
More information can be found here:
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/BFHandbookChapter2.pdf
Deadline
Applicants must complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA)* during their last year in high school. Students must apply no later than August 31 after high school graduation to be considered. But there is no reason to wait. The application is open now!
NOTES for AICE and IB Students
Students earning their AICE or IB Diplomas may also be eligible for Bright Futures, and these students do not have to earn a minimum score on the SAT or ACT to qualify. Both AICE and IB Diplomas must be earned prior to high school graduation. Complete information on the required AICE and IB curriculum necessary for Bright Futures can be found here.
The college advisors at International College Counselors are available to help you. Please contact us with any questions you may have. For help with any part of the Bright Futures application or for more information on International College Counselors, contact us at www.internationalcollegecounselors.com or call 1-954-414-9986.
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About International College Counselors
International College Counselors works with students from all over the world to help them reach their college and graduate school goals. Through a personal, one-on-one approach, the expert college advisors create an individualized plan for each student based on the student’s strengths, weaknesses, and passions. The holistic process helps families of middle school, high school, and college-aged students alleviate stress, avoid confusion, and get results.
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