Sunny Florida is home to a bunch of students, and a large number of well-regarded public universities and colleges. While these colleges are often much more affordable than their private or out of state counterparts, they are still far from cheap, and many students and parents struggle to afford the high price of education, even while knowing how essential it is to their futures. Luckily, Florida has a number of scholarships for in-state students to help ease these burdens. These awards have varied requirements and different amounts of funding, but all can be quite helpful when it comes time to pay for college. In this article, we’re going to go through each, explain what the requirements are, and who can benefit from them. Let’s get started!
Bright Futures Scholarships
These are scholarships funded by the Florida lottery in partnership with the department of education. There are several different scholarships under this one umbrella; we will go through each. They do all have the same core eligibility requirements, then each individual scholarship has additional eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible for any of these you must:
- Be a Florida resident and a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Earn a high school diploma from a public or private Florida high school, or a home education program
- Be accepted by and enrolled in an eligible public or private college in Florida
- Be enrolled for at least six non-remedial credit hours
- If you do not enroll directly out of high school, you must enroll within five years of graduation
Applications for all of these require you to complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA). These awards generally only fund undergraduate education, and you must be enrolled in at least six credit-hours per semester. These awards can be transferred between different public colleges and universities in Florida, but this is not guaranteed, and you must alert the awarding agency in a timely manner.
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) and Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)
These awards are merit based. They have similar requirements, though FAS is stricter than FMS. FAS awards cover 100% of tuition and mandatory fees. FMS awards cover 75% of tuition and mandatory fees. Study abroad may or may not be covered; this is determined by your institution.
These are the requirements for each award:
- FAS: 3.5 GPA, 29 ACT or 1330 SAT, 100 hours volunteering or 100 hours paid work
- FMS: 3.0 GPA, 24 ACT or 1190 SAT, 75 hours volunteering or 100 hours paid work (though you must have 100 hours total combined)
Note that when calculating GPA, they do allow you to weight AP and IB courses .5 higher. Your volunteering hours must be approved by your school.
Gold Seal Vocational Scholars
These scholarship awards are meant for students undertaking vocational or career training. They award a set amount of scholarship funding per credit hour taken. To qualify, you must have a 3.0 high school GPA, score a 970 SAT or 19 ACT, and complete 75 volunteer hours or 100 paid work hours.
Gold Seal Cape Scholars
These scholarship awards are for students in certificate or vocational training programs. Students who attain an associates degree in science while enrolled in this awards program may gain funding for 60 credit hours to continue pursuing a BS in science at a four year institution. This award gives a set amount of funding per credit hour.
To qualify for this award, you must earn five postsecondary credit hours through industry certifications that articulate for college credit, and must have 75 hours of volunteering or 100 hours of paid work.
Benacquisto Scholarship Program
This is a merit scholarship for Florida students who earn a National Merit Scholarship. This scholarship pays for the full cost of attendance at a public university (minus other scholarships received), or the equivalent of cost of attendance at a public university towards a private institution. Cost of attendance includes tuition, mandatory fees, and room & board.
This scholarship may be applied to any college or university in Florida which accepts National Merit Scholarships; currently there are nine of these schools. You must have graduated from a Florida high school (public or private), or completed homeschooling in Florida to be eligible for this scholarship. You must be enrolled full time and maintain a 3.0 GPA to continue receiving this scholarship. You must complete the FFAA to be awarded this scholarship, but there is no separate application required.
Effective Access to Student Education
This is a scholarship for Florida residents who are specifically attending private colleges or universities in Florida. This scholarship fund is administered by the state, but each college is in control for determining eligibility and application requirements for this scholarship. You must be enrolled full time and not have a prior bachelor’s degree. Note that this funding cannot go to students seeking a degree in theology or divinity; students in a number of high demand areas (such as teaching, nursing, or cybersecurity) may receive an additional stipend.
You must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0, and maintain full time enrollment in good standing for the award to be renewed. The award may be renewed for a maximum of nine semesters. The amount of the award is set by the legislature each year, and may change.
First Generation Matching Grant
This is a need-based award meant specifically for first generation college students with a high degree of financial need. Award amounts and recipients are determined by colleges; this award is only available to students attending a Florida State University school or a community college.
You must be a Florida resident and a US citizen or eligible non-citizen. You must also not have previously received a bachelor’s degree. Additional requirements may be set by the institutions which grant the awards. You must stay enrolled at least half-time to receive the funding. You must complete the FAFSA each year in order to demonstrate continued financial need.
Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship
This is a need-based merit scholarship program that awards 50 scholarships each year. These scholarships may only be applied to public colleges and universities in Florida, and provide funding for the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees. You must be enrolled as a full time student at the school, and maintain good academic standing and a GPA of at least 2.5 to continue receiving the award. The award has the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a Florida resident and a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Have earned a high school GPA of at least 3.5/4.0
- Complete at least 30 hours of volunteering or community service
- Have a minimum 90% attendance rate and no disciplinary record
- Be a farmworker or child of a farmworker
To apply for this award, you must complete both the FAFSA, and the Florida equivalent, the FFAA. The latter must be submitted by April 1 at the latest, though if there are more eligible students than awards available, disbursement will be determined by when they received financial aid applications. Further applications are not required to renew the award, though you must complete the FAFSA each year.
Florida Student Assistance Grant Program
This is a need-based grant program. There are separate sub-scholarships within this, one for students attending public colleges, one for students attending private colleges, and one for students attending vocational training. The eligibility requirements and application are always set by the institution the student is attending, though the general eligibility requirements are the same across schools.
The base eligibility for the award is:
- Be a Florida resident and a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Not have previously earned a bachelor’s degree
- Not be in default on any student loans
- Students in the public colleges program must be enrolled at least half-time, students enrolled in the private colleges program must be enrolled full-time
You must maintain a GPA of 2.0 in order to continue receiving this award. You must complete the FAFSA for both original and continued eligibility for this award. The grant amount is set by the Florida legislature, with a minimum of $200 per year, the maximum amount is greater, and can change year-to-year.
Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship Program
This is a need and merit based scholarship for students attending select undergraduate programs, namely: Bethune-Cookman University, Edward Waters University, Florida A&M University or Florida Memorial University. Each of these institutions has their own standards for what constitutes financial need, and what students need to do in order to apply for this award.
All students must be US citizens or permanent residents, and must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0. You must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 to continue receiving the award; specific schools may have additional academic requirements. The amount of funding this award provides every year is set by the Florida legislature.
Randolph Bracy Ocoee Scholarship Program
This scholarship is specifically for descendants of victims of the Ocoee Election Day Riots, or for African American residents of Ocoee, Florida. Recipients must attend a Florida State University school, an HBCU, a community college in Florida, or a public technical center. This award provides up to $6,100 annually, though the amount may be changed by the Florida legislature.
In order to apply, you must complete both the FAFSA and the FFAA. In addition, you must provide documentation for your eligibility for the scholarship, either by proving that you are a descendant of one of the victims through genealogical evidence, or by proving your residency in Ocoee. This requires an application; this opens February 1 and is due by April 1. Awards will be prioritized in order of financial need.
An application is not required to renew this award. The award may be renewed for a maximum of eight semesters, or until the student earns a bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first. Students must be enrolled full time and receive a 2.0 GPA to maintain eligibility. Students must file the FAFSA each year.
Rosewood Family Scholarship
This scholarship is offered to up to 50 students each year who are descendants of the victims of the Rosewood massacre. This scholarship can only go to a public college or community college in Florida, or a public technical center in Florida. The annual award is for up to $6,100, which may be used to cover tuition and fees. Exact award amounts depend on legislative appropriations.
To apply for the award, students must submit both the FAFSA and the FFAA. In addition, they need to submit genealogical proof of their relationship to one of the victims at Rosewood. There is an additional application for this award, which must be submitted by April 1.
Students must enroll full time, and may not have a prior bachelor’s degree. This award may be renewed for up to eight semesters. Renewal does not require an application, but is determined automatically. You must remain a full time student in good standing with a minimum GPA of 2.0 to be eligible for renewal. If there are more eligible students than awards, then financial need is used as the determining factor.
Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans
This scholarship, as the name implies, is for spouses or dependent children of Florida veterans who died or became disabled in the line of duty. This award covers the full tuition and fees at a public college or university, or funding equivalent to that a commensurate public college would charge at a private university.
Children of veterans must be between the ages of 16 and 22 when they first apply, and must be able to verify residency status. Spouses of veterans who are disabled must have been married for at least one year, and must remain married for the duration of the scholarship. Spouses of deceased veterans must apply for the award within five years, and may not remarry while receiving the scholarship.
All recipients must be enrolled at least half time. Applying for this award requires submitting the FFAA by April 1. You must remain a student in good standing with a GPA of at least 2.0 to renew this award. Renewal is determined automatically, no further applications required.
Final Thoughts
Florida has a number of excellent universities, both public and private, and provides good support for students who need it. While we didn’t cover it in this article, we do want to note that Florida is a state which also offers a number of public scholarships to help send students to private high schools. This is significantly less common than college level scholarships, and so we felt it worth mentioning.
Whether you are applying to one of Florida’s great colleges, or looking to travel further afield, the path to college can be a difficult one, with many possible missteps for the unwary. As colleges become ever more competitive, having an expert guide to help you along the way is an increasingly popular choice. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help you navigate your college journey; we’re always happy to hear from you.
