High School: Florida Bright Futures Scholarships

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program offers four levels of scholarship awards, each with its own requirements:
   Florida Academic Scholars Award (FAS)
   Florida Medallion Scholars Award (FMS)
   Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholarship (GSC) and the
   Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (GSV)

The Florida Department of Education home page for Bright Futures is The Florida Student Scholarship Grants Program.
The web address is long, so here is a Quick Link

Bright Futures Publications:
FAS-FMS Brochure
GSC Brochure
GSV Brochure
Bright Futures Handbook Chapter 1: Initial Eligibliity Requirements
Bright Futures Handbook Chapter 2: Now That You Are Eligible
Bright Futures Handbook Chapter 3: Renewing Your Award
Bright Futures Credit Hour Tool

As a Florida private school, Families of Faith Christian Academy International submits the student’s demographics, including verification of graduation, transcript and test scores through the Bright Futures Web Site. Bright Futures is a merit-based scholarship. If you meet the qualifications and file your intent on time, you will be awarded the scholarship. There are additional requirements to remain eligible once your collegiate career has begun, so it’s important to stay informed concerning the guidelines. The guidelines listed on these pages are for students enrolled in a public or private school; county-registered homeschoolers have a different evaluation process with specific requirements.

It is the student's responsibility to know and meet the requirements of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program before high school graduation and throughout your college career. There are additional course requirements, grade point averages, test scores and, in some cases, community service hours that must be met. And there is a time schedule during which these items must be completed to qualify. This page is intended to provide the basic details, but the Florida Legislature created the scholarship and occasionally makes changes, so it is important for the student to review the updates directly on the Department's web site.

Additionally, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the information provided is correct. (Name (legal name on Birth Certificate), address, date of birth and social security number, and to inform Bright Futures of any changes. After submitting an application, you will receive an application acknowledgement correspondence which will inform you how to create a personal User ID online to update your demographic information and monitor your financial aid history. Bright Futures cannot award you with a scholarship if they cannot contact you.

Initial Eligibility: Who Qualifies, What Disqualifies

All four scholarships have the same initial eligibility requirements for the student and/or parents. There are additional requirements that must be maintained once a student begins college, as well.

1-Be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, as determined by the student's postsecondary institution. (As part of the college enrollment process, each college will require documentation---i.e., drivers license, voter registration card, etc.--- to establish the residential status of the student and/or qualifying parents.)
2-Apply for a scholarship from the program no later than August 31, after high school graduation. This is the Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application. (FFAA)
3-Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its equivalent. (A standard high school diploma is defined in Florida Statues 1003.429, 1003.43 and 1003.435.  Its equivalent applies to home school and/or GED students.) This includes diplomas issued by accredited private schools like FOFCAI. 
4-Be accepted by and enroll in an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary education institution within 3 years of high school graduation.  If a student enlists directly into the military after graduation, the three-year period begins on the date the student is separated from active duty. (Most colleges and universities in the state of Florida are eligible. There are a few Christian colleges that do not take federal or state money, so students should check the eligibility before committing to a specific college.)
5-Not have been found guilty of, or pled nolo contendere to, a felony charge, unless the student has been granted clemency by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Executive Office of Clemency. (If you rob liquor stores for extra cash, the taxpayers of Florida will not help pay your college tuition. Sounds fair to me.)
6-Once you start college, you must be enrolled for at least six non-remedial semester credit hours.

Six Steps to Earning the Bright Futures Scholarship

Step One: Take the Required Courses:
Each of the four scholarships has specific course requirements. The Bright Futures website listed above is always the most up-to-date source for all requirements, including course requirements. The FAS and FMS scholarships require that all four math courses be at the Algebra I level or above, and require two years of sequential Foreign Language. The GVS scholarship requires three (3) Career and/or Technical Education credits in one vocational program taken over at least two (2) academic years.

Step Two: Make the Grade (GPA):
Each award also has specific (GPA) Grade Point Averages. For those who don't average grades for a living, an "A" is equal to 4 points, a "B" is 3 points, a "C" is 2 points, a "D" is 1 point and an "F" is 0 points. Each half credit (one semester of work) gets a grade on the transcript. Bright Futures will take the 16 credits which equate to 32 semester grades, assign the appropriate point value, and divide the number of points by 32.

The Bright Futures GPA is seldom the same as the one listed on the student's transcript because Bright Futures only uses the core classes, not every course taken.

Step Three: Earn the Test Score: (ACT, SAT OR PERT TEST): 
Each award has specific test requirements as listed below. Both the ACT and SAT offer a test date in June of each year, which is after our normal graduation date. However, Bright Futures will use that score for qualifying purposes provided the student completed the Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application before his or her graduation date. Be sure the chart you are using is for the correct graduation year. There are four charts covering the next four graduation years. ACT and SAT tests are offered at several locations throughout the world.The best way to register for the test is on-line. When registering, use Families of Faith Christian Academy International's code number, which is: 100-829. That identifies you as our student, and a copy of the test comes to the administrative office automatically. For the SAT test go to: http://www.collegeboard.com For the ACT test go to: http://www.actstudent.org The PERT is given at all Florida state and community colleges. Make sure to send a copy of the PERT printout to the school office, or it will not be in the file.

Step Four: Community Service Hours:
Students must complete community service hours during high school and by high school graduation. (The summer between the end of 8th grade counts.) The hours must meet the approval of the school's administrative office. Community service hours may not be hours that benefit the student financially or materially, or be service to family members, defined as: parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and spouses, including all step relations. Activities can be from a wide range of areas including, but not limited to:
Health Care, Child Care
Literacy Training and Education
Neighborhood Improvement
Public Safety
Support Services for Students with Disabilities
Mentoring

The hours should be earned throughout a student's high school career and documented on approved school forms, or signed letters on the organization’s letterhead where the service was performed. This is not something you want to be trying to finish the last few weeks of your senior year.
For additional details on Community Service, click on the Community Service tab on the right side of this page.

Step Five: Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application:
To receive the Bright Futures Scholarship, you must apply. * You must submit a completed (error-free) Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application. *It must be submitted during your last year in high school (after December 1 and no later than August 31 after high school graduation).

To apply online, visit
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPHome/SAPHome?url=home
Under the heading First-Time Applications, click the "Create a Student Account" text. 
That will take you to the form to complete step one, which is your demographic information. (Name, DOB, etc.)
Once that page has been completed and you click "Submit", additional questions will appear.

If you are enrolled in FOFCAI, you will graduate from a "Private School" with a "Standard High School Diploma".
Even if you have earned some college credit through Dual Enrollment, you were not actually enrolled in college, so you are "A Freshman First Time in College".
Many students come to the office to complete the 38 questions on the application, or schedule a FaceTime or Zoom meeting while they are completing the application from home.

The application gives the Florida Department of Education permission to evaluate your high school transcript and test scores for eligibility for state scholarships and grants, including a Bright Futures Scholarship. You may apply prior to meeting all requirements.
If you do not apply, Families of Faith Christian Academy International cannot submit your information, and you will not ever (and that means never) get the scholarship you worked for.

Step Six: Getting Your Money:
This last step seems silly, but, if you don't update your profile with Bright Futures, naming the college you will attend, the college will not be able to get the money. It's a good idea to stop by the Financial Aid office at your college to confirm that the update is in the system and they will get the funds.

The Florida Department of Education will:
Begin funding your scholarship during the fall term following your high school graduation. The academic year begins in the fall and ends in the summer. Scholarship recipients are not eligible for funding during the summer term immediately following high school graduation; thereafter, summer disbursements are only made if funds are available.