Program Overview
Bright Futures is a State-sponsored scholarship program that rewards Florida high school graduates for high academic achievement. Students apply for the award through the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) with the Florida Department of Education, and must meet basic eligibility requirements to receive either the Academic Scholarship or the Medallion Scholarship.
Eligibility requirements and applications are available from students' high school guidance offices or through the Florida Bright Futures program website. Students must apply for Bright Futures by submitting a Florida Financial Aid Application no later than August 31 after high school graduation.
Note: When completing your Florida Financial Aid Application your post-secondary institution must be listed as "Florida State University." If you have selected another institution but are planning to attend Florida State you must update your institution name. You can update your post-secondary institution name through the Florida Department of Education website or by contacting the Office of Student Financial Assistance at 1-888-827-2004.
Top Five Most-Asked Questions
How many hours do I need to take to receive Bright Futures?
Bright Futures will not be disbursed until a student is enrolled in at least 6 credit hours. Students who need less than six credit hours to complete their degree can receive an exception to this rule by applying for graduation through MyFSU and notifying the Scholarships Team in Financial Aid.
Does Bright Futures pay over the summer?
Yes. Bright Futures will disburse in the summer when a student is actively enrolled in at least six credit hours. This means that a student enrolled in 3 hours in Session A and 3 hours in Session B will not receive a disbursement until Session B.
Why do I owe money if I have 100% Bright Futures?
There are no Bright Futures programs that cover 100% of tuition and fees at Florida State University. The Florida Academic Scholars award (formerly known as 100% Bright Futures) pays at a rate of $213.55 per credit hour which is $2 per credit hour less than standard tuition and fees.
Can I use Bright Futures for graduate courses?
Yes. The Office of Student Financial Assistance with the State of Florida Department of Education will determine a student's eligibility and will pay the award for one term up to fifteen hours at the undergraduate rate.
Why hasn't my Bright Futures disbursed?
There are a number of reasons that Bright Futures may not disburse but the three most common reasons are:
- The student did not select Florida State University as their home institution through the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Login to your OSFA student portal to make this correction.
- The student's Social Security Number does not match between FSU and the Office of Student Financial Assistance. If you know that you did not provide a Social Security Number to FSU during your application process, reach out to the Office of the Registrar to update your data. If you believe that your Social Security Number may be wrong with the Office of Student Financial Assistance, reach out to OSFA to confirm.
- The student is not enrolled for six credit hours-- confirm your enrollment and ensure that you are actively taking six hours.
Scholarship Programs & Rates
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS)
Florida Academic Scholars (sometimes referred to as 100% Bright Futures) will receive an award to cover 100% of tuition and applicable fees while attending Florida State University. At FSU, tuition and applicable fees covers the following; tuition, financial aid fee, capital improvement fee, health fee, health plus fee, counseling center fee, athletics fee, activities and services fee, technology fee, transportation access fee, and tuition differential fee for a total of $213.55 per credit hour. The scholarship does not cover the $2 per credit hour student facilities use fee nor does it cover the $20 per semester student facilities use fee or the $5 per semester FSUCard term fee. Additional costs assessed to courses such as material and supply fees, electronic and physical book subscriptions, or online course fees are not covered by the program. FAS recipients may receive funding for up to five years from their high school graduation for a maximum of 120 semester hours toward completion of a first baccalaureate degree.
Does the award apply to summer?
Yes, the FAS award will pay out over the summer.
What is the value of the award?
The award pays $213.55 per credit hour of enrollment. Use our calculator to estimate your award.
What about Academic Top Scholars?
The FAS recipient with the highest academic ranking in each county will receive an additional $44 per hour.
Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)
Florida Medallion Scholars (sometimes referred to as 75% Bright Futures) will receive an award to cover 75% of tuition and applicable fees while attending Florida State University. At FSU, tuition and applicable fees covers the following; tuition, financial aid fee, capital improvement fee, health fee, health plus fee, counseling center fee, athletics fee, activities and services fee, technology fee, transportation access fee, and tuition differential fee for a total of $160.16 per credit hour. The scholarship does not cover the $2 per credit hour student facilities use fee nor does it cover the $20 per semester student facilities use fee or the $5 per semester FSUCard term fee. Additional costs assessed to courses such as material and supply fees, electronic and physical book subscriptions, or online course fees are not covered by the program. FMS recipients may receive funding for up to five years from their high school graduation for a maximum of 120 semester hours toward completion of a first baccalaureate degree.
Does the award apply to summer?
Yes, the FMS award will pay out over the summer.
What is the value of the award?
The award pays $160.16 per credit hour of enrollment. Use our calculator to estimate your award.
How many hours are required?
FMS recipients must be enrolled in at least six hours per term to receive funding.
Protip:
Students do not need to submit a FAFSA to receive Bright Futures but we highly encourage students to do so to determine if other financial aid is also available.
