The Bright Futures Scholarship is a scholarship for Florida high school students that will be attending college in the state of Florida. The scholarship is based on student’s GPA, test scores (ACT/CLT/SAT), and community service.
SENIORS can apply for the scholarship after October 1st of their senior year and MUST apply before August 31st of their graduation year. It is recommended that students apply before the end of the first semester of their senior year. Instructions for completing the application are available here: Bright Futures Step by Step Application Instructions
GPA: The Medallion Scholarship requires a 3.0 Weighted GPA. The Academic Scholarship requires a 3.5 Weighted GPA
Note that the Bright Futures GPA is calculated differently then the TCHS GPA.
Bright Futures only considers the student’s 16 core academic credits. Bright Futures uses the BEST courses in each subject area, so student’s can improve their GPA by taking additional courses beyond those required for graduation.
Core Courses Include:
- 4 best English
- 4 best Math
- 3 best Science
- 3 best Social Studies
- 2 best World Language
REQUIRED TEST SCORES:
Class of 2025: Medallion Level: ACT: 25, CLT: 84, SAT: 1210, Academic Level: ACT: 29, CLT: 96, SAT: 1340
Class of 2026: Medallion Level: ACT: 24, CLT: 82, SAT: 1190, Academic Level: ACT: 29, CLT: 95, SAT: 1330
Students MUST report their test scores to a minimum of 1 state university in order for Bright Futures to receive their test scores.
Students can continue to retake the ACT, CLT, or SAT until August 31 following graduation to try and achieve a qualifying score.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Medallion level requires 75 hours. The Academic level requires 100 hours. Students using paid work hours must complete 100 hours for both the Medallion and Academic levels. Students can combine paid and volunteer hours, but must earn 100 if combining for both scholarships.
Visit our community service webpage for details about how to record community service hours: Community Service Information
APPLICATION INFORMATION:
Students need to apply for the Florida Financial Aid Scholarship (FFAA, otherwise known as the Bright Futures Scholarship) between October 1st of their senior year and August 31st following graduation. It is strongly recommended that students apply prior to the end of the 1st semester of their senior year to allow them to receive a 7th semester evaluation to lock in the scholarship- even if they are still working on qualifying at a higher level.
For the most up to date and complete information regarding Bright Futures, check out the state website here: State of Florida Bright Futures Handbook