Michael Rutschky
Published: February 8, 2006
High school students who excel in high school and plan to attend Florida colleges have found a way to pay for tuition and supplies. The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, funded by the Florida State Lottery, has been providing for students’ educations since 1997.
In the 2005 fall semester alone, PJC had 941 recipients of the scholarship in attendance (a total of $587,908 in scholarship funds).
Bright Futures awards students with one of three different scholarships. Students that qualify for The Florida Academic Scholars Award, which supplies 100 percent of tuition, must have a 3.5 GPA and volunteer 75 hours for community service. For the Florida Medallion Scholars Award, which provides 75 percent of tuition, students are only required to have at least a 3.0 GPA. There is also the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award, which applies to students planning to attend a vocational school.
The average Bright Futures recipient receives about $750.00 each semester for tuition alone. This is extremely beneficial for the student, who no longer needs to fear the pressure of paying for his or her education through various student loans.
“A student should never let money be a barrier to earning their education,” said Karen Kessler of the PJC financial aid department, in an e-mail.
Despite various proposals to cut the funding, the Florida legislature has stood firm in keeping the scholarship intact. “Legislature has been particular,” said Gean Ann Emond, PJC’s vice president of business affairs, “They have not changed anything about how the scholarship is allocated.”
Students who apply for the Bright Futures scholarship must do so within their last year of high school (students who have already been enrolled in college cannot apply). Students must also be citizens of the U.S., as well as residents of Florida. There also are ways for students who were home-schooled or earned a G.E.D. to apply, as well as transfer students from outside of Florida.
“I have not had to pay tuition… his entire tuition and $300 for books is paid for,” said Emond, whose son has qualified for a Florida Academic Scholars Award, “He can take up to 132 semester hours free.”
The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program is an incredible opportunity for young students to enter the college world without their educations weighing on the minds and wallets of their families.