Scholarships: FAQ

The Bright Futures Scholarship Program (FBFS) is the umbrella program for three State of Florida scholarships based on academic achievement in high school. They are the Florida Academic Scholars Award, the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award and the Florida Medallion Scholars Award. These programs are funded by the state lottery, and are awarded to all Florida high school graduates who merit recognition of high academic achievement and enroll in an eligible Florida public or private Postsecondary educational institution within three years of high school graduation. Each of the three scholarships offered within the program has specific criteria that must be met.

How should I apply for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship (FBFS) Program?

For information contact your high school guidance office or the Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance, 255 Collins Building, 325 W. Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400; 1-888-827-2004 (toll-free); They also maintain a website at www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/home/uamain.htm. Please check with the Florida Department of Education for information and deadlines for applying.

Will your FBFS award be affected if you receive funds from Florida Prepaid College Program or a private scholarship?

Eligible recipients will receive a FBFS award regardless of other financial aid or prepaid tuition. The dollar award will not be decreased if you are receiving money from other aid programs. If you are receiving need-based aid, however, your need- based aid may be decreased to allow receipt of the FBFS Award.

How do Florida Bright Futures Scholarships and the Florida Prepaid College Plan affect each other?

Students participating in the Florida Prepaid Plan and who receive a Florida Bright Futures award can receive benefits from both plans. Each semester that a student presents his/her Pre-paid information to a cashier, tuition is paid by the Florida Prepaid Plan up to the maximum allowed number of credits. The Florida Bright Futures Award pays for fees and, if funds are available, any outstanding college bills including purchases at the NWFSC College Stores in Niceville or Fort Walton Beach using the student's Raider Card (Student ID). Any remaining balance after Tuition, Fees, Books, and Supply costs is issued to the student via the Discover Debit Card.

What are Private Scholarships?

Private scholarships are awards provided by organizations outside of the college such as Elks, Rotary, your local high school, national organizations, etc. You apply directly to the organization sponsoring the scholarship. The organization then selects the recipient(s) and sends the funds to the college to apply to your college costs.

All such outside scholarships must be reported to and processed through the Financial Aid Office. If you know you will be receiving a private scholarship (e.g., Elks, Rotary Club, etc.), please bring a copy of the award letter to the Financial Aid Office. This will help avoid delays later if we need to adjust other financial aid you might also be receiving.

If I get a private scholarship, what impact does this have on my eligibility for other financial aid?

If you receive a private scholarship award, this may influence the rest of your financial aid award since the combination of all financial aid and scholarships cannot exceed your "need." First, we will reduce loans that are offered to you, then other aid. We will mail you a revised award letter to notify you of the changes. If you know that you will be receiving a private scholarship, please contact our office as soon as possible to prevent receiving an over-award, and having to repay aid you have already received.

Where can I look for scholarships?

Other sources include: high school guidance counselors; local public library or college library; community or church organizations; local businesses; parents' employers; magazines and newspapers; consumer product organizations; asking friends, parents, teachers, counselors, and family members to watch for scholarships; and the World Wide Web: www.finaid.com.

What are some tips on applying for scholarships?

READ THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS of the scholarships you are interested in FIRST. Save yourself time and energy by not applying for scholarships with qualifications you do not match. If you meet the basic requirements for an award, APPLY! Apply to as many sources as possible. Be complete and concise, but also creative. Apply as far in advance as possible. Avoid spelling and grammatical errors; have someone else read and proofread your application before you send it off. Never talk yourself out of applying. You have as much of a chance to receive an award as any other applicant. Always apply for need-based financial aid first. Get a large calendar and plot the deadlines of applications; look at it every day. Set up a scholarship file, this can include copies of your letters, transcripts, and personal statements to save time. NEVER become discouraged! Do not take rejection personally. The days of "If you work hard and get good grades you will automatically get scholarships" are gone. We would love to award EVERY deserving student, but limited scholarship dollars make this impossible. Look at applying for scholarships as a PART-TIME JOB. If you spend ten (10) hours applying for scholarships and receive a $1,000 scholarship ... you made $100 PER HOUR!