Bright Futures
How to apply for and maintain eligibility in the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship.
Apply
The Bright Futures Scholarship program provides the Florida Academic Scholar award (FAS) and the Florida Medallion Scholar award (FMS) to eligible students attending FIU. To learn more about the program, visit the Bright Futures Website. To apply and check your award status, use the application below:
- Florida Financial Aid Application
- FIU Bright Futures State School Code: 131
- Contact the Florida Department of Education Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) for more information at 1-888-827-2004.
If you are a newly enrolled student at FIU, make sure to update your Florida Financial Aid Application with the FIU school code. Your application must have the FIU school code in order for the scholarship funds to be disbursed to you at FIU. Contact OSFA for help.
Requirements
Eligibility requirements are listed on the Bright Futures Website in Chapter 1: Initial Eligibility, page 3.
Be a Florida resident and a US citizen or eligible non-citizen.
| Type | 16 High School Course Credits | High School Weighted GPA | College Entrance Exams (ACT/CLT/SAT) | Service Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAS |
| 3.50 | 29/96/1340 | 100 hours |
| FMS | 3.00 | 25/84/1210 | 75 hours |
Awards
The initial award is an estimate based on 15 credits of enrollment in fall/spring or 6 credits in summer. Awards are adjusted to your actual enrollment after the add/drop period each semester. Bright Futures requires a minimum enrollment of 6 credits per semester.
| 2023-2024 Bright Futures | ||
| Fall/Spring Medallion ($154.17 per credit + $147.85) | Credits | Fall/Spring Academic ($205.57 per credit + $197.14) |
| $1,072.87 | 6 | $1,430.56 |
| $1,227.04 | 7 | $1,636.13 |
| $1,381.21 | 8 | $1,841.70 |
| $1,535.38 | 9 | $2,047.27 |
| $1,689.55 | 10 | $2,252.84 |
| $1,843.72 | 11 | $2,458.41 |
| $1,997.89 | 12 | $2,663.98 |
| $2,152.06 | 13 | $2,869.55 |
| $2,306.23 | 14 | $3,075.12 |
| $2,460.40 | 15 | $3,280.69 |
| $2,614.57 | 16 | $3,486.26 |
| $2,768.74 | 17 | $3,691.83 |
| $2,922.91 | 18 | $3,897.40 |
| $3,077.08 | 19 | $4,102.97 |
| $3,231.25 | 20 | $4,308.54 |
| $3,385.42 | 21 | $4,514.11 |
| $3,539.59 | 22 | $4,719.68 |
- Special fees for online courses, housing or any other additional fees are not covered by the Bright Futures Scholarship.
- Graduate courses may only be covered by the Bright Futures scholarship (at the undergraduate tuition rate) if they are needed to complete a bachelor’s degree. In this case, the student must submit a memo from the department of their school or college to OneStop indicating that the graduate class that they registered for that semester is required to earn their bachelor's degree.
- Graduate Funding: A Bright Futures recipient, who graduates with a bachelor’s degree in 7 or fewer semesters or in 105 semester hours or fewer, may receive funding for one semester of graduate study, not to exceed 15 credit hours, paid at the undergraduate rate. Graduate school funding must be used within the applicable scholarship length.
- Length of Scholarship: Most programs of study require 120 credit hours for an undergraduate degree. Extended hours of funding are available to FAS and FMS students enrolled in a single program of study requiring more than 120 hours. Student must submit the following application Extended Hours Application.
Renewal
In order to renew your scholarship for the following academic year, students must meet all of the renewal requirements at the end of the Spring semester. Renewal requirements are listed on the Bright Futures Website in Chapter 3: Renewal Eligibility.
Florida Academic Scholar: 3.00 Cumulative GPA
Florida Medallion Scholar: 2.75 Cumulative GPA
You will receive a notification by email and on the Florida Financial Aid Application regarding your eligibility or ineligibility status for Bright Futures.
Keeping Your Scholarship
Change of Grade or Recalculating GPA
In order to meet renewal requirements, eligible students have the option to submit the Bright Futures Request Form under the following circumstances:
- If you receive a “Change of Grade” for fall or spring semester
- If you transferred credits from a previous institution to have your GPA recalculated
Reducing or Canceling Awards
If you believe you may not meet the credit hour requirement because you are failing a course after the deadline to drop, you may opt to reduce or cancel funding for the course(s). Contact OneStop to determine if this is the right course of action for you. To reduce or cancel funding, submit the Bright Futures Request Form and check “cancel/partially accept award.” Award amounts for that semester can only be adjusted before grades are posted.
Repayment
Submit the Bright Futures Request Form once your canceled awards have been repaid. You will not be eligible for Bright Futures renewal or state funding for the next academic year until you repay the funds and submit the Bright Futures Request Form. The Financial Aid Office may waive this repayment for reasons of financial hardship. This waiver is subject to approval and you must contact OneStop within 30 days of dropping a class to qualify.
Reinstatement
Reinstatement applies to eligible students who did not receive funding during the previous academic year and would now like to apply for scholarship funding. Learn more about Reinstatement on the Bright Futures Website in Chapter 3: Renewal Eligibility, page 4.
Restoration
Under limited circumstances, a student may apply for a one-time restoration if he/she did not meet the GPA requirement to renew their Bright Futures within the first year of funding. This restoration may also be used to regain a FAS award if a student’s GPA dropped to the FMS award level. Restoration requirements vary depending on the year that the student graduated from high school. Learn more about restoration on the Bright Futures Website in Chapter 3: Renewal Eligibility, page 6.
Appeal
Students may request a Bright Futures appeal if extenuating circumstances beyond their control prevent them from meeting renewal requirements. The appeal must be approved by the Financial Aid Office. Follow instructions to submit the Bright Futures Appeal Form.