For information on the programs outlined below and all types of financial aid available to students in Florida, including scholarships, grants, work study, loans, and loan forgiveness programs, contact:

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Office of Student Financial Assistance

Florida Department of Education

325 West Gaines Street Suite 1314

Tallahassee, FL 32399

850-410-5200; 888-827-2004

E-mail: ofsa@fldoe.org

www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org

 

Many of the grant programs listed below are decentralized state of Florida programs, meaning that the participating postsecondary institutions determine their own application procedures and deadlines and establish their own eligibility requirements. Awards are dependent on available funding, with individual award amounts determined by the awarding institution.

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Students interested in these programs are advised to contact the institution’s financial aid office for information or additional application materials or the State Scholarship and Grant Programs division of the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA).

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Access to Better Learning and Education Grant

Eligibility – Florida undergraduate students enrolled for a minimum of 12 credits in a degree program at an eligible Florida private college or university.

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Awards – The annual award amount is set by the Legislature in the General Appropriation Act each year.   A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for renewal.

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Benacquisto Scholarship Program

Eligibility – a Florida high school graduate who receives recognition as a National Merit or National Achievement Scholar.

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Awards –   an award, which is equal to the institutional cost of attendance minus the sum of Bright Futures and the National Merit/Achievement award. 

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Participating schools are: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Miami, and University of South Florida.  An initial application is not required.

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Bright Futures Scholarship 

Eligibility – Florida high school graduates who demonstrate high academic achievement (minimum 3.0 GPA and  required minimum score on either the ACT or SAT) and who enroll in eligible Florida postsecondary institutions. Recipients are required to have performed community service ranging from 30 to 100 hours depending on the type of award received.

Awards – Bright Futures recipients receive a fixed cost per credit hour award based on their award level: 

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Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) are students who graduate from high school with a minimum 3.5 GPA. Florida Academic Scholars will receive an award amount equal to 100 percent of tuition and applicable fees at a public postsecondary institution, or comparable amount at a nonpublic institution. Applicable fees include: activity and service fee, health fee, athletic fee, financial aid fee, capital improvement fee, campus access/transportation fee, technology fee and tuition differential fee. Florida Academic Scholars will receive an additional amount of $300 per semester (fall and spring) for textbooks and educational expenses. 

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Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) are students who graduate from high school with a minimum 3.0 GPA. FMS  scholars will receive an award to cover 75 percent of tuition and applicable fees.FMS awards range from $64 per semester hour for use at career/technical schools to $158 per semester hour for use at four-year institutions.

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Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) are students who graduate high school with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Award amounts range from $39 to $48 per semester hour.

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William L. Boyd, IV Effective Access to Student Education Program

Eligibility – Florida residents enrolled in an eligible private, non-profit college or university in Florida for a minimum of 12 credit hours.

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Awards – participating institution determines application procedures, deadlines, and student eligibility. Minimum 2.0 GPA required for renewal.

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First Generation Matching Grant

Eligibility – Florida residents who qualify as a first generation college student, attend a state university, and take a minimum of 6 credit hours per term. To be considered “first generation” neither of the student’s parents can be recipients of a bachelor’s degree or higher.

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Awards – the amount is based on student’s need assessment after all other scholarship and grant aid has been applied.

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Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship (FFSS)

Eligibility – need-based merit scholarship that provides financial assistance to a maximum of 50 eligible students who are farmworkers (or children of farmworkers), as defined in Florida Statutes who attend a public postsecondary institution. 

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Awards – an award equal to the amount required to pay tuition and specified fees. 

Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) 

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Eligibility – undergraduate Florida residents who can demonstrate substantial financial need and are attending an eligible postsecondary institution in Florida on a full- or part-time basis.

Awards – based on need and type of institution the student is attending. Award amounts vary per year. Minimum award is  $200. Award amount depends on institution and the student’s enrollment status. Additionally, high school students graduating in the top 20 percent of each senior class are eligible for the Talented Twenty Program in which they are guaranteed admission to one of the eleven state universities in Florida and receive priority funding.

 

Florida Work Experience Program (FWEP)

Eligibility – undergraduate Florida residents who demonstrate financial need, are enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours per term or 180 clock hours at an eligible Florida postsecondary institution including career centers operated by a school board, and who seek work experience to complement and reinforce their educational and career goals.

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Awards – determined by institutional financial aid office based on financial need and number of hours the student works. Students receive award funding directly from the employer.

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José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant

Eligibility – students of Hispanic origin who will enroll full-time in an eligible Florida college or university and who were born in or have a natural parent who was born in Mexico, or a Hispanic country in South America, Central America, or the Caribbean. Minimum 3.0 GPA is required. Renewal and high school students receive priority over graduate students. 

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Awards – up to $2,000 per year, renewable for eight semesters. 

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Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship (MMB)

Eligibility – Florida residents who are high school seniors with a 3.0 cumulative GPA who will attend Florida A & M University, Bethune-Cookman College, Edward Waters College, or Florida Memorial University. 

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Awards – each participating institution determines application procedures, deadlines,  student eligibility and award amount.

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For application and information contact the financial aid offices at the four participating institutions.

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Minority Teacher Education Scholarship Program

Eligibility – Florida resident enrolled in a teacher education program at a participating postsecondary institution who has not earned more than 18 hours of upper-division-level courses in education at the time of application and maintains at least a 2.5 grade point average, and belongs to one of the following racial groups: African-American,  Hispanic-American, Asian-American, and Native American.

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Awards – $4,000 per academic year. Upon graduation, recipient is required to teach in a Florida public school one year for each year award money was received.

For information contact Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, ffmt.org.

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Rosewood Family Scholarship Fund

Eligibility – undergraduate, full-time students who are descendants of affected African American Rosewood families and are enrolled in eligible Florida public postsecondary institutions. A  maximum  of  50  eligible  students will receive financial assistance. 

Awards – not to exceed $6,100 annually. 

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Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans

Eligibility – Florida residents who are dependent children (age 16­–22) or unremarried spouses of deceased or 100 percent disabled veterans, or children of an individual classified as POW or MIA, who are enrolled in an undergraduate degree or certificate program for a minimum of six credit hours, 180 clock hours, or the equivalent, per term at an eligible participating postsecondary institution. 

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Awards – An eligible student may receive funding for up to 110 percent of the number of the required credit hours of an initial baccalaureate degree or certificate program for which the student is enrolled.