Bright Futures Scholarship, FL Specific

The Bright Futures Scholarship is offered to Florida students based on SAT or ACT test score. A student can receive 75% tuition or 100% tuition based on the scores. Not a bad deal! Sadly, many parents in the public schools have NO IDEA about the scholarship! I know that high school counselors here in central Florida have so many students that it is nearly impossible to personally know each one. And, I know that many students receive printed handouts from the guidance offices with information perhaps explaining the scholarship. Here in central Florida, many, many parents do not speak or read English as a first language. Heck, many of them do not read English at all and speak it only slightly. How on earth are they going to understand a student handout? You may say, "The students need to be responsible and get the information to the parents." Yeah, uh huh. Do these peple HAVE young teenagers? I think most teens are completely incapable of understanding the amount of money we are talking about here.

After working at the Dual Enrollment office of the community college for a while, I realized that many of the students had NO idea how much money they were saving by taking these courses for FREE! I kept a chart on my cork board showing the current amount of money per credit and then how much each 3-credit course would cost. Right now it is around $262.00 for a 3-credit class at the community college where I used to work. Many of my students took a full load of classes (12 credits, or 4 classes) which would have cost them $1048.00. Per semester! This is not even factoring in fees for the classes.

Now, imagine that parents knew that the Bright Futures Scholarship could pay for even 75% of the tuition after their student graduated from high school and was no longer eligible for Dual Enrollment! That adds up to a lot of money!

If you live in Florida, and homeschool THROUGH THE COUNTY, and NOT an umbrella school, your child WILL have to score HIGHER on the SAT or ACT test than private school or public schooled kids for the same scholarship. Yes, unfair I know!

Check out the Bright Futures Website here!