Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
Type of Aid
State-of-Florida Scholarship which does not have to be repaid (unless student drops or withdraws from classes for which funds were received after the drop/add period).
Program Details
Requirements: Students must apply during their last year in high school by completing a Florida Financial Aid Application (after December 1 and prior to graduation) or forfeit all future eligibility for a Bright Futures Scholarship.
In addition, students must
- complete the NSU State Aid Application, and
- select NSU as their postsecondary institution on their Florida Financial Aid Application.
Eligibility: Florida high school graduates who demonstrate high academic achievement, enroll in an eligible Florida postsecondary institution, and have not received their first bachelor's degree.
There are three levels of this scholarship program:
- Florida Academic Scholars Award
- Florida Medallion Scholars Award
- Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (offered only at vocational schools, not NSU)
Transfer Students: Awarded students may receive Bright Futures funding only at eligible Florida postsecondary institutions. A student may login to access the online system or call the Florida Department of Education's Office of Student Financial Assistance Customer Service at 888- 827-2004 to transfer the scholarship to NSU.
Annual Award Amounts
Award amounts are disbursed based on the number of credits a student is enrolled for by the end of the drop/add period for the first eight weeks of both fall and winter terms. The per credit-hour rates established by the Florida Department of Education for the 2023-2024 academic year are as follows:
Florida Academic Scholars: $212 per credit (also available for attendance in the summer semester)
Florida Medallion Scholars: $159 per credit
Florida Academic Scholars and Florida Medallion Scholars earning a bachelor's degree in 7 semesters or fewer (or the equivalent in credit hours) may receive funding for 1 term of graduate study, not to exceed 15 semester hours, paid at the undergraduate rate.
Renewal Requirements
- Earn at least 24 credits (or the equivalent in the last academic year in which the student earned a scholarship if the student was enrolled full time, or a prorated number of credit hours as determined by the Department of Education if the student was enrolled less than full time for any part of the academic year.)
- Reimburse or make satisfactory arrangements to reimburse NSU for the award amount received for courses dropped after the drop/add period or for courses from which the student withdrew after the drop/add period
- Maintain a cumulative GPA as defined below:
| Florida Academic Scholars Award | Florida Medallion Scholars Award | Florida Gold Seal Vocational or CAPE Scholars Award | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Cumulative GPA (unrounded & unweighted) |
3.0* |
2.75 |
2.75 |
| Minimum Hours Required Per Term if funded Full Time (12+ hours) |
12 semester** (earned hours) |
12 semester** (earned hours) |
12 semester** (earned hours) |
| Minimum Hours Required Per Term, if funded Three-quarter Time (9-11 hours) | 9 semester**
(earned hours) |
9 semester**
(earned hours) |
9 semester**
(earned hours) |
| Minimum Hours Required Per Term, if funded Half Time (6-8 hours) | 6 semester**
(earned hours) |
6 semester**
(earned hours) |
6 semester**
(earned hours) |
*Florida Academic Scholars with 2.75-2.99 will renew as Florida Medallion Scholars.
**Or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours.
Repayment Requirements
Students who drop or withdraw from any class(es) for which Florida Bright Futures funds were received, must return the Bright Futures funds for those classes. Please Note: NSU President's Scholarship funds may not be applied toward the repayment of these funds once the add/drop period has passed.
If the Bright Futures funds for which the student has become ineligible by dropping or withdrawing from classes are not returned by the end of the current academic year, the student will become ineligible for renewal of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship award or any other state aid (e.g., Florida Resident Access Grant, Florida Student Assistance Grant) in the subsequent year.
Extenuating Circumstances
Students who can prove extenuating circumstances regarding their drop or withdrawal (e.g., illness, emergency, or any other situation beyond the student's control) may request an exception by submitting a completed Bright Futures Scholarship Repayment Form along with supporting documentation to the Office of Student Financial Assistance by May 1 of the academic year in which the drop/withdrawal occurred. If an exception is approved, the student will not be required to repay the balance owed. However, students will still be required to meet the credit hours/GPA renewal requirement which will be reviewed at the end of the winter semester.
Additional Information
For more information, visit the Florida Department of Education website.