Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

Florida Bright Futures is a state scholarship for Florida high school graduates at eligible Florida postsecondary schools, administered by the Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA). It pays per credit hour toward college costs. SF certifies enrollment, disburses the funds, and handles repayment and appeals once a student is enrolled.

Award Levels

Florida Academic Scholars (FAS). The higher award level.

Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS). The more common award level.

Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC) and Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV). For students in career and technical education programs.

Award Amounts at SF

Bright Futures pays per credit hour, and the rate depends on the award level and course level. SF's rates are published on the SF Bright Futures page.

Florida Medallion pays the full $101.77 per credit hour, the same as Florida Academic Scholars, only for students in an associate degree program (A.A. or A.S.) at a state college. A Medallion student who isn't in an associate degree program is paid the lower rate of $76.32 per credit hour. For comparison, SF's standard in-state tuition is $106.77 per credit hour (2025-26 rates).

Bachelor's-level (upper-division) FAS and FMS rates differ from the lower-division rates above and are published on the SF Bright Futures page.

Bright Futures does not cover all fees. By state law, certain fees are not covered by Bright Futures or Florida Prepaid. A student whose only award is Bright Futures may still owe a balance for uncovered fees.

Listing SF as the Attending Institution

OSFA sends the award to the school listed as the attending institution in the student's OSFA account. A student who believes they are eligible but sees no award in the Financial Aid Portal in eSantaFe should check the following:

• They currently meet all Bright Futures eligibility requirements.
• In eSantaFe, the Florida residency process is complete and SF has received proof of high school completion.
• In the Bright Futures account at Florida Student Scholarship & Grant Programs [WEB LINK: OSFA student portal], their name and Social Security number match eSantaFe, Santa Fe College (ID 012) is indicated as the school where they will use the scholarship, and every term they will use it at SF is selected.

OSFA can help verify these items at 888-827-2004.

Enrollment Requirements

There is no cap on enrollment for payment. Bright Futures pays the per-credit-hour rate for every credit hour taken in the semester, up to the lifetime hour limit.

All enrolled hours count for Bright Futures as long as the program is eligible, which differs from the federal aid rules that count only program-applicable hours.

Lifetime Credit Hour Limit

FAS and FMS recipients can receive funding for up to 120 credit hours toward a first baccalaureate degree, within five years of high school graduation. Extended funding is available by appeal for programs that require more than 120 hours.

Disbursement Timing

Bright Futures disburses after the drop/add period each semester, once SF certifies enrollment. The amount is based on enrollment as of disbursement and may be reduced if hours are dropped or withdrawn after that point.

Awards can appear in the Financial Aid Portal in eSantaFe [WEB LINK: eSantaFe login] as early as mid-July before the fall semester, though most populate in early August once OSFA releases award information to SF, on the standard disbursement timeline. An award that shows in the Financial Aid Portal means SF has received it and the student is eligible for that term.

Renewal Requirements

Renewal is automatic. SF reports each funded student's GPA and earned hours to OSFA every spring, and after summer if the student received summer funding, and there is no renewal application. Eligibility for the next year posts to the student's OSFA account [WEB LINK: OSFA student portal], usually around July 1. To renew, a student has to meet annual GPA and earned-credit-hour benchmarks.

GPA

Florida Academic Scholars need a cumulative postsecondary GPA of 3.0, and Florida Medallion Scholars need 2.75. An Academic Scholars student whose GPA falls between 2.75 and 2.99 renews at the Medallion level. If that GPA later rises back to 3.0, the Academic Scholars award can return through a one-time restoration.

Credit hours

A student has to earn a minimum number of hours based on how they were funded:

The benchmark counts hours earned, not attempted, so a W, I, or failing grade does not count, and a single dropped or failed course can put a student below the line. OSFA publishes a Credit Hour Interactive Tool [WEB LINK: OSFA Credit Hour Interactive Tool] to check specific scenarios.

When a student repays Bright Futures for a dropped or withdrawn course, those hours return to the lifetime pool and do not count against the renewal benchmark.

If a student misses a benchmark at the annual review, eligibility is lost for the next academic year. Meeting the benchmarks the following year, through enrollment the student pays for, restores eligibility at the next review. A one-time restoration after a first-year GPA loss, reinstatement after a skipped year, and an appeal for circumstances beyond the student's control each have their own path back.

Withdrawal and Repayment

Withdrawing from a Bright Futures-funded course after the drop-with-refund period triggers state repayment, including a withdrawal from an approved Late Withdrawal Petition. Repayment carries academic-year deadlines, affects next-year eligibility, and can be appealed with documented circumstances beyond the student's control.

Losing Eligibility

A student can lose Bright Futures by:

• Failing to meet renewal GPA or credit hour benchmarks
• Withdrawing from a funded course and not repaying by the academic-year deadline
• Reaching the lifetime credit hour limit
• Completing a first bachelor's degree

Restoration, reinstatement, and appeal are the paths back to eligibility.

Transient Students

An SF student taking classes at another Florida institution as a transient student must enroll in at least 6 credit hours there to receive Bright Futures. These students usually pay out of pocket at the other school and are reimbursed by Bright Futures through SF.

A non-SF student taking classes at SF as a transient student cannot receive Bright Futures through SF, because the home institution administers the scholarship.

SAP and Verification

Federal verification and Satisfactory Academic Progress do not affect Bright Futures eligibility. A student selected for verification or not meeting SAP can still receive Bright Futures if the state requirements are met, though they should resolve those issues to stay eligible for other aid.