Latest:

Homeschooling Florida

The World is Our Classroom!

Homeschooling Florida

The World is Our Classroom!

Bright Futures Scholarship for Homeschoolers, Simplified

Lupe Tucker

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, funded by the state of Florida, provides scholarships based on high school academic achievement. The program has different award levels, each with its own eligibility criteria and award amounts. Awards are per credit hour. This scholarship is available to all homeschooled high school students in the state.

Many parents get confused by the guidelines for the Bright Futures Scholarship for homeschoolers. Homeschooled students are not required to submit transcripts, have required coursework, or have a minimun GPA, only SAT/ACT scores, volunteer hours, and the application. However, if you read the Bright Futures Scholarship handbook, it is easy to get mixed up and think that they do need them.

Basically, to keep it straight (if you are homeschooling via letter of intent) you have to keep flipping back and forth between page 3 & 8 of the Bright Futures handbook.

So, we have to ignore every place where it says “coursework” “transcript” and “GPA”, because homeschooled students are NOT required to submit their transcripts. They have to meet all the requirements EXCEPT the transcript requirements (which has required coursework, minimum GPA).

Bright Futures Scholarship for Homeschoolers
The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship is available to homeschoolers in the state.

You will find that information on page 8:

“Home-educated students do not need to provide a student transcript. The test score and service hour requirements are provided in the table found on page 3.”

Homeschoolers ONLY have to meet the following requirements:

Florida home-educated students must meet the following initial eligibility requirements:

• Meet the General Requirements for Bright Futures; (except the transcript)
• Submit a timely Florida Financial Aid Application;
• Earn required minimum test scores (SAT or ACT): and
• Complete the minimum number of service hours.

Here is the link to the Bright Futures Scholarship Handbook:

http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/PDF/BFHandbookChapter1.pdf
How To

Lupe Tucker

I’m a homeschooling mother of five wonderful children. I began homeschooling in the state of Florida in 2005, and since then I’ve supported thousands of parents in their homeschool journey. I built and published HomeschoolingFlorida.com, a hub of informative articles that walk parents through many different aspects of homeschooling in Florida. I also founded several Facebook groups to help guide and connect parents: FLVS Homeschooling Parents (Flex) and Florida Homeschoolers Dual Enrolled. I am a Florida Certified Teacher and am licensed to do evaluations in all 67 counties in Florida. I hold a Master in Fine Arts degree in English – Creative Writing from the University of Florida. In addition to educating my own children, I’ve taught at the university, high school, middle school, and elementary levels. Other services I offer include one-on-one consulting via Zoom and by phone and high school transcript services. You can learn more about that by visiting my other website, www.HomeschoolTranscriptsFL.com Please let me know if you have any questions about evaluations or any other aspect of homeschooling in Florida. I am an expert in high school course planning, dual enrollment, college admissions, college admission essays, and Bright Futures. Most of all, I am your ally. I work for YOU, to equip you and encourage you as you help your children learn and grow. If you want to book a consultation, visit my appointment page: www.calendly.com/lupita-tucker

2 thoughts on “Bright Futures Scholarship for Homeschoolers, Simplified”

  • This is a great article. I submitted the FAFSA but the (community college) said it couldn’t be processed without a final transcript. So doesn’t that mean you really do need a transcript, if Bright Futures requires the FAFSA?

  • Mary, no – the FAFSA doesn’t have any transcript requirement. The community college cannot process your student’s application for aid until all the required documentation has been received. The transcript is required to determine whether the student is eligible for any merit-based funding. The FAFSA is independent, and is run by the federal government.

Comments are closed.