Bright futures - Page 2

peacemkr59 · 03-10-2009, 07:07 PM

Did you apply?

chocolateturtl · 03-10-2009, 07:23 PM

for bright futures? not yet. i'm trying to get one more point on the stupid ACT. I have a 27, otherwise I'd get 100%

peacemkr59 · 03-10-2009, 07:47 PM

Then that is why you don't see the estimate for BF, because you haven't applied yet.

knightforum · 03-10-2009, 08:36 PM

Even though you have not qualified for 100% yet you should apply now. I also have a 27 ACT and I will be taking it again on April 4. Bright Futures will automatically update your scores as the come in to see what you qualify for.

dance2nite926 · 03-14-2009, 12:32 AM

I got a 27 ACT too! =[

Damn 1 more point.

Nomoreyears · 03-21-2009, 09:25 AM

I'm short 2 points on ACT for 100% but didn't know I could take again this spring and have it count. Too late to register for April exam, next one's in June. Does anyone know if they will accept June scores?

marlins97 · 03-21-2009, 10:57 AM

I'm pretty sure they accept all the way until your high schools graduating date. But make sure you at least have already registered for bright futures. and dont take the june one, theres an earlier one in may, take that one just to be safe in case they dont accept june scores, because june is cutting it a little close.

Nomoreyears · 03-21-2009, 11:33 AM

Thanks, Marlins. No ACT in May, only June. I applied in Feb although no transcripts have been sent from school yet. I checked the BF website and found this:

End-of-Year Evaluations (8th Semester)

If a student's transcript is submitted for an official evaluation after his/her last term in high school, the student will receive an award (or ineligibility notification):

if he/she did not receive an early evaluation, or
if the student's award status has improved since the early evaluation, or
if the student remains ineligible.

Notification based on the end of year evaluations are sent beginning in June for FAS awardees (with test scores through April) and in August for FAS awardees (with test scores through June) and all other awardees.

Glad to know I have one more shot at 100% aLthough who knows what budget crisis in FL will do to BF this year

dvm258 · 03-21-2009, 04:47 PM

I think the HS class of 2009 will be the last class to be eligible for Bright Futures as-is. I wouldn't expect the requirements to change at the very last minute, especially if you already applied. I'd expect any changes to BF this year to be effective starting with the class of 2010.

In addition, students already in college have already been assured that they are grandfathered into the current system, and the amount of payments will not decrease. However, differential tuition (which is not covered by bright futures) will go up, so you can expect to pay more.

UCF has by far the lowest differential tuition out of all the state universities allowed to charge it. (I believe UCF's was 2% this year while at UF it was somewhere around 8%.) The other universities that charge differential include UF, FSU, USF, and FIU.

Matt125 · 03-21-2009, 06:45 PM

How is it that you only got a Bronze when you got 100% Bright Futures?? What are you SAT/ACT scores?

I got 100 percent Bright Futures and was offered no scholarship to UCF. Should I have been? 3.8 or so weighted GPA, 1300/1600 SAT

jswdlw · 03-21-2009, 08:46 PM

It was my understanding that Bright Future is funded by the lottery. For fiscal year 2006-2007, the Florida Lottery transferred $1.26 billion to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. For the fifth time in the Florida Lottery's 19-year history the agency surpassed the billion-dollar mark in a single year, thereby pushing contribution since start-up to more than $17 billion. Although that size contribution is only a small part of the state's overall education budget, the impact of the Florida Lottery on public education flows from community to community.

marlins97 · 03-21-2009, 08:54 PM

well Matt125 when were you accepted? That could be a factor because they may have run out of funds. If that's not the case, it might be your GPA. It's solid but I think that if you want to get good money from colleges your weighted should definitely be above 4.0

fluffers · 03-22-2009, 02:38 PM

I qualify for the 100% Bright Futures too and I also was not offered a scholarship to UCF.
I applied in October with an ACT score of 28, an SAT score of 1200/1600, a 3.7 unweighted.

I have no idea how it was possible that I wasn't offered a scholarship

peacemkr59 · 03-22-2009, 03:17 PM

I really think that the key is to apply early. My son applied the end of July, transcripts were sent mid August and he was accepted end of August. By mid September he had been offered a Pegasus Bronze. He had a 3.6 UCF GPA and a 26 on the ACT.

marlins97 · 03-22-2009, 04:32 PM

I honestly can't tell you what they are looking for. =/ You would have to call and ask the admissions office. I know timing is important since they only have a limited amount of scholarship money, but it isn't everything. A lot of people who have commented applied in October or November with decent stats that in my opinion deserve at least a Pegasus Bronze. Yet they got nothing from UCF. I applied the very last week of Decemeber and was accepted about 2 weeks later in January and I received a Pegasus Gold. Of course it also depends on what kind of applicant you are. I believe my stats are pretty strong, 5.16 WGPA and 1420 SAT.