Why Bright Futures requirements are too low

Colleges & Universities University of Florida
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<p>According to UF’s Office of Institutional Planning and Research, about 70 percent of us have it. Some of us couldn’t attend classes without it. </p>

<p>No, it’s not an iPod and it’s not a Vera Bradley bag. </p>

<p>It’s a Bright Futures scholarship. </p>

<p>First, some facts. There are two main types: </p>

<p>The Florida Academic Scholars scholarship provides 100 percent of tuition at a Florida public institution (or the monetary equivalent at a Florida private school). The requirements are a 3.5 high school grade point average, 75 hours of community service, and either a 1270 SAT (critical reading and math sections only) or a 28 ACT score. </p>

<p>The Florida Medallion Scholars scholarship covers 75 percent of tuition. It requires a 3.0 GPA, and a 970 on the SAT or a 20 on the ACT. It does not require any community service. </p>

<p>“That’s all well and good,” you may say. But let’s check out some test scores and average GPAs from around the state. </p>

<p>Only 5.7 percent of freshmen admitted to UF had below a 3.0 high school GPA. The middle 50 percent range of SAT scores was 1210 to 1370. The middle range of ACT scores was 26-31.
At Florida State University, 23 percent of freshmen had below a 3.0 high school GPA. The middle range of SAT scores was 1020 to 1230. The ACT range was 21 to 26.
At the University of South Florida, the 2006 middle range high school GPA was 3.3 to 3.97. The middle range of SAT scores was 1050 to 1210. The ACT range was 22 to 27.
At the University of Central Florida, the middle range GPA was 3.3 to 4.0. The SAT range was 1130 to 1270. The ACT range was 24 to 28.
So this means that about 75 percent of students at Florida’s four largest public universities qualify for some form of Bright Futures. The state pumps a lot of tuition money straight into the universities - so it doesn’t want to raise tuition. Because that would put even more of a burden on the state. </p>

<p>But the schools don’t always receive the cash they need and often rely on money from private donors. UF receives less than 14 percent of its revenue from tuition and fees. In comparison, almost 40 percent comes from grants, contracts and gifts. </p>

<p>UF’s hopes for the “Academic Enhancement Program” were shot down this week in the state Senate. So how can UF increase the percentage of revenue that comes from tuition? </p>

<p>If the state raises its standards for Bright Futures, it could raise the cost of tuition across the state without having to pay more money. Clearly, students at other schools are well-qualified for the scholarship as well, so this isn’t about getting more money just for UF. </p>

<p>By requiring a higher GPA and higher test scores, the state could afford to raise the cost of tuition because fewer students would qualify for the program. Yes, the program was originally designed to keep the top students in Florida, but our state’s tuition is already so low - one of the lowest rates in the nation - and the quality of its universities is so high, we doubt few students would flee to other states just because of tuition increases. </p>

<p>Money talks. And the only way for UF - and universities around the state - to improve is if they have cash. This one’s obvious: Raise the Bright Futures requirements. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.alligator.org/pt2/070419eddy1.php[/url]”>http://www.alligator.org/pt2/070419eddy1.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>eh…well it gives the mediocre students financial aid as well. it’s important to provide opportunities for students to afford a higher education despite their “average” stats</p>

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<p>The FSU numbers are wrong in that article.</p>

<p>The middle 50% of the 2006 accepted freshman class is: 3.4-4.1 GPA; 1140-1280 SAT (Critical Reading plus Math); 25-28 ACT. (the same measure for UF in that article)</p>

<p>Per the Common Data Set for 2006-2007 only 3.7% had a GPA below 3.0 (out of a 4.0 scale).</p>

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<p>parent2noles, where did you find FSU’s Common Data Set, please? I was trying to explain the CDS to my neighbor, whose son will be a freshman at FSU next year. The last CDS published on FSU’s website is for the 2005-06 class. Do they have the 2006 and 2007 class CDS’s published somewhere else? Thank you!</p>

<p>g8rmom</p>

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<p>Sure…FSU’s CDSs may be found here: <a href=“http://www.ir.fsu.edu/surveys/surveyinfo.cfm?ID=t_commondata[/url]”>http://www.ir.fsu.edu/surveys/surveyinfo.cfm?ID=t_commondata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>What Parent says is true. In my personal experience: it is not uncommon for the Alligator to be just flat out wrong in the statistics that they post. </p>

<p>The Alligator did in fact mess up FSU’s stats. But lets not be too hard on teenagers, and instead the editor should be held accountable for not cross-referencing the numbers posted. It is my understanding that they are going thru a change in leadership at the Alligator.</p>

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<p>That GPA is ridiculously easy to get, as are the test scores for 75%. My school is pretty dumb, yet we have like 30 kids going to UF with full tuition.</p>