Florida Coalition of Christian Private Schools Association, Inc. ADMINISTRATOR S BRIGHT FUTURES RESOURCE MANUAL 4.1

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Florida Coalition of Christian Private Schools Association, Inc.

ADMINISTRATOR’S

BRIGHT FUTURES

RESOURCE MANUAL 4.1

First, we want to thank all of the dedicated staff at the Florida Department of Education who work in the Student Scholarship Grants Program. Many people assume that any project administrated by a government agency will be hard to navigate, rife with contradictions, errors and omissions. Those who have tried calling other government agencies with questions only to find an endless array of push button options that lead to nowhere, or staff that cannot or will not provide useful answers will find the Bright Futures office to be an efficient and refreshing example of how agencies should operate. In addition, the Bright Futures website is the authoritative and most up-to-date source for scholarship information. This handbook is not designed to take the place of the Bright Futures office or website, but, instead, to give school administrators a step-by-step guide for submitting student applications, as well as a detailed outline of the qualifications students must meet. Again, this handbook does not replace the Bright Futures website. In fact, checking for updates on a regular basis is essential.

The Bright Futures scholarship program has a lot of details and deadlines, many of which change with every graduating class. Many of the changes are a direct result of the changing budget needs that must be addressed by the state legislature. The result is one set of benchmarks for the

graduating class of 2012, with additional or different requirements for the class of 2013.

Every student's academic plan must be reviewed each year. Most students have an academic plan that was set up when they were in the eighth grade, or the beginning of high school. An example of why the plan must be reviewed is the Community Service Hours requirement. When the class of 2012 started high school in the fall of 2008, the required hours for the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) was seventy-five hours. If based on that plan, and, if they only complete the seventy-five hours, they will not qualify this coming spring when they actually graduate, because the

requirement has been raised to one hundred hours.

BRIGHT FUTURES ESSENTIAL CONTACT LIST Web Site: http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/

Toll-Free Number 1-888-827-2004 Direct Number (850) 487-3260 Fax Number (850) 487-6244

Florida Low Cost Education Loan Programs 1-800-366-3475

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Bright Futures Requirements

Florida Bright Futures is a merit-based scholarship program funded by the State of Florida. The scholarship can only be used for colleges in the state of Florida and only by Florida residents. Each of the three scholarships or award levels has its own specific eligibility requirements, which are covered in detail in the Guidance Counselor Section of this handbook. The requirements fall into four categories Courses, GPA, Test Scores and Community Service Hours.

Courses: English, Mathematics, Science, History, Foreign Language, etc. Not all courses in a subject category count towards the scholarship, so proper course selection is essential. Liberal Art Math counts as one of the four math credits for graduation, as does Consumer Math, but they do not count as a math course for either the FAS or FMS scholarships.

Grade Point Average GPA: Bright Futures uses a weighted average, based on the core academic courses only. The GPA weighting, of course, varies widely from school to school, but for the Bright Futures system it's simple. "A's" count as four quality points, "B's" are three points, "C's" two and "D's" are one point. All "higher level courses" are prescribed a .50 per course weight. "A's" are then 4.5 points, "B's" are 3.5, etc. Examples of "higher level courses" are Honors, Advanced Placement AP and Dual Enrollment courses taken at one of Florida's many community colleges. Each semester or half credit must have a grade.

Test Score: There are three tests that can be used to qualify for Bright Futures. A fourth test, PERT, is now being used by some community colleges, and is in the process of being approved by the FDOE, but students should use the SAT, ACT or CPT until that process is complete. The specific test and required score varies by scholarship and date of graduation. Bright Futures will use the best composite or combination score, which may come from different test dates.

SAT: First called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test, and now just referred to as the SAT test. Many parents will confuse it with the Stanford Achievement Test, which is why the Stanford test should not be referred to as "the sat test". The SAT has two required parts: Critical Reading and Mathematics. The qualifying score is obtained by adding the two scores together. The third section, "Writing" does not count in the combined score for

qualification. Most colleges, however, do want (or require) the writing section as part of their admission process.

ACT: Originally the abbreviation for American College Testing, and now just referred to as the ACT Test. The composite score used by Bright Futures is based on the four standard sections of the test: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning. Each section is scored from one to thirty-six, and then the four sections are averaged to obtain the "composite score." Most colleges require the optional Writing Section, but, as in the case of the SAT, is not used by Bright Futures.

CPT: The College Placement Test is only used for the Gold Seal Award, and is administered by most community colleges in Florida. The test has three sections: Reading Comprehension, Sentence Skills and Elementary Algebra. For the Gold Seal Award a specific qualifying score for each section is required.

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Bright Futures Scholarship Levels

There are three Bright Futures Scholarship levels. Each award level has its own specific eligibility requirements, some of which change based on the year the student graduates from high school. Each scholarship pays a specific dollar amount determined by state statute and the type of college attended. The amount is adjusted each year based on the state college base tuition rate, and/or budget issues.

Florida Academic Scholars: FAS is the highest of the three scholarships, pays the most, and has the highest requirements. For the 2011-2012 academic year FAS paid $101 per college credit hour at four-year universities. For comparison, the "base" tuition at the University of Central Florida is $103.32 for Florida residents. Don't get too excited, though. UCF has eleven additional fees that raise the total per college credit hour fee to $186.13. For two-year colleges, the scholarship pays $62 per college credit hour. The tuition rate at Valencia Community College (as an example) is $99.06

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Earn the Scholarship, The Nine Step Plan

Step Item Student Parent School

#1

Plan or schedule the required courses:

*Students and parents should be counseled before the start of high school to take the courses that will qualify them for the scholarships.

*Each student should have a written plan that is reviewed yearly with both the student and the parent.

√ √ √

#2

Community Service Hours:

*Beginning in the ninth grade, students should be performing community service.

* The school should have a uniform system of verifying and documenting community service hours.

√ √

#3 ACT, SAT or CPT Test:

*Many students take the PSAT as a practice test beginning in the tenth grade.

*All students who plan to attend college should be taking the SAT and or ACT by the mid point of the 11th grade. *The average college bound student takes the SAT or ACT test three times. Remember, different sub tests will be combined for the best composite score.

√

#4 Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA)

* Must be completed between December of the student's senior year and his date of graduation. If you miss this deadline, you lose the scholarship forever.

√

#5 FASFA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid: *Student and Parents must log on to create a user profile, and complete the application once the system is ready for them to log in.

*Even students with no income.

*Parents with no income will need to file the proper tax form so they can complete the process.

*No FASFA No $

√ √√

#6 Online Transcript Entry and Evaluation System Part 1:

*The first step is to begin building the student's transcript

in the online system. All courses, grades and test scores √ #7 Online Transcript Entry and Evaluation System Part 2:

*After, and only after the system has evaluated the student's records, and the school has determined that it is error free is the transcript moved to production.

√ #8 Log On to Check Award Status:

*The student will get an e-mail from Bright Futures after

they have completed the FFAA. √ #9 Direct Bright Futures Payment to College:

*There is a form that the student must sign in the Financial Aid office of the college. That's how Bright Futures knows whom to pay.

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INITIAL STUDENT FLORIDA FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION

All Seniors who want to be awarded a scholarship from Bright Futures MUST complete an Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application. The application has 38 questions, some with additional parts. These pages contain details about the questions, and answer options. Most of the questions do not require an explanation. However, for non-traditional students, several are commonly returned with errors.

This link becomes active on or about December 1st of each year for the senior class. There are several links that detail how the information is used, and by whom. The application can be submitted on-line or a hard copy can be printed and mailed to Bright Futures. The on-line application is preferred for the student because it is completed in real time. You then can print a hard copy for the student and you have confirmation that the application was submitted on time. http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/home/ApplyHere.htm

From the next page, click on the blue link that says "Initial State Student Application."

For best results, you should use a computer that has a Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. (They are not as safe as Firefox or Safari, but the state of Florida web designers don't seem to get it.)

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The next page gives you several options, but what you need is: "Proceed To Application" near the bottom of the page. Click that button.

It will make you acknowledge that you have read and understand the: "Before You Begin" information. Click OK.

Most of the questions do not require an explanation, but some might: Questions on the Application

Section A: Demographic Information

This section has 17 questions, which the student or parent can answer, usually with no problems. NOTE: They want the name that is on the birth certificate!!!

1) Social Security Number

2) Date of Birth (They need the month first, then the day of the month.)

3) First Name (This would be the one on your Birth Certificate, not what people call you.) 4) Middle Initial

5) Last Name

6) Race/Ethnicity (Check all that apply.) There are several state scholarships for specific minority groups.

7) Gender

8) Phone Number (This can be left blank, but at least one is requested.) 9) Mailing Address

10) Apartment Number (This will not apply to all students.) 11) City

12) State

13) Florida County 14) Zip Code + 4

15) E-mail Address (Make sure it's one someone checks because they are going to send you a user name and password that you will need.)

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Section B: Academic Background

This section has 12 questions. This section is why we recommend that the student and possibly his/her parent come to the office and complete the form with the guidance office to confirm the application is completed properly.

18) Will you graduate or have you graduated from a Florida high School, Home School, or with a GED? (The answer must be "yes.")

19) If "yes," identify your school type. (Your students are in a Private School; it may look like homeschooling, but you are not a homeschooler, and, if your students lie to the state of Florida and tell them that they are a homeschooler, then you cannot submit a transcript for them because they will have told the state of Florida that they are not your student.)

20) Identify the Florida County where you attend school. (This is a drop-down list with every county listed. They need the county that the school is located in, not the county where the student lives, because it sets up the system for the next question, which is also about the school.)

21) High School Name / Where Home Schooled (last attended): (They should see your school listed on the drop down list. If another school in your county has a name that is similar to yours, give the student your FLDOE number, as that is included with your name on the list.)

22) High School Graduation Date: (This must be a date that has not passed.)

23) In the fall of 2012 I will be classified as: (Even if the student has taken some dual enrollment courses, they should select "FRESHMAN (first time in college)." Dual Enrollment students are not enrolled in college. They are taking classes based on a matriculation agreement between the college and their private school. Once they graduate they must complete an application for admission to the college.)

24) Select the name of the postsecondary institution you are planning to attend: (This is the student's first choice of a college; it does not commit them to that college.)

25) Select the school type and name of the last postsecondary institution you attended. (Students should leave blank. See notes for question 23.)

26) Unweighted High School GPA (based on a 4.0 scale): This is just a guess as to what their GPA is. The actual transcript will be used to determine your scholarship. All "A's" would be 4.0, all "B's" 3.0, and half and half would be 3.5.

27) Weighted High School GPA (based on a 4.0 scale): See notes for number 26, but add a half point for college and honors classes.

28) College GPA (if applicable): (Students can leave this question blank, as all courses taken by the student, even the one taken at a college are reported on the transcript.)

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Section C: Special Interest Questions

30) The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship is . . . . Do you wish to apply to be evaluated for this program?: (Yes and Yes) The answer is "yes" you would take the money. (Your school can only nominate one student and it will normally be the valedictorian.), and "yes," unless they are lying about who they are, have a drug conviction or unpaid student loans, then they meet the eligibility requirements.

31) If you or one of your natural parents is Hispanic-American or . . . select this country from the list: Check the country or countries from the drop down list or leave it as "none."

32) Are you a dependent child or spouse of a deceased or 100% disabled veteran, Prisoner of War, or Missing in Action: No explanation required. If this applies, complete subsections a-e. 33) To the best of your knowledge, was your family affected by the Rosewood incident in Florida in the 1920's: If a student thinks that they may be qualified, they will need to know the name of the relative that was burned out or killed in Rosewood (You don't know? Didn't you see the movie?) If you really want to know, here is the Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosewood,_Florida

34) Have either of you parents earned a Bachelor's Degree or higher?: Students should ask your parents if they are not sure. If the answer is "no," you will have to ask the financial aid person at the college on how to apply once you are enrolled in classes.

35) Are you interested in work-study programs: If the student is not sure, it's ok to check "yes." They may get some information about some interesting programs in the mail.

36) Are you interested in receiving low cost education loans and do you authorize the FLDOE to send you information?: Same as number 35, this will put them on a mailing list, and Dave Ramsey would not approve.

Section D: Releases

37) I authorize the release of . . . for use in program evaluations: This is the student giving permission for his or her private information to be shared with the state of Florida. The answer must be "yes" or the school cannot submit a transcript. If the school cannot submit a transcript, then the student cannot be evaluated for the scholarships, and this whole hour on-line has been a waste of time.

38) I have been found guilty of . . . The answer must be "no." Convicted felons are not eligible to receive state scholarships.

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OBTAINING YOUR ADMINISTRATOR LOG-ON ID AND PASSWORD Schools that did not submit transcripts last year or who wish to obtain log-on IDs should contact Beverly Lahtinen via e-mail at [email protected]. The e-mail should have the school’s information including: Name, Address, Phone and Florida School Code Number, as well as the name of the principal and valid e-mail address. Beverly will have an ID and password assigned to the school, and, once activated, you may begin using the on-line system. This takes a few days to set up. Once your school log-on and ID have been activated, you will receive an E-Mail informing you. The first few years of the system many schools changed their password, but we recommend that you stick with whatever code you are assigned, because many “glitches” came with changing passwords. Just live with it.

Before Going On Line:

Submitting a transcript through the Bright Futures system is very user-friendly, especially when you consider the complexity of a High School Transcript. The time involved in the

submission depends on many factors, including how comfortable the guidance counselor is on-line, how many credits/courses the student has taken, and how closely your school’s transcript

resembles the way Bright Futures is set up.

The more information you have at your fingertips (preferably in the transcript) the easier the whole operation will be. Here are some suggestions on what to have completed before you start. This will make your time on-line go faster and be more productive.

Social Security Number: The Demographics section is the first screen that is available for viewing for a student. To get to this page you will need the student’s Social Security Number. If he/she has one, you have to use it because you can’t even get started without it. In the few cases where you have a student who does not have an SSN, you need to provide that student with a student ID number that is unique to your school. The first two numbers must be the district ID number (look on your state school code number). The next eight you can assign by some system so you will know who it is. The student will need to know the number so he/she can access his/her records and sign for awards at the institution of his/her choice.

Items needed on Demographics page:

• First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Suffix, if applicable • Street Address

• Phone and E-Mail

• Date of Birth, Gender, Race

• Education Status will ask if student has received or completed: IB Diploma, Community Service Hours, National Merit, National Achievement, or National Hispanic

• Test Scores: ACT, SAT, and, for Gold Seal, CPT, each by category Course Listing:

• Courses are listed by year.

• Each course must be listed in ½ credits.

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GOING ON-LINE IN THE PRACTICE SYSTEM

We recommend that you start at the Bright Futures Home Page, which is

http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/bfmain.htm. We also recommend saving this page in your web favorites because any updates will be listed there. It is also a good site for parents who have hundreds of questions that you don’t have hundreds of hours to look up.

The two links that you will use most often are the 2012 High School Graduates Apply Here

and the High School Guidance Counselors links. They have red arrows pointing at them on the previous page.

The first link is to the Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application for the senior to notify Bright Futures that he/she wishes to be evaluated for the scholarship and that he/she is your student. A student must complete this form before graduation to be evaluated for the scholarship. The second is the link you will use as the high school guidance counselor to submit the student’s transcript.

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From the Bright Futures Home Page:

Click on the HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR name tab. This will take you to a sign-on page. Type in the user ID provided by Bright Futures in the first line. Then, tab to the password box and type in the password provided. Click the Submit button.

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LOG-ON TO THE TRANSCRIPT ENTRY/EVALUATION SYSTEM

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MAIN MENU

(NOTE: Once signed on, DO NOT use the back button, and always save before changing pages. The first time you lose your connection you will be glad you saved often.) Normally the District and School name will already be displayed with a Y in the Private School drop-down list. You do not need to make any changes to them. Look at the System drop-down list on the right side. You want to work in the PRACTICE system until your transcripts have been evaluated. If it is not already set to practice, change it now. Next, look at the Evaluation Year and Time-Frame drop-down box. If you’re submitting a student in January, choose 2010 EARLY EVALUATION. (This is for students who want to pre-qualify even though they have not completed the last semester.) If it’s a normal graduate (mid to end of May), choose SUMMER EVALUATION.

Main Menu Links:

Student List/Search: More on this tab later, but this is where you look up students and make changes to their existing files.

Transcripts/Functions: This is where you start. More detailed step-by-step instructions will follow.

Reports: Reports on your students, students by district or by state. Comprehensive Course Table: Short cut to look up course codes, etc. Log-off: This will assure that the page is not left

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ENTERING A NEW TRANSCRIPT

Once you click the Transcripts/Functions tab at the top of the home page you will see the Transcripts/Functions page, which gives you several options; click the first option "Add a Transcript".

That will bring up this page for inputting the student's basic demographic information.

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17 STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC AND TEST DATA

If the student has completed an application, the following cannot be edited: • Middle Name, Suffix, if applicable

• Street Address • Phone, e-mail School completes:

Community service hours, graduation date (if it has passed), and type of diploma.

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ENTERING TEST SCORES

From Main Menu: Click on "Student List/Search" then the letter "E" to the left of student name. From Demographic Page: Click on the appropriate test button at the top of the page.

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ENTERING COURSES Getting to the Courses List Entry:

From Main Menu: Click on “Student List/Search” then the letter "C" to the left of student name. From Demographic Page: Click the Courses button at the top of the page.

Courses: The courses page has a row of buttons with years displayed on them. Click the button for the academic year to be updated.

Review Before Submission to Production System

Every 24 to 36 hours the Bright Futures system will evaluate all transcripts to which changes have been made. When you log-on to your transcripts you can print out an evaluation confirming the award level for which the student will qualify. Always wait until this is complete before

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COURSE LISTINGS

State Course Number: Many of the more common courses are listed on the right side. If the one you want is listed, simply click on it to move it into the next open row. If you can choose this option, the State Course Name will fill in automatically.

A maximum of 20 course records are allowed per school year. Edits and special considerations for each column of data to be entered are as follows:

State Course Number must be a valid course number that was active during the school year for which data is being entered AND listed in the Bright Futures on-line Course Table OR a valid postsecondary course number. The right hand side of the screen lists the courses most commonly used by private high schools from last year’s database plus the two courses for foreign language waiver (BF FL Waiver) and personal fitness waiver (Intersch Sports

Waiver). If the course you need is in this list, you can click on the link and the “State Course Number,” “State Course Name,” and “Subject Area” will be inserted into the next empty row on the screen. If the course number is not in the list, you can enter it in the State Course Number column, and it will be validated when either the “Save School Year and Continue” or the “Save School Year and Redisplay” action button is clicked.

Local high school courses which cannot be matched to a state-defined course may be entered as ‘9999999,’ but course records with the ‘9999999’ course number will not be considered for Bright Futures evaluation. Postsecondary courses taken at private or out-of-state colleges that cannot be matched to a state-defined postsecondary course may be entered as

‘ZZZ9999’ and can be included in the Bright Futures evaluation.

Note: The Comprehensive Course Table has a link from the High School Guidance page on the Bright Futures Web site, or www.facts.org for a listing, including additional information on the Major Area of Interest requirements.

State Course Name is an informative field that should not be entered by high school or district personnel. The field will be filled automatically if a course number is selected from the list of courses in the sidebar. If you type in the course number, State Course Name will not be displayed until after the course records are validated by the system. Any changes to this field made by the user are ignored.

Local Course Name is required when the State Course Number is ‘9999999’ or ‘ZZZ9999’ (a postsecondary course number not in the Bright Futures Course Table). Local Course Name is optional for any other course number entered. You may wish to provide Local Course Name if it is significantly different from the State Course Name.

Subject Area indicates the subject area of the course. This field is required for courses entered as ‘9999999’ or ‘ZZZ9999’ (a postsecondary course number not in the Bright Futures Course Table). The field will be set automatically if a course number is selected from the list of courses in the sidebar. It is automatically derived from the Bright Futures Course Table when the course records are saved to the database. However, for dual enrollment courses, you may override the subject area to be used by selecting one of the valid values in the drop-down box. Valid values are abbreviated as:

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AG - American Government AH - American History CS - Community Service EC - Economics EL - Elective EN-English FL - Foreign Language LM -Life Management MA - Mathematics PE - Personal Fitness

PW - Personal Fitness Waiver PF - Performing Fine Arts SC - Science

SS - Social Studies

TK - Theory/Knowledge IB VO - Practical Arts (Vocational) WH - World History

The Course Flags field is used to indicate that a course is in progress. A “P” may be entered in any character of this field.

Final Grade is the grade earned by the student for the course. This field is required unless the course is in progress. Valid values are selected from the drop-down list and are: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, and P. Although the ‘+’ designations are valid, no extra grade points are given for those grades. If the course is an annual course in which the student earned a grade of “B” for the first semester and a grade of “A” for the second semester, you have two methods for entering the course.

You can enter the course with a grade of “B” and “1” or “.5” in the credits column. However, if you use the “1” for a full credit and hit "enter,” a pop-up window will tell you the course is being broken into two “.5” courses. The course and grade will be pre-entered by the system, but you should verify the grade for the second half of the course.

The Credits field indicates the number of credits the student earned or will earn for the course. This field is required. Valid values are selected from the dropdown list and are: “0, .17, .33, .5, and 1.” The “.17” value is used for college courses such as one hour labs. The “.33” value is used to assign credits for trimester coursework. NOTE: When an annual course is entered, two records are actually inserted into the database. This will increase your total course record count displayed on the Course Summary screen (Figure 3.3).

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BRIGHT FUTURES CODES & DEFINITIONS

Course Number - The seven-character course number, which uniquely identifies the course within the state of Florida.

Course Title - The abbreviated title of the course.

CCD Subj Area - The course subject area from the State of Florida public high school Course Code Directory

Max Credits - The maximum number of credits a student can earn for the given course. A value of 99.00 indicates that the course may be repeated an unlimited number of times.

Effective Years - The beginning year and ending year for which the course is active. For example, ‘1999-2005’ indicates a course with a beginning year of 1998-99 and an ending year of 2004-05. Weighted - Course is weighted with an additional .25 quality points per semester: Y-Weighted; N-Not Weighted.

FAS/FMS - Course can be used to meet Florida Academic Scholars and Florida Merit Scholars 15 academic core requirements as designated by CCD subject area:

• C-Core; • N-Not Core;

• X4-Indicates Performing Fine Arts courses that are International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement that can be counted among the four extra credits that can be used to increase GPA in FASIFMS if the student does not have the required GPA in the fifteen required credits.

lB - Course can be used to meet the International Baccalaureate curriculum requirements as designated by CCD subject area:

• C-Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate;

• Y-Yes, can be used in one of the seven lB subject areas (Language Arts, Foreign Languages, Social Studies, Theory of Knowledge, Science, Mathematics, The Arts); • E-Elective;

• N-No

Dup Crse - Identifies courses within a subject area with equivalent curriculum. Students may not meet award requirements using duplicate coursework.

GSV - Course can be used to meet Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholarship, 15 high school graduation core requirements as designated by CCD subject area: C-Core.

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GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

All three scholarships have the same initial eligibility requirements for the student and/or parents. There are additional requirements that must be maintained once a student begins college, as well. 1-Be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, as determined by the student's postsecondary institution. (As part of the college enrollment process, each college will require documentation---i.e., drivers license, voter registration card, etc.--- to establish the residential status of the student and/or qualifying parents.)

2-Apply for a scholarship from the program by high school graduation. (This is the Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) listed as number four in the nine-step plan on page 5 of the Administrator section.)

3- Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its equivalent. (A standard high school diploma is defined in Florida Statues 1003.429, 1003.43 and 1003.435. Its equivalent applies to home school and/or GED students.)

4-Be accepted by and enroll in an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary education institution within 3 years of high school graduation. If a student enlists directly into the military after graduation, the three-year period begins on the date the student is separated from active duty. (Most colleges and universities in the state of Florida are eligible. There are a few Christian colleges that do not take federal or state money, so students should check the eligibility before committing to a specific college.)

5-Not have been found guilty of, or pled nolo contendere to, a felony charge, unless the student has been granted clemency by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Executive Office of Clemency. (If you rob liquor stores for extra cash, the taxpayers of Florida will not help pay your college tuition. Sounds fair to me.)

6- Once you start college, you must be enrolled for at least six semester credit hours.

7-This was added late in the year for graduates in 2011. The submission of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now an annual requirement for Bright Futures eligibility. Note: The student’s FAFSA does not have to indicate need; however, it must be completed and processed error-free prior to a student’s first disbursement of an award. (The Florida State Programs May 15th deadline does not apply to Bright Futures.) Visit the website at www.fafsa.ed.gov for online processing. (This is something both the student and parent(s) must complete, no FASFA, no money! Parents will need to have completed preparing their income tax filings before they can complete the FASFA. This applies to students if they had earned income, as well. Some parents are not required to file, but it is recommended that they file each year their student is in college as it will greatly speed up the approval process.)

Additional School Requirements

1-To submit a student, the school must have completed the Annual Database Survey. The survey is an annual requirement, and should be completed in October, so it should not be an issue.

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Florida Academic Scholars Award (FAS) 2012 Graduates

In addition to the general requirements that apply to all three of the Bright Futures Scholarships, the FAS has specific requirements in four categories: GPA, Community Service Hours, Test Scores and Required Credits.

NOTE: This handout is designed to provide a planning guide for students and parents.

Requirements are subject to change; therefore it is crucial that both the student and parent refer to the Bright Futures web site for the most up-to-date qualifications.

http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/

GPA

Student must obtain weighted GPA of 3.5 using the sixteen core courses listed in the "Academic" section. Two additional courses for a total of eighteen core classes can be used to raise the student's GPA. Bright Futures does not use the individual school's weighting system, and non-core classes are not used in the calculations. All "higher level courses" are prescribed a .50 per course weight. As an example, a student that earns a "B" in 1001400 English IV first semester will be awarded 3 points. If he had taken 1001410 English IV Honors, or ENC1101 at the local community college that same "B" would have earned him 3.5 points.

Community Service Hours

100 hours, as approved by the private school. Hours must be approved and documented by the school. Students may begin earning Community Service Hours once they are classified as 9th grade.

Test Scores

For spring graduates, i.e. May/June 2012, the June testing date will qualify even if they are taken after the student has officially graduated. Two testing options can be used to qualify for the FAS: the SAT Reasoning Test, or the ACT Test.

SAT: Best combined score of 1270.

Only the Critical Reading and Math sections apply. The Writing section is requested and/or required by many colleges, but is not used by Bright Futures.

The "best combined score" is obtained by combining a Critical Reading score from one test date with the Math score from a different test date. If, for example, a student scored a 650 on the Critical Reading and a 550 on the Math the first time he/she took the test, that would be a

combined score of 1200, and too low to qualify for the FAS. Then, after taking an Advanced Math class, the student scores a 620 on the Math section, but the Critical Reading score dropped to a 600, that would be a total score of 1220, and still too low to qualify for the FAS. The combined score uses the first Critical Reading score of 650, and combines it with the second Math score of 620 for a new combined score of 1270.

ACT: Best Composite Score of 28

Only the English, Reading, Math and Science Reasoning sections apply. The writing section is requested and/or required by many colleges, but is not used by Bright Futures.

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Required Credits

Sixteen credits of college preparatory academic courses are required in specific areas. The FLDOE maintains a list of all courses at: https://www.osfaffelp.org/bfiehs/fnbpcm02_CCTMain.aspx

The list identifies the amount of credit that can be earned in each course, and if they are college preparatory or not. Special note should be taken of courses that are considered "duplicate," as they will only count once. Additionally, Bright Futures maintains a list of Dual Enrollment courses that can be used to meet the course requirements and the amount of credit each course is awarded. The link is on the comprehensive course table page (upper right corner) and downloads as a PDF file.

https://www.osfaffelp.org/bfiehs/fnbpcm02_CCTMain.aspx

4-English:

Three with substantial writing. Six of the most common choices are listed below.

Course Duplicate Course Credit Taken

1001310 English I 1001320 English I Honors 1.0 1001340 English II 1001350 English II Honors 1.0 1001370 English III 1001380 English III Honors 1.0 1001400 English IV 1001410 English IV Honors 1.0 ENC1101 Freshman Comp Skills I 1.0 ENC1102 Freshman Comp Skills II 1.0 4-Mathematics:

All courses must be at the Algebra I level or above. 2012 graduates are the last graduating class that can use Algebra IA and Algebra IB as two of the four credits. (They are duplicate courses for Algebra I and or Algebra I Honors.) For 2013 graduates and after, the two courses will only count as one credit. Non-college preparatory courses, such as Consumer Math, Business Math and Applied Math, count towards graduation, but do not count as core subjects for the Bright Futures Scholarship. Eight examples are listed.

1200310 Algebra I 1200320 Algebra I Honors 1.0 1206310 Geometry 1206320 Geometry Honors 1.0 1200330 Algebra II 1200340 Algebra II Honors 1.0

MAC1105 College Algebra 1.0

1206330 Analytical Geometry 0.5

1211300 Trigonometry 0.5

1202340 Pre-Calculus 1.0

1202300 Calculus 1.0

3-Natural Science: Two with substantial lab.

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3-Social Science:

Although not specifically required for Bright Futures, the three credits required for a standard diploma per Florida Statutes are: One credit each of World History and American History. One half credit each of American Gov't and Economics.

2109310 World History 2109320 World History Honors 1.0 2100310 American History 2100320 Amer History Honors 1.0 2106310 American Gov't 2106320 Amer Gov't Honors 0.5 2102310 Economics 2102320 Economics Honors 0.5 2-Foreign Language:

The two qualifying courses must be in the same language, and sequential, i.e. Spanish I and

Spanish II. Courses are also sequential if a students takes a high school level course like Spanish I, followed by a qualifying college course through Dual Enrollment as in SPN1120.

0708340 Spanish I 1.0

0708350 Spanish II 1.0

SPN1100 Elem Spanish I 0.5

SPN1101 Elem Spanish II 0.5

SPN1120 Elem Spanish I, Concentrated 1.0 SPN1121 Elem Spanish II, Concentrated 1.0

0717300 Amer Sign Language I 1.0

0707310 Amer Sign Language II 1.0

0706300 Latin I 1.0

0706310 Latin II 1.0

Florida Academic Scholars Award Checklist 2012 Graduates

Requirement Level Status

GPA 3.5

Community Service Hours 100

Test Score SAT Combined 1270 ACT Composite 28 Academic Requirements 4-English

4-Mathmatics 3-Science 3-Social Studies 2-Foreign Language

Requirements are subject to change; therefore it is tantamount that both the student and parent refer to the Bright Futures web site for the most up-to-date qualifications.

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Florida Medallion Scholars Award (FMS) 2012 Graduates

GPA

Student must obtain weighted GPA of 3.0 using the sixteen core courses listed in the "Academic" section. Two additional courses for a total of eighteen core classes can be used to raise the student's GPA. Bright Futures does not use the individual school's weighting system, and non-core classes are not used in the calculations. All "higher level courses" are prescribed a .50 per course weight. As an example, a student that earns a "B" in 1001400 English IV first semester will be awarded 3 points. If he had taken 1001410 English IV Honors, or ENC1101 at the local community college that same "B" would have earned him 3.5 points.

Test Scores

For spring graduates, i.e. May/June 2012, the June testing date will qualify even if they are taken after the student has officially graduated. Two testing options can be used to qualify for the FAS: the SAT Reasoning Test, or the ACT Test.

SAT: Best combined score of 980.

Only the Critical Reading and Math sections apply. The Writing section is requested and/or required by many colleges, but is not used by Bright Futures.

The "best combined score" is obtained by combining a Critical Reading score from one test date with the Math score from a different test date. If, for example, a student scored a 500 on the Critical Reading and a 450 on the Math the first time he/she took the test, that would be a

combined score of 950, and too low to qualify for the FMS. Then, after taking an Advanced Math class, the student scores a 500 on the Math section, but the Critical Reading score dropped to a 460, that would be a total score of 960, and still too low to qualify for the FMS. The combined score uses the first Critical Reading score of 500, and combines it with the second Math score of 500 for a new combined score of 1000.

ACT: Best Composite Score of 21

Only the English, Reading, Math and Science Reasoning sections apply. The writing section is requested and/or required by many colleges, but is not used by Bright Futures.

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Sixteen credits of college preparatory academic courses are required in specific areas. The FLDOE maintains a list of all courses at: https://www.osfaffelp.org/bfiehs/fnbpcm02_CCTMain.aspx

The list identifies the amount of credit that can be earned in each course, and if they are college preparatory or not. Special note should be taken of courses that are considered "duplicate," as they will only count once. Additionally, Bright Futures maintains a list of Dual Enrollment courses that can be used to meet the course requirements and the amount of credit each course is awarded. The link is on the comprehensive course table page (upper right corner) and downloads as a PDF file.

4-English:

Three with substantial writing. Six of the most common choices are listed below.

1001310 English I 1001320 English I Honors 1.0 1001340 English II 1001350 English II Honors 1.0 1001370 English III 1001380 English III Honors 1.0 1001400 English IV 1001410 English IV Honors 1.0 ENC1101 Freshman Comp Skills I 1.0 ENC1102 Freshman Comp Skills II 1.0 4-Mathematics:

All courses must be at the Algebra I level or above. 2012 graduates are the last graduating class that can use Algebra IA and Algebra IB as two of the four credits. (They are duplicate courses for Algebra I and or Algebra I Honors.) For 2013 graduates and after, the two courses will only count as one credit. Non-college preparatory courses, such as Consumer Math, Business Math and Applied Math, count towards graduation, but do not count as core subjects for the Bright Futures Scholarship. Eight examples are listed.

1200310 Algebra I 1200320 Algebra I Honors 1.0 1206310 Geometry 1206320 Geometry Honors 1.0 1200330 Algebra II 1200340 Algebra II Honors 1.0

MAC1105 College Algebra 1.0

1206330 Analytical Geometry 0.5

1211300 Trigonometry 0.5

1202340 Pre-Calculus 1.0

1202300 Calculus 1.0

3-Natural Science: Two with substantial lab.

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3-Social Science:

Although not specifically required for Bright Futures, the three credits required for a standard diploma per Florida Statutes are: One credit each of World History and American History. One half credit each of American Gov't and Economics.

2109310 World History 2109320 World History Honors 1.0 2100310 American History 2100320 Amer History Honors 1.0 2106310 American Gov't 2106320 Amer Gov't Honors 0.5 2102310 Economics 2102320 Economics Honors 0.5 2-Foreign Language:

The two qualifying courses must be in the same language, and sequential, i.e. Spanish I and

Spanish II. Courses are also sequential if a students takes a high school level course like Spanish I, followed by a qualifying college course through Dual Enrollment as in SPN1120.

0708340 Spanish I 1.0

0708350 Spanish II 1.0

SPN1100 Elem Spanish I 0.5

SPN1101 Elem Spanish II 0.5

SPN1120 Elem Spanish I, Concentrated 1.0 SPN1121 Elem Spanish II, Concentrated 1.0

0717300 Amer Sign Language I 1.0

0707310 Amer Sign Language II 1.0

0706300 Latin I 1.0

0706310 Latin II 1.0

Florida Medallion Scholars Award Checklist 2012 Graduates

GPA 3.0

Community Service Hours 75

Test Score SAT Combined 980 ACT Composite 21 Academic Requirements 4-English

4-Mathmatics 3-Science 3-Social Studies 2-Foreign Language

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Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (GVS) 2012 Graduates

GPA

Student must obtain weighted GPA of 3.0 using the sixteen credits required for a Standard four- year diploma, and the three-year College Preparatory diploma. The three-year Career Preparatory diploma uses the fourteen core classes. All require a 3.5 unweighted GPA in a minimum of three Career and Technical Education credits in one vocational program. The vocational courses must be taken over two academic years. Bright Futures does not use the individual school's weighting system. All "higher level courses" are prescribed a .50 per course weight. As an example, a student that earns a "B" in 1001400 English IV first semester will be awarded 3 points. If he had taken 1001410 English IV Honors, or ENC1101 at the local community college that same "B" would have earned him 3.5 points.

Test Scores

For spring graduates, i.e. May/June 2012, the June testing date will qualify even if they are taken after the student has officially graduated. Three testing options can be used to qualify for the FAS: the SAT Reasoning Test, the ACT Test or the CPT. (College Placement Test)

SAT: Critical Reading: 440 Math: 440 ACT: English: 17 Reading: 18 Math: 19 CPT: Reading: 83 Sentence Skills 83 Algebra 72

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The course requirements vary slightly depending on the type of diploma earned. The FLDOE maintains a list of all courses at: https://www.osfaffelp.org/bfiehs/fnbpcm02_CCTMain.aspx. The list identifies the amount of credit that can be earned in each course. Special note should be taken of courses that are considered "duplicate," as they will only count once. Additionally, Bright Futures maintains a list of Dual Enrollment courses that can be used to meet the course

requirements and the amount of credit each course is awarded. The link is on the comprehensive course table page (upper right corner) and downloads as a PDF file.

Core Credits required by Diploma type:

4-year Diploma 3-year Career Preparatory 3-year College Preparatory 4-English 4-English 4-English (3 with substantial

writing) 4-Mathematics (including

Algebra I)

4-Mathematics (including Algebra I)

4-Mathematics (All at the Algebra I level and above) 3-Science (2 with substantial

lab)

3-Science (2 with substantial lab)

3-Science (2 with substantial lab) 3-Social Studies 1-World History 1-American History .5-American Gov't .5-Economics 3-Social Studies 1-World History 1-American History .5-American Gov't .5-Economics 3-Social Studies 1-World History 1-American History .5-American Gov't .5-Economics 1-Performing Fine Art

or

1-Practical Art

2-Foreign Language

(Sequential and in the same language)

1-Personal Education (to include integration of health)

16 Total Core Credits 14 Total Core Credits 16 Total Core Credits Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award Checklist 2012 Graduates

GPA 3.0 in core classes 3.5 in three vocational Community Service Hours 30

Test Score SAT:

Florida Coalition of Christian Private Schools Association, Inc. ADMINISTRATOR S BRIGHT FUTURES RESOURCE MANUAL 4.1