<p>Highest Florida Bright Futures scholarship used to cover 100% tuition.
This year it only covered 55%.
We did not find out until after acceptances and enrollments were finalized.
They are planning to cut it even more or maybe eliminate or make it need based instead of merit based. Yet tution will rise.
Why is this not fair? We have counted on this assistance and studied hard for our SAT/ACT<code>s to make the cuts. This is the only merit based scholarship most Florida students qualify for. There are plenty of need based scholarships for students who study and make the grades. Not every student who does not qualify for need based aid can afford college. BF</code>s comes from lottery money not from tax payers money. Cutting BF<code>s is simply not fair when we are already in the college and were not given change to plan for this. They must give parents and students time to make alternate plans other than taking loans.
Please take time to write to your Florida State Legislator not to cut the BF</code>s.</p>
<p>My kid will get Bright Futures too. So it is in my interest to have it continued. However, you might want to at least consider the opposing point of view.</p>
<p>The federal government is borrowing 40 cents of every dollar it spends, and that the State of Florida has probably been equally irresponsible. We can’t continue this way, or we will go the way of Greece. Germany made the hard cuts five years ago, and is now prospering. Our government overspends by 40%, but can’t even agree to cut ONE percent.</p>
<p>The mere fact that a program is worthwhile doesn’t mean it doesn’t merit some cutbacks.
We could all probably think of an infinite number of worthwhile ways for government to spend money, but if they were all actually implemented, the tax rate would have to be 100%.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that the standards to qualify for Bright Futures is quite low. Most private college have gotten rid of merit aid. It all seems to be need based. I don’t agree with that position, but if UF goes down the same road, we should not be surprised. Believe me, my family needs such merit aid, but there are people in the country who have it a lot tougher. The government needs to start prioritizing how it spends its money. In the middle of a deep recession, we can’t continue to spend the same amounts we did before.</p>
<p>@floridadad55: You are correct in your assertion that the standards used to qualify for Bright Futures scholarships may have been on the low side – but last spring the state legislature updated those standards and added a timeline for implementation. On the other hand, changing a merit-based program to a need-based program is a structural change that was not part of the plan originally sold to the residents of this state. And like telecom543 said, for the state legislature to change the rules on financial aid after a student has decided to attend an in-state university is patently unfair.</p>
<p>Maybe a better place to start cutting is the One Million dollars a year it costs to support one soldier in Afghanistan?</p>
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<p>You’re right we need more tax cuts followed by reduction in Bright Futures by our wonderful Governor.</p>
<p>Amen, thetruth2012.</p>
<p>Kinda random… But does bright futures superscore the SAT?</p>