By when will financial aid letters come out and be updated on ISIS?
@sallybright Hello. I received a merit scholarship through email on the 18th and just got a hard copy through mail of my scholarship today. 
And I’m about 99% sure that UF is not giving out anymore merit scholarships… They have sent them all out on the 18th and said that they are not sending out anymore. You can still receive money through financial aid though.
My son is from FL & received the Presidential Platinum scholarship by mail yesterday. He is also a NMF with 4.0 uw & 36 ACT. Lots of APs, IBs, ISEF finalists & multi-sport athlete. @sallybright
What is the Presidential Platinum? Congratulations to your outstanding son! Wow! Is he thinking about attending UF or does he have his sights set elsewhere? Do you mind me asking if he used UF as a safety? Did he show interest in UF by visiting or attending any programs there?
@saismom He initially applied as a safety school but after visiting it moved up to top 3. He’s waiting on a few schools this week, but that UF money will make the other OOS private schools a harder choice. The Platinum is $10,000 per year, I believe it stacks with bright futures but not FIS.
I am sorry to be a pest, but I was wondering if I might ask: would your son be classified as a minority? These scholarships are so crazy! A perfect ACT 36 and an SAT of 1780 and both receive the platinum?
It’s sad the way UF has cut back so severely on OOS merit awards. My son had a 4.0 with 2150 and got nothing. From FSU he received a full OOS tuition waiver. Though UF does have some higher rankings, there’s no way that covers the difference between $14K for FSU (with OOS waiver) and $48K for UF with no waiver. My son’s guidance counselor’s theory is that UF gives the merit aid to those students that it is pretty sure will attend, and that means kids that seem to be high achievers that may go elsewhere get nothing. Just a theory.
I think that might be correct. Why award scholarships to kids who show very little interest.
My son also received a full OOS tuition waiver from FSU and nothing from UF. His first choice school is UF but how can we justify paying so much more in tuition over a four-year period? Had they offered him something, he would go to UF. Now will most likely be going to FSU.
@saismom Son is hispanic. Does this scholarship usually only go to minorities?
We had read in previous posts from last year and beyond that many of these in state scholarships do indeed go to mainly minorities. By no means am I suggesting your son is not deserving- his stats are amazing! But there are others with far lower stats that also received these scholarships and many who are NOT minorities with very high stats who received nothing at all. Just the way UF does things, I suppose. Congratulations to your high achieving son! So wonderful to have such super choices!!! The FIS is also golden- my daughter will receive that as long as the Florida Legislature doesn’t mess it up!
I think the student with the 1780 got a partial OOS scholarship wavier, but I could be wrong? I’m sure they didn’t get the Presidential Platinum scholarship.
Most UF scholarships are awarded holistically. Stats play a big part, but so does all of that holistic mumbo jumbo. Many of UF’s scholarships also have a need component. In fact, it’s a state law than 75% of the $ collected from financial aid fee’s (students at Florida’s public universities pay a financial aid fee, currently is $5.25 a credit hour at UF) has to go to need-based aid.
A few years ago UF got permission to increase it’s tuition rate, but only if a portion (I think 1/3 of the extra collected) goes to need-based aid.
Last year, looking at the CDS info, UF only awarded 265 merit scholarships to students that did NOT receive any need-based aid (out of a Freshman class of 6,375). You can compare that number to FSU’s 340; all of the other Florida state universities gave even less.
UF (and the other Florida public’s) do much better with need-based aid. Last year, at UF, need was met for 99% of the students who receive any need-based aid.
UF wants to increase the % of OOS students. I just don’t see how that’s going to happen without increasing the number of OOS waivers. Even the $8K/year waiver would help in recruitment (and yield).
My twin sister is the student that got a 1780 SAT and got the scholarship that’s $5000 per year with a total of $20000 for all four years. We are both in state students by the way.
That is awesome for your sister! These decisions are so crazy though! Maybe they liked her essay better? Who knows! But a big congrats for UF! Still waiting on honors here and hoping for good news.
Hi guys, I’m the sister with the 1780… So I can answer some of your questions.
I did not receive the Platnuim Presidential Scholarship, but rather the Presidential Scholarship (5,000 a year.) I am a minority (African American), a Florida resident, and a first-generation student.
As to how I received the scholarship… I don’t know. My sister (allthingsamanda) had a 1980 on her SAT and did not receive a merit scholarship as I did. We had mirror extracurriculars because we do everything together. The only thing I could see as to why I received a scholarship is because of my essay… Because in comparison to my sister she should’ve received a scholarship based on her merit.
Hope that helps.
Update. My son never got an e-mail. Just got hard copy for Gator Nation Scholarship. OOS. 20K/yr. Was planning on attending UVA Engineering. This kind of changes things. Now probably going to be a Gator after all.
Can you say bummed!!! I wish I didn’t find this forum I was hopeful until now
Congrats on your wonderful scholarship @itstamara!!! Obviously the committee saw something very special in your essay so well done!! Best wishes for an amazing UF college experience if that is where you chose to go!!
@saismom Thank you so much!
My son’s first choice was UF as well. But with the FSU OOS waiver, there’s no way to justify the cost differential. Hard for me to be sad about that! But the difference is between about a net of $14K for FSU versus $42K for UF. Not even a close analysis here.