<p>I also agree that the standards should be raised. Maybe 1200 for 75% and 1300 for 100%.</p>
<p>i think lowering the hours is not fair to students like myself who came in with no college credit. i did what i needed to to get a good GPA and a good SAT score, 100% BF but i came into college with no credit so the system would have to accomadate all students. maybe 132-how many credits you have is what BF gives you.</p>
<p>Raise standards, keep 132 hours.</p>
<p>Per student, it is not costing tax payers any more for those who come into college already having some hours, than those who don’t have any. Per student, 132 hours is payed for.</p>
<p>The real solution would be raising the standards. This way, less students will get the financial assistance, which means that more money will be free for the state to use. I think the the bottom of the standards we have now are already pretty generous anyways… We could at least raise the minimum requirements, which ensures that more serious students get the money.</p>
<p>I don’t agree with the statement that we should not give bright futures to those with rich parents. I don’t think that parents should “send their kids” to college. Its not like that to me. No matter how successful your parents are, I believe if you work hard, you should get what you deserve. Who cares if your parents make $300,000? YOU didn’t make that money. Why must people assume that just because your parents CAN pay your college education, that they will want to? What happens to the smart and deserving children with rich parents who don’t want to give a dime for their son/daughter’s education?</p>
<p>Just my 2 cents…</p>
<p>I do agree that the standards need to be raised, especially the 75%. Isn’t it like a 20 ACT for that? I think you could drool on your test (as my APUSH teacher says) and get 75%. I think that should be raised to at least an 1080 or 23 ish ACT. 970 is below the national average. I’m going to enter college with at least 12 DE credits and whatever APs I pass, but I do not plan on graduating early. I’m going to take less credits per semester (say 12 instead of 15 or 16) so that I’m not as stressed. The degree I’m planning on doing is 126 or 128 credits (I can’t remember off the top of my head). A lot of degrees (like engineering, some performing arts, etc) require more than the average 120. Also, if you have to take a pre-req or remedial classes because you didn’t pass the AP exam, or placement test, you’ll have to do more credits. BF is 132 credits or graduation, whichever comes first. I think that should be left the same. Some students don’t have AP at their school or don’t have transportation to a CC for DE classes. Also, the research schools in FL (USF, UF, FSU, UCF or FIU) charge the tuition differential, which BF does not cover. So it’s not like “the state” is paying for their entire tuition.</p>
<p>Do you think they should raise the requirements for renewal or restoration?
I have not seen any current statistics of how many students lose their scholarship after the first year.</p>
<p>Eh, Not sure where I stand on that one. I haven’t gone to college yet so I can’t really say how hard it is to keep the 3.0. I think most 100% kids would be able to keep it though since they have higher GPA, scores etc. Most school scholarships require a 3.0 to be renewed too. I was on some school’s website and it said the average GPA was like a 2.99 or something.</p>
<p>Speaking of GPAs, that should be raised for the minimums too. A 3.0 WEIGHTED for 75%? Should be at least a 3.2. And maybe a weighted 3.7 or 3.75 for 100%</p>
<p>Looks like Bright Futures will be watered down for next year:</p>
<p>[TBO.com</a> - News From AP](<a href=“http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_XGR_FLORIDA_BUDGET_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US]TBO.com”>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_XGR_FLORIDA_BUDGET_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US)</p>
<p>They are considering the tuition increases to be tuition differentials, not the base tuition. This is not a surprise. They can’t raise tuition to make up for the shortfalls if 95% of all freshman entering UF and 90% of all freshman entering FSU have bright futures. That means they raise tuition and the state coffers still have to cough up the money. They basically need to raise CASH not tuition. So they will set what BF covers now as a base tuition, and not cover increases over this to raise cash from the students/parents. </p>
<p>I still think they need to raise standards. I would rather see students who NEED the money get 100% of tuition paid instead of everyone “need it or not” get base tuition paid for a weighted GPA of what it is now.</p>
<p>I agree with cybermom: restrict the credit hours and also I would raise the thresholds on the standards. This is not an entitlement program, it should be a sweetener for those who don’t reach the “exceptional performance” category of specific merit aid, but who are very solid academic performers who benefit from assistance with their tuition. I do think it keeps some good college students in-state, but the difference between in-state tuition and private colleges is so vast that most students could only afford to go to college in-state anyway. Truly, truly the state school system should be raising the tuition rates. The structure of the system is financially unsound, which is why things are so warped.</p>
<p>The most practical way for the state to control BF costs now seems to be going this route toward fixed or “flat” awards instead of open percentages that cost state too much. It is also the least politically damaging method for state politicians having to deal with upset parents and students. Long term, financial need I think should be factored into BF formula. I saw an estimate somewhere that if SAT requirement was raised from 970 to 1050, about 45-50% of current 75% BF student awardees that receive Pell aid. or are otherwise classified as poor, would be eliminated from Bright Future scholarships. If any tweaks are necessary in minimum merit eligibility criteria, change should be raising SAT scores and not GPA’s because GPA’s can too easily be puffed upward by schools.</p>
<p>[Bright</a> Futures scholarships take a hit in state budget - St. Petersburg Times](<a href=“http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article997074.ece]Bright”>http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article997074.ece)</p>
<p>Oh I am surprised – that article says they are actually not covering normal tuition increases 8% along with the tuition differential 15%. I guess 100% is not really 100% anymore.</p>
<p>Lizard: I guess I agree that gpa is a tricky, tricky thing, but there will be a hue and cry from the cadre of folks who don’t test well. Although, come to think of it, if they can’t test well enough to qualify for entrance into the actual school, what does it matter if they can’t qualify for the aid? College is about taking tests, too, so maybe it’s self-fulfilling…</p>
<p>I hear the complaint from profs that too many high schoolers are unprepared. Maybe kids are opting out of better preparing themselves for college work (community college), and trying to go straight to the 4 year universities? Remember that step, the in-between? So many South Florida UF/FSU/USF grads (with successful careers) started their education at Miami-Dade, including my husband.</p>
<p>When the 4 year schools have to remediate the high school grads, that means that they probably should have gone to CC to begin with. I think that so many kids want the big, away from home experience that they’re overlooking the value of the preparation they’d get at their local CC.</p>
<p>Higher standards at the flagships are always better for the system at-large, BECAUSE we have a solid CC safety net - I think some folks/kids have forgotten the suitability of growing into the big university experience. And maybe this would cause the drop-out percentages at the big schools to decline as the kids arriving on campus would be more mature and better prepared. BF eligibilities (FAS/FMS/could tie into this dynamic, somewhat, with the state education department tweaking financial/eligibility standards to shift resources to and away from certain programs.</p>
<p>Also! There are 18 programs outlined on the financial aid page, so there are other opportunities for students who seek assistance with their schooling expense. Those shouldn’t be overlooked.</p>
<p>Cybermom from what I’ve been told, thats true. the schools are going to be allowed to charge tuition above what bright futures will pay for.</p>
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<p>You give CC’s too much credit. They’re no harder than the average AP class, which every UF student comes in with these days. I think the AP’s just need to be harder. I got plenty of 5’s on AP exams without having a grasp of the entire subject.</p>
<p>^the average student does not get 5’s on AP tests without grasping the entire subject so kudos. Sure, purely material CC are not harder than AP classes. but its not all about school work. CC prepares you for more than just the technical aspect of a big university. everything is different from high school to 4yr univ. CC is a good in between.</p>
<p>It ain’t over until it is over, Bright Futures is going to be kicked around some more for sure: [Legislators</a> flunk fixing scholarship - St. Petersburg Times](<a href=“http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article997384.ece]Legislators”>http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article997384.ece)</p>
<p>lol, sorry for posting about UF (my alma mater) in the FSU board, by the way. I mistakedly clicked here.</p>
<p>lizard: thanks for putting up the link, which I read. Did I read that correctly, that 95% of freshman on campus at UF are receiving BF, therefore not paying tuition? No wonder the colleges are bleeding…this is ridiculous!!</p>
<p>This isn’t ridiculous…this is Flori-duh! Bright Futures is out of wack and so is tuition charged at the state universities. That’s what makes the world go round, so many want something for nothing. Maybe the better heeled students receiving BF scholarships could at least send a thank-you card to the poor guys down in Liberty City who help BF’s by buying lottery tickets when they get their smokes over at the liquor store.</p>
<p>I’ve bought maybe 10 lottery tickets in 20 years or so, and it looks like I got maybe 1 semester’s worth of BF scholarship (at FIU) out of 3 kids who are going to college, so I made out - kinda…, )</p>
<p>Seriously, though, they desperately do need to work this out. This legislature is so lame, as were the many, many before them. It’s not like they didn’t see this coming!</p>