<p>I've just been accepted. How many course do I take in the summer to get the grants?
I also qualify for the bight future scholarship but it said only for fall/spring terms... Will I be able to use the money in the fall? I'm so afraid I won't be able to pay for college.</p>
<p>The amount of credits you need to take to keep your grants depends on the grants themselves. </p>
<p>For Bright Futures, they only give you money, on a per credit basis, on the credits you take in the Fall and Spring. This doesn’t mean you can’t use the money on summer classes, though. You can do this because all the money you receive whether it be from institutional scholarships, private scholarships, grants, etc go into a big pot. The school first pays for tuition, second room and board, etc. </p>
<p>What I suggest is to right down the sources of money that are funding you for college. Write down the credit minimums, term restrictions, and what they will pay for. Estimate your college attendance. Once you have that number start allocating what is paid for an what still needs to be paid for. </p>
<p>Hopefully, this will help you see whether you’re able to pay for college.</p>
<p>Just want to make sure you understand leahgoesrawr, Bright Futures cannot be used for any summer classes. Any other scholarship money can, and is put into a pot and is used first, but under state law, Bright Futures is ONLY for fall and spring semesters. Nor does it cover the entire cost of a credit hour. It is capped at $100 per credit hour, so whatever tuition will be per credit hour at UCF next year ($208 at the moment), the student has to pay for. The $100 is for the highest BF Florida Academic Scholars, the next level only pays $75 per credit hour. You’d be surprised how many people don’t know this!</p>
<p>Can pell be used for summer for incoming freshman?</p>
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And you’d be surprised how many universities end up using supposed Bright Futures money on summer classes.</p>
<p>Niqqui, I’m curious: How many Universities do use BF money for summer classes? How do you know? Did you read it in the University Financial Statements, or get letters from the FA offices or something?</p>
<p>You and I both know I don’t know an official number. What I do know is that Bright Futures money can be used to pay for summer classes. The money you receive through different source are put into your student account, like I said above, your pot. After the first week, once the university knows what classes your taking, where you’ll be staying, etc. you are billed for your tuition and whatnot. If the money you receive is in excess of your expenses, you are billed a check by the end of the semester. That’s your money that you can use on anything you want (within your cost of attendance, of course). </p>
<p>For example, if a student takes 15 credits in the fall and 16 credits in the spring, the student will, hopefully, get about $3100 from the Bright Futures scholarship. If the student’s expenses are already paid for, they get a check from the institution. Not from the Florida. I want to make this clear. </p>
<p>So, say after a year or two you need to take 12 credits worth of classes during the summer. That’s great! You have the money to do so! </p>
<p>Bright Futures cannot directly pay for your summer education. It awards you on a per credit basis depending on the credits you take in your fall or spring semesters. Once it’s been awarded, the university allocates the money to what needs to be paid.</p>
<p>I’ve gotten this information through the department of financial aid of various universities.</p>
<p>But, to be technical here, if all a student has is Bright Futures, and they have to take the 9 hours required summer enrollment under Florida Board of Governors (unless they get it waived by the university), Bright Futures dollars do not pay for it.</p>
<p>In your ‘pot’ of money, Bright Futures is generally applied first to any tuition cost, then any other scholarship money, then any money the university offers, then last grants (like Pell). At the rate tuition is rising and seeing as how the Fl legislature has been hacking away every year at BF, it’s a slim chance there will be any original “BF dollars” left to get a check. And some scholarships (other than BF or Pell grants) specify the money can be spent on tuition only, some allow tuition and books, some allow tuition, books, and room/board.</p>
<p>Well, clearly, if a student only has Bright Futures they’re not going to be getting a check back. </p>
<p>I just stated a way that Bright Futures’ money can be used during the summer. The way I stated is the way I’m going to pay a summer semester in the coming years.</p>