My mom just submitted my application to Bright futures yesterday.
@snicks1234 NMFs from Florida
My daughter’s bright futures was included in financial aid email yesterday. Does anyone know how to approve child’s housing contract?! She won’t be 18 until next week and I didn’t want to wait!
Hey @Gator88NE did you apply for parent plus loans yet? I am in a very similar situation (from NY) and I want to make sure I am making the right choices. Currently on the federal financial aid site there is only an option to apply for award year 2016-2017, is the application not open yet for 2017-2018?
@snicks1234 Being in-state NMF gets you the Benacquisto scholarship which is UF’s full COA - BF - any NMF scholarship. So, you automatically have a full ride at UF.
were all OOS merit scholarships offered this past week as well? I was under the impression they would not be out for at least another week or so
@mom3boyz - Yes, all OOS merit scholarships have been offered
I knew applying to UF that I shouldn’t apply based on the assumption that the school would give merit aid. It’s so prestigious and UF has no problem attracting students, it can afford not to give out scholarships like the 9600 admissions scholarship at FSU. But I’m not discounting anyone’s disappointment.
thanks @Melissa96 I was told by a friend that the OOS came a few weeks after acceptances… based on last years threads ppl got accepted on 2/13 and then got merit on 3/3
I stand corrected admissions confirmed all merit has been notified
Just called as well, and they said everyone who received merit scholarships were notified this past Friday.
@18yrcollegemin Yes I am an instate NMF. Does that mean I automatically get the benacquisto scholarship?
As long as you name UF as your first choice school. It’s a state funded program. http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/factsheets/FIS.pdf
I got the official letter in the mail today but it didn’t include financial aid. Does anyone know when the need based grants/cost of attendance will be sent?
@snicks1234 Please read up on the Benacquisto scholarship, We have a huge thread on it, where other parents have already answered most of your questions.
As our new President would say, it’s YUGE!!
@travisn326 You can’t yet complete the form, At this point, all you can see is the projected amount and tell them you want to be considered for loans. It may be a while before you can apply for the loans. When you do, you can enter how much you want (you don’t have to do the full amount) or cancel any you don’t want.
FOR NOW, It’s may be best to say you do want to be consider for the loans, even if you don’t think they will be needed. You can always back out (cancel) or adjust the numbers at a later date.
If you’re thinking of taking out a Parent Plus loan, make sure you first take out the maximum student loan ($5,500), as that loan has much better terms, and as a parent you can help them pay that back. Only after taking the max student loans, should you think about taking out a Parent Plus loan.
@18yrcollegemin I have been homeschooled all my life except the last two years I have been enrolled with Stanford online high school, which of course is in California. I will receive a high school diploma from that school. It says on the Benacquisto scholarship site I either have to have a florida high school diploma or the equivalent or graduated from a homeschool program,etc. Now, NMSC still considers me homeschooled even though I went to Stanford online high school. Will the scholarship foundation consider me homeschooled also? I have lived in Fla. my whole life and do now. I am a lifetime resident here, but my diploma will be a California diploma. Always with the complications.lol!
@Gator88NE good sound advice.
And ,of course, I did my classes at home.
Glad to see, that after finding out we’re part of the 97% that didn’t receive an admission scholarship, I’m not the only one having to crunch numbers to figure out how we’re going to (financially) make this happen. ~X(