Florida Readiness Policies

Four-Year Institutions

Each Florida College System institution board of trustees is authorized to develop rules governing admissions that include mandatory counseling for all students entering college or career credit programs.

The Florida Board of Governors sets minimum admissions criteria. Individual institutions may choose to establish more stringent admissions requirements within the parameters outlined in the board’s regulations. The minimum standards require that applicants graduate with the Standard Diploma.

Minimum Admission Criteria for First-Time, Degree-Seeking Freshmen

Florida has three routes to university admission:

• Standard admission – Institutions may admit students with a high school GPA of 2.5 or higher who have met the minimum admissions criteria, have qualifying SAT and/or ACT scores, and have met the requirements for college-level placement.  
• Talented Twenty – Students receive guaranteed admission to one of the 12 state universities if they are in the Top 20 percent of their graduating class and have completed the required 18-credit core curriculum and submitted qualifying SAT or ACT scores. The Talented Twenty program does not guarantee admission to the first-choice institution.
• Alternative admission – A limited number of applicants who are not eligible for standard admission may be considered for alternative admission. University admissions officers review a variety of factors, including but not limited to the potential for success, family education background, socioeconomic background and graduation from a low-performing high school. The additional factors shall not include preferences in the admissions process based on race, sex or national origin. 
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Two-Year and/or Technical Colleges

Students who attend two-year institutions must have a standard high school diploma or its equivalency or must demonstrate the potential for success in postsecondary course work.

Admission to associate degree programs requires students to have a standard high school diploma or its equivalent, or to have previously demonstrated competency in college-credit postsecondary coursework. Those in dual enrollment and early admission programs are exempt from this requirement. Students must also demonstrate a level of achievement of college-level communication and computation skills.

State Policy Overview

Florida provides predominantly non-need-based financial aid for undergraduates.

Merit-Based Aid

The state lottery funds the merit-based Bright Futures Scholarship Program. Recent high school graduates must complete the Florida Financial Aid Application to qualify for one of four awards.

For the Academic, Medallion, and Gold Seal Vocational awards, students must earn a standard Florida high school diploma, complete the required high school courses with a minimum qualifying grade-point average, enroll for at least six semester credits, and complete the community service requirement.

Applicants for the Academic and Medallion scholarships may use two additional high school units drawn from core academic areas and world languages, as well as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Advanced International Certificate of Education courses, to raise their GPAs to meet the initial eligibility requirements.   

The Florida Academic Scholarship covers 100% of tuition and required fees, plus $300 per semester for applicable expenses. The Florida Medallion Scholarship covers 75% of tuition and required fees. The state sets a per-credit aid amount for recipients of both scholarships who attend nonpublic institutions. The minimum GPAs to renew the Academic and Medallion grants are 3.0 and 2.75, respectively.

The Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholarship provides financial aid to students who take at least three credits in one career and technical education program in high school and meet other GPA, college entrance exam and community service requirements.

The Florida Legislature created the Gold Seal CAPE Vocational Scholars award in 2016. The grant provides funding for students who earn a minimum of five postsecondary credits through industry certifications and complete 30 service hours.

Gold Seal Vocational and CAPE scholars must use their award to enroll in a certificate or career education program. Gold Seal Cape Scholarship recipients may receive additional aid to pursue a baccalaureate degree if they complete an Associate in Applied Science program.       

The Benacquisto Scholarship Program provides aid to National Merit Scholars who attend one of nine public postsecondary institutions. The last-dollar scholarship covers the cost of attendance after deducting the student’s Bright Futures and National Achievement scholarships. Aid is renewable if students meet minimum credit completion requirements and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

The William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education Program provides tuition assistance to Florida undergraduate students attending an eligible private, non-profit Florida college or university. Each participating institution determines application procedures, deadlines and student eligibility. A renewal applicant must have earned a minimum institutional cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and earned the equivalent of 12 credit hours for each term an award was received during the academic year.

Need-Based Aid

The Florida Student Assistance Grant Program provides need-based aid to resident students attending eligible postsecondary institutions. Students must enroll in a minimum of six credit hours per term to participate in the FSAG Public (community college) program, and 12 hours for the FSAG Private and Postsecondary programs. Aid is renewable if students maintain a 2.0 GPA and meet credit requirements for enrollment. Florida Statutes Section 1009.286 allows first-time college students enrolled in a state university who complete a baccalaureate degree within four years of initial enrollment to apply for a refund of excess credit hour surcharges.

Hybrid

The Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship provides financial assistance to undergraduate students who meet scholastic requirements, demonstrate financial need, and attend Bethune-Cookman University, Edward Waters College, Florida A&M University or Florida Memorial University. Each participating institution determines application procedures, deadlines and student eligibility.

Chapter 119 (2019) creates the Last Mile College Completion Program beginning in the 2019-2020 academic year. The program pays the tuition and required fees for students who are within 12 credit hours of completing an associate or baccalaureate degree.