The Florida Department of Education and the Office of Student Financial Assistance administers a variety of financial aid resources such as grants, loans, and scholarship programs. This is a short list of those opportunities. Please visit their website at http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ or call 1-888-827-2004 for additional information and applications.
- Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program - rewards students for their academic achievements during high school by providing funding for them to pursue postsecondary educational and career goals in Florida. During the 2003-2004 award year, over 120,000 Florida students received funding from a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship. The 2006 high school graduates may apply for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship by completing the Florida Financial Aid application beginning December 2005.
- Florida Student Assistance Grant Program - is a need-based grant program available to students who attend state universities and public community colleges. Prospective students need to demonstrate financial need and are enrolled in participating postsecondary institutions.
- Talented Twenty Program - rewards high school students graduating in the top 20% of their senior class by guaranteeing them admission to one of the eleven state universities in Florida and by providing priority funding for the Florida Student Assistance Grant program.
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William L. Boyd, IV Florida Resident Access Program - provides tuition assistance to the Florida undergraduate students attending an eligible, private, non-profit Florida college or university. Each participating institution determines application deadlines and student eligibility.
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Jose Marti Scholarship Challenge Grant Program - is a need-based merit scholarship that provides financial assistance to eligible students of Hispanic origin who will attend Florida public or private institutions.
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Ethics in Business Scholarship - provides assistance to undergraduate college students who enroll at community colleges and eligible private Florida colleges and universities. Scholarships are funded by private and state contributions. Awards are dependent on private, matching funds.
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Scholarships for Children of Deceased or Disabled Veterans or Children of Servicemen Classified as Prisoners of War or Missing in Action - are for dependent children of Florida veterans or servicemen who died from service-connected diseases or disabilities and have been verified by the Florida Dept. of Veterans' Affairs as having service-connected 100% total and permanent disabilities.
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Rosewood Family Scholarship - was created to provide financial assistance for a maximum of twenty-five eligible minority students who attend a state university, public community college or public postsecondary vocational-technical school.
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Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Program - was established by the United States Congress to provide scholarships to outstanding high school graduates who show promise of continued academic achievement. This program is offered through the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the Office of Student Financial Assistance, Florida Department of Education.
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Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship Program - provides financial assistance to undergraduate students who meet scholastic requirements, demonstrate financial need, and attend Bethune-Cookman College, Edward Waters College, Florida A&M University, or Florida Memorial College. Available funds are contingent upon matching contributions from private sources on behalf of eligible institutions.
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Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan Forgiveness Program - provides financial assistance to eligible Florida teachers for the repayment of undergraduate and graduate educational loans, which led to certification in a critical teacher shortage subject area. The Critical Teacher Shortage areas for 200602007 are: Autism, Emotionally Handicapped, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Exceptional Student Education, Foreign Languages, Hearing Impaired, Industrial Arts-Technology Education, Mentally Handicapped, Middle and High School Level Mathematics, Middle and High School Level Science, Physically Impaired, Reading (degree only), School Psychologists, Specific Learning Disabled, Speech and Language Impaired, Varying Exceptionalities, and Visually Impaired
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Critical Teacher Shortage Tuition Reimbursement Program - is a reimbursement program created for the purpose of improving skills and knowledge of certified full-time publicly funded school employees currently teaching or preparing to teach in a PreK -12 critical teacher shortage area as approved by the State Board of Education.
- Florida Work Experience Program - (FWEP) is a need-based program providing eligible Florida students the opportunity to secure work experiences complimentary to the students' educational and career goals. Each participating institution determines application deadlines, student eligibility, and award amount.
According to VISA.com search, follow these recommendations to get a head start on the financial aid search:
- Explore your options early and pay close attention to deadlines. Use the Internet for detailed information.
- Don’t assume your son or daughter will not qualify for financial aid. Apply for it and see what happens.
- Read and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Hard copies can be obtained at high schools, financial aid offices, career centers, libraries, or on the web.
- Complete the FAFSA accurately and completely. Make sure you and your future student sign it before mailing. Make copies of everything.
- Submit your FAFSA before the postmark deadline. Get a certificate of mailing as evidence everything was sent on time.
- Review the SAR – Student Aid Report carefully. This SAR will come within four weeks after filing your FAFSA. If you file early this will allow time to review the SAR and make any corrections.
- Check out what each school offers. Some schools have specific scholarships and other financial aid programs available at each college or university.
- Leave student loan options for last. Consider grants and other financial aid you don’t have to repay before applying for a student loan. Accepting a loan means accepting the responsibility of repaying it.
- Look into federal student loan programs through www.fsa.ed.gov.
(permission given by VISA to use this article for reproduction)
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions students and their parents to be aware of scholarship scams. Read the following examples:
1. "The Scholarship is guaranteed or your money back." No one can guarantee that they’ll get you a grant or scholarship. Refund- guarantees often have conditions and strings attached. Get refund policies in writing before you pay anything.
2. “You can’t get this information anywhere else.” There are many free lists of scholarships. Before you decide to pay someone to do the work for you, do some research at your school, library, or on the Internet.
3. “May I have your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship?” Don’t ever give out your credit card number on the phone without getting information in writing first. It could be a setup for unauthorized withdrawal from your account.
4. “We’ll do all the work.” Don’t be fooled. There is no way around it and you must apply for scholarship grants yourself.
5. “The scholarship will cost you some money.” Don’t pay anyone who claims to be “holding” a scholarship or grant for you. Free money should not cost a thing.
6. “You’ve been selected by a “national foundation” to receive a scholarship, or “you’re a finalist in a contest” you never entered. Before you send money to apply for a scholarship, check it out. Make sure the foundation or program is legitimate.
 Note: these scams can be identified via phone, letter in the mail, or e-mail.
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