ADMISIONES

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program offers Florida lottery-funded scholarships to reward high academic achievement among Florida high school graduates. Since its inception, the program has provided scholarships to over 725,000 students attending Florida postsecondary institutions.

Bright Futures awards include:

• Florida Academic Scholars (FAS)

• Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)

• Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC)

• Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV)

Important Application Information:

• ALL SENIORS MUST COMPLETE the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) during their senior year to be eligible for all state grants and scholarships, including the Bright Futures Scholarship. The application opens on October 1.

  Students only apply one time and cannot apply until the application opening date during their senior year.

• Monitoring Your Eligibility:

  • Students should frequently monitor their “Bright Futures GPA” and eligibility status.

  • A student's "Bright Futures GPA" is different from their high school GPA. Bright Futures GPA calculations only include the 16 core education credit hours.

  • It is important to know if you meet the requirements or if you need to do extra work!

• Testing and Score Submission:

  • Don’t wait to apply until ACT and SAT test scores meet requirements! Bright Futures test scores are automatically updated as long as the student opts to report their scores to at least one Florida college when they take the ACT or SAT.

• Award Usage:

  • Students can use their award for up to five years after you graduate high school or leave the military, but you must apply before graduation!

• Further Guidance:

  • Students and parents are strongly encouraged to thoroughly read the Florida Department of Education Bright Futures Handbook for complete information and questions.

​The Bright Futures Student Handbook is an essential guide for Florida high school students seeking merit-based scholarships to pursue postsecondary education within the state. It outlines the eligibility criteria, application procedures, award levels, and renewal requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

Over 1,000 colleges and universities use the Common App for admissions, making it a crucial platform for many applicants. The Common App resource site is an excellent tool for answering these questions and guiding students and their families through the application process. 

Additional information is available at the Common App Website

The College Essay: Your Opportunity to Shine

The college essay on Common App and institutional applications provides a unique chance for students to showcase their personality, experiences, and aspirations. It's a platform to demonstrate what makes you a valuable addition to a school's campus.

Given the importance of this essay, students should invest significant time in brainstorming, writing, revising, seeking feedback, making corrections, and refining their work. Remember, most competitive colleges require multiple writing supplements, so it's crucial to plan ahead.

Free Essay Writing Resources

• College Essay Guy: How To Write A College Essay Guide

• College Essay Guy: FREE Guide to Personal Statement

  
  

• 35+ Best College Essay Tips

Florida Financial Aid

The Florida Department of Education offers a variety of state grants and scholarships, including the Bright Futures Scholarship, exclusively for Florida high school students. Please visit the Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance for details.

The Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) is the free financial aid application from the state of Florida's Office of Student Financial Assistance. Students must apply using the FFAA to be eligible (click here for link). Begin the FFAA Application process HERE.

ALL SENIORS MUST COMPLETE the FFAA in order to be eligible for all state grants and scholarships including the Bright Futures Scholarship. Students do not need to be eligible for Bright Futures at the time of application. Students should submit their FFAA when the application opens on October 1 of their senior year and continue working toward eligibility until the deadline of August 31 of their graduation year.

Federal Financial Aid

2024-25 FAFSA Application is currently open in a "soft launch" period

The US Government provides grants, loans, and work-study programs for postsecondary education. Students must apply using the FAFSA to be eligible for federal aid.

APPLY: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Students planning to start college in SUMMER 2025 should complete both the 2025-25 and 2025-26 FAFSA.

Students planning to start college in FALL 2025 should complete the 2025-26 FAFSA only.

Steps to Complete the FAFSA:

1. CREATE YOUR FSA ID

   
   

   Click to download FSA ID without SSN Instructions

2. COMPLETE THE FAFSA

FAFSA FAQs:

What steps can I do now?

Students and anyone contributing information to the FAFSA should obtain an FSA ID now. If you already have an FSA ID, you don't need a new one. Be sure to save your ID and password securely.

Can my parents create an FSA ID without a Social Security Number?

Yes, parents who need to contribute information to the FAFSA can get an FSA ID, even if they don't have an SSN.

Students must submit a FAFSA every year to receive financial aid.

Applying early each year can increase your financial aid award.

ALL SENIORS SHOULD COMPLETE the FAFSA to be eligible for all federal loans, grants, and work-study programs.

Many colleges have FAFSA deadlines to be considered for priority financial aid from the school. Students and families are strongly encouraged to submit their FAFSA as soon as possible.

VPortal is a personal cloud desktop for students and parents of Volusia County Schools that provides access to apps, files, and classes from any location.

To access VPortal, users can:

1. Go to https://launchpad.classlink.com/volusia

2. Log in using the student's alpha ID and birthdate 

Users can also download the VPortal app for Apple iOS or Google Android. If users need help logging in, they can watch a video or call the Virtual Online Instructional Support Hotline at (386) 626-0070, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3 PM.

A VPortal Guide is available for download by clicking this link: VPortal Guide