Florida College Grants and Scholarships: Bright Futures and FSAG for 2027-28

By Steve Levine · Updated November 8, 2026

Florida college grants and scholarships come from two main state programs: Bright Futures, a merit scholarship that can pay all or most of tuition and fees, and the Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG), a need-based grant handed out by colleges. Bright Futures has a deadline that surprises families every year: you must apply before you graduate from high school, using the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA). FSAG instead depends on the FAFSA and your college’s own deadline.

Both programs are run by the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA), and their rules are written into state law. The federal 2027-28 FAFSA opened on September 23, 2026, according to CNBC.

Florida college grants and scholarships compared

	Bright Futures	Florida Student Assistance Grant
Based on	High school GPA, test scores and service hours	Financial need
Application	Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA)	FAFSA
Deadline	By high school graduation	Set by each college
Who decides	Florida Department of Education	Your college

Bright Futures: the two main awards

Bright Futures has two main award levels for college students. Both require a Florida residency, a standard Florida high school diploma or an approved alternative, enrollment at an eligible Florida college, and at least 6 semester credit hours, under section 1009.531 of the Florida Statutes.

	Florida Academic Scholars (FAS)	Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)
Weighted GPA in college-prep courses	3.5	3.0
Test score	The SAT or ACT score published by the department	The SAT or ACT score published by the department
Service or work hours	100 hours of volunteer service, paid work or both	75 hours of volunteer service, 100 hours of paid work, or 100 hours combined
Award	The amount needed to pay 100 percent of tuition and specified fees	The amount needed to pay 75 percent of tuition and specified fees

Sources: Florida Statutes section 1009.534 (Academic Scholars) and section 1009.535 (Medallion Scholars).

The law does not write the test score into the statute for current graduates. It says students must reach “the required examination scores published by the department,” so check the current score on the OSFA site before you count on an award. There are also other routes in: students recognized as National Merit scholars or finalists, IB and AICE diploma holders, and, starting with the class graduating in 2025-26, students with the AP Capstone designation can qualify for the Academic Scholars award, according to section 1009.534.

Service hours must be documented in writing and signed by the student, a parent or guardian, and a representative of the organization. Collect these signatures as you go rather than in the spring of senior year.

The Bright Futures deadline: before you graduate

This is the rule that costs students the most money. Under section 1009.531, a student must “apply for a scholarship from the program by high school graduation.” A student who graduates midyear must apply no later than December 31 of the graduation year to be evaluated for that academic year. The application is the FFAA, submitted through the OSFA site, which requires you to create an account and a student profile first.

Once you graduate, you have 5 years to use the award, with longer windows for students who enlist in the military or complete a qualifying service or religious obligation, under the same statute.

The Florida Student Assistance Grant

FSAG is Florida’s need-based grant. The public version is for students at state universities and Florida College System institutions, and it is run by the colleges themselves under rules from the State Board of Education. The law sets these rules, in Florida Statutes section 1009.50:

You must be a degree-seeking student enrolled in at least 6 semester hours per term.
Grants are based on demonstrated unmet need and cannot exceed the maximum set in the state’s General Appropriations Act.
Unmet need of less than $200 makes you ineligible.
You must apply for a Pell Grant, and the Pell award is counted when your need is measured.
Colleges may give priority to students within one semester of finishing a degree.

Because colleges award FSAG from a fixed allocation, the date you file the FAFSA matters. Each college sets its own deadline, so ask the financial aid office at every Florida school you are considering. The OSFA site notes that for FSAG and several other programs, you apply by contacting your postsecondary institution.

How to apply for Florida aid, step by step

Senior year, from fall: create your OSFA student account and submit the FFAA before you graduate.
File the 2027-28 FAFSA. FSAG requires it, and it also opens federal aid. Our FAFSA guide walks through each section.
Track service hours and get each log signed.
Check each college’s FAFSA date for FSAG. Our FAFSA deadlines guide explains priority dates.
Update your college choice in your OSFA account when you decide where to enroll.

Keeping Bright Futures and FSAG

Bright Futures renewal depends on your college GPA and the credit hours you complete each year; the current renewal standards are posted by OSFA, and your college reports your grades. FSAG requires a new FAFSA every year, since it is based on that year’s need. Speak to the financial aid office before you drop a class, since credit hours count toward renewal.

Your 2027-28 timeline

The 2027-28 FAFSA has been open since September 23, 2026. Here is how the rest of the year lines up, using the dates the sources in this guide publish:

Fall of senior year: create your OSFA account and submit the FFAA.
Now: file the FAFSA for FSAG and federal aid.
Before high school graduation: the last day to apply for Bright Futures (December 31 for midyear graduates).
Before you enroll: update your college choice in your OSFA account.

Common questions

Do I need the FAFSA for Bright Futures?

Bright Futures is applied for with the FFAA, not the FAFSA, and the statute’s eligibility rules are academic. But FSAG requires the FAFSA, and so does federal aid, so most Florida students should file both. Filing both costs nothing and keeps every option open.

Can I use Bright Futures at a private Florida college?

Yes, at an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary institution, under section 1009.531. Ask the private college’s aid office what a Bright Futures award covers there before you compare offers.

What if I miss the graduation deadline?

The statute is strict: students must apply by high school graduation, or by December 31 of the graduation year for midyear graduates. There is no general late window, so submit the FFAA early in senior year rather than waiting until spring.

Other Florida aid to know

The OSFA lists several smaller programs, including scholarships for children and spouses of deceased or disabled veterans, the Florida First Responder Scholarship, the First Generation Matching Grant, and the Benacquisto Scholarship for National Merit Scholars. Some require the FFAA and some are applied for through your college, so read each program’s page.

Bright Futures and FSAG stack with the federal Pell Grant. To find private and local awards for the rest, use our free scholarship finder.

If you are a Florida high school senior, the FFAA is the form to submit before graduation day. Without it, you forfeit Bright Futures even if your grades and scores qualify.

Sources

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