Types of Financial Aid:
Grants (free money)
Scholarships (free money)
Federal Work Study Program (Self-Help Aid)
Federal Loans (must pay back)
Sources of Financial Aid:
Federal Government
State Government
Colleges and Universities
Private Organizations
Financial Aid Basics – This resource, made available by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, provides an overview of the financial aid process and explains the various types of financial aid.
Federal Financial Aid
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form – fafsa.gov –
Available October 1
Financial Aid Resources
How Financial Aid Works
Overview of the Financial Aid Process (video)
CSS Profile – Some schools will require the CSS Profile as part of the financial aid process to award institutional aid. CSS Profile Guide
State Financial Aid
Bright Futures
Bright Futures offers lottery-funded scholarships for Florida graduates who demonstrate high academic achievement and enroll in eligible Florida public or private post-secondary institutions. Students must meet the following initial eligibility requirements.
| Type | 16 High School Course Credits | High School Weighted Bright Futures GPA | College Entrance Exams by High School Graduation Year | Service Hours |
| Florida Academic Scholarship (FAS) | 4 – English 4 – Math 3 – Natural Science 3 – Social Science 2 – World Language | 3.50 | ACT – 29SAT 1330 | 100 Hours |
| Florida Medallion Scholarship (FMS) | 3.00 | ACT – 25SAT – 1210 | 75 Hours |
Evaluation includes an unrounded, weighted high school GPA (calculated to two decimal places) in the 16 college-preparatory credits. AP, Honors and Dual enrollment are weighted.50 per year course in the calculation of the GPA.
Florida high school graduates will be required to submit a state application prior to graduation to be eligible for Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship program. Students will apply with the assistance of their school counselor in January or February of their senior year.
Student transcripts will be forwarded to the Department of Education by the high school counselor shortly after graduation. Notification of eligibility will be sent to the individual. Please allow 4-6 weeks for eligibility determination.
Florida Student Scholarship and Grant Program
To apply for the following scholarships/grants, complete the applications at: FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org
Benacquisto Scholarship Program(FAQ)
Bright Futures Scholarship*
Effective Access to Student Education
First Generation Matching Grant
Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship*
Florida Student Assistance Grant– Career Education
Florida Work Experience Program
Honorably Discharged Graduate Assistance Program
José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant*
Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship
Minority Teacher Education Scholarship
Randolph Bracy Ocoee Scholarship Program*
Rosewood Family Scholarship*
Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans* (Award Amounts)
Scholarships
Naviance provides a scholarship search function for three types of scholarships.
- College Specific Scholarships
- National Scholarships
- Scholarship opportunities sent directly to TC will be added to the scholarship section in Naviance.
Scholarship Search Websites
Goingmerry.com
RaiseMe
Bigfuture.collegeboard.org
Scholarships.com (Florida Scholarships)
Studentscholarships.org
Scholarships.org
Fastweb.com
Collegenet.com
Petersons.com
Salliemae.com
Scholarships.com
College of Distinction Mega List of Scholarships
Additional scholarship opportunities:
Companies (check with parent’s employment), clubs, faith-based organizations, Google search for hobbies/ interests
Check with Financial Aid and Scholarships Office at the college/university you plan to attend
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Eligibility
Students who want to play a sport at any NCAA Division I or II university as a freshman must register and be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center. All high school student-athletes should be aware of and understand the NCAA Eligibility Center rules.
Division I Qualifier Requirements:
● Complete 16 core courses (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language). Ten of the 16 core courses must be completed before the seventh semester (senior year) of high school and seven of the 10 core courses must be in English, math, or science.
● Earn a core-course GPA of at least 2.3
● Earn the ACT/SAT score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale (see NCAA website)
● Graduate high school
Division II Qualifier Requirements:
● Complete 16 core courses (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language)
● Earn a core-course GPA of at least 2.2
● Earn the ACT/SAT score matching your core-course GPA on the Division II full qualifier sliding scale (see NCAA website)
● Graduate high school
● For further questions please contact the eligibility center directly using the following information:
P.O. Box 7136 / Indianapolis, IN 46207 (877) 262-1492 + (317) 223-0700 Call Center Hours: 8:00am-6:00pm EST Mon-Fri