The short answer: for the 2026-27 award year, a Florida student needs a 1330 SAT to qualify for Florida Academic Scholars (FAS), which pays 100% of tuition and applicable fees at a Florida public university, or a 1190 SAT for Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS), which pays 75%. Those thresholds are unchanged from 2025-26, per the Florida Department of Education's official award chart.
The two scores that decide who pays for college
Bright Futures is not a lottery or an essay contest. It is a checklist, and the SAT score is the hardest box for most students. Everything else (GPA, service hours, the FFAA application) is under your control with planning. The score is the tiebreaker.
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS): the 100% award
- SAT: 1330 (or ACT 29, or CLT 95)
- GPA: 3.50 weighted in the 16 college-prep credits
- Service: 100 volunteer hours, or 100 paid work hours, or a combination of 100
- Pays: 100% of tuition and applicable fees, about $212.71 per credit hour at UF for 2025-26, roughly $6,381 per year and about $25,500 over a 120-credit degree
Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS): the 75% award
- SAT: 1190 (or ACT 24, or CLT 82)
- GPA: 3.00 weighted in the 16 college-prep credits
- Service: 75 volunteer hours, or 100 paid work hours, or a combination of 100
- Pays: 75% of tuition and applicable fees, about $159.53 per credit hour, roughly $4,786 per year and about $19,100 over four years
The deadlines most families miss
Test scores must come from exams taken by August 31 of the year your student graduates (January 31 for mid-year graduates). That means senior-year testing ends earlier than most families expect. In practice, most students get two or three test dates that truly count. The Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) must also be submitted; do it senior year, no later than August 31 after graduation.
Renewal is easy. Qualifying only happens once.
Bright Futures renews annually in college: FAS requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA, FMS a 2.75. But qualification only happens once, in high school, with that SAT score on file by the deadline.
What if your teen is close but not there?
A student at 1150 is one focused prep cycle from 1190, and a 1240 student is realistically within range of 1330, which also happens to sit near the admitted-score ranges at FSU (1340–1450) and within reach of UF's range (1380–1510). One number, two doors.
That is exactly what our Florida SAT prep program is built for, and it is why we offer a Bright Futures Guarantee: finish the program, hit the score, or we keep tutoring free until your student does. Book a free Strategy Session and we'll map your teen's exact gap and timeline.
Sources: Florida Department of Education FAS/FMS award chart (updated Aug 2025); UF Student Financial Aid, Bright Futures program details. Reviewed July 2026.