For the class of 2027, Bright Futures requires a 1330 SAT for the 100% Florida Academic Scholars award and an 1190 SAT for the 75% Florida Medallion Scholars award. For the class of 2028, the cutoffs rise to 1350 and 1200. GPA and service hours also apply.
For the class of 2027, Florida Academic Scholars requires 1330 SAT on the standard SAT pathway; for 2028, it requires 1350. Both cohorts need a 3.50 Bright Futures GPA and 100 approved volunteer, paid-work or combined hours, plus the other eligibility requirements. FAS covers 100% of eligible tuition and applicable fees at Florida public institutions.
For the class of 2027, Florida Medallion Scholars requires 1190 SAT on the standard SAT pathway; for 2028, it requires 1200. Both cohorts need a 3.00 Bright Futures GPA and either 75 approved volunteer hours, 100 paid-work hours or 100 combined hours. FMS generally covers 75% of eligible public tuition and applicable fees.
The handbook lists separate thresholds for 2027 and 2028. Do not assume either set applies to 2029 or a later graduating class. A test score alone does not qualify a student for an award.
| Graduating class | 75% Medallion (FMS) SAT | 100% Academic (FAS) SAT | ACT (FMS / FAS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2027 | 1190 | 1330 | 24 / 29 |
| Class of 2028 | 1200 | 1350 | 25 / 29 |
Source: Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance, FAS/FMS 2026-27 initial eligibility chart.
Class of 2028 update: the state raises the qualifying lines to 1350 SAT (96 CLT) for Florida Academic Scholars and 1200 SAT (25 ACT, 83 CLT) for Florida Medallion Scholars. Students graduating in 2027 keep the current 1330 and 1190 lines. Full breakdown in our handbook walkthrough.
For Florida students graduating in 2027, the 75% award (Florida Medallion Scholars) requires a 1190 SAT, and the 100% award (Florida Academic Scholars) requires a 1330. For the class of 2028, the lines rise to 1200 for Medallion and 1350 for Academic Scholars. The score is only one requirement: your teen also needs the Bright Futures GPA, approved hours and an on-time FFAA.
Carson answers the question we hear most about this scholarship: what SAT score does a student need for Medallion versus Academic? In under two minutes he covers both classes (1190 and 1330 for the class of 2027, 1200 and 1350 for the class of 2028) and two rules that catch families off guard: PSAT scores do not count, and Bright Futures combines best section scores across sittings.
Why Your Sophomore's Bright Futures Cutoff Is 1350, Not 1330. Carson Flowers, 1:42, October 14, 2026.
More answers from Carson: Why a 1120 Senior Is Only 70 Points From Bright Futures (2:10) and How to Motivate a Senior Stuck at 1150 for Bright Futures (2:24).
Check all three requirements before deciding what needs work. For example, 75 approved volunteer hours meet the FMS volunteer route even if a student also has some paid-work hours. A student with fewer than 75 volunteer hours needs 100 paid or combined hours.
Example: the table uses $6,000 in eligible tuition and fees for one academic year at a Florida public university. Over four years at 2026-27 public university rates (120 credits), FAS is worth about $25,500 and FMS about $19,100, so the gap between the two tiers is about $6,400. This is example math, not a university quote or a guaranteed award.
| Award | Pays | Example annual award | Eligible charges left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) | 100% of tuition and applicable fees | $6,000 | $0 |
| Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) | 75% of tuition and applicable fees | $4,500 | $1,500 |
Your actual award depends on the institution, eligible fees and funded credits. At an eligible private Florida institution, Bright Futures uses a fixed comparable award amount rather than paying 100% or 75% of private-school tuition.
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Is the Bright Futures score enough for their colleges? Pick the colleges on your teen's list and see the admission target next to the 1330 and 1190 lines, with the gap from today's score.
Find my teen's target scoreOther aid can change your family’s final bill. Ask the college for an itemized financial-aid estimate that separates Bright Futures, other scholarships, grants and loans.
Award percentages: official Student Handbook, Chapter 2, August 2026. The $6,000 illustration excludes living expenses and assumes eligible public-university charges.
For a college budget, add housing, meals, books, transportation and personal expenses. Confirm which fees are covered with the institution’s financial-aid office. The scholarship percentage is not the percentage of the entire cost of attendance.
For 2027 graduates, the SAT gap between the FMS and FAS thresholds is 140 points. For 2028 graduates, it is 150 points. Reaching the higher test score changes the estimated tier only if the student also meets the higher GPA and hours requirements.
Reviewed September 11, 2026 against the August 2026 handbook. Confirm current award rules before making a financial commitment.
Bright Futures uses qualifying coursework and its own weights, so the result can differ from a report-card GPA. The standard core is 16 credits: 4 English, 4 math, 3 natural science, 3 social science and 2 sequential credits in the same world language. Up to two additional eligible credits may improve the GPA.
Bright Futures accepts three tests, and your teen only needs to hit the mark on one of them:
Bright Futures can combine your highest SAT Reading and Writing and Math section scores from timely sittings. Send official scores as directed in Chapter 1. ACT and CLT also have specific section-combination rules; compare your official results before choosing a prep plan.
Use the Bright Futures GPA calculator for a planning estimate, then ask your counselor to confirm course eligibility. Eligible advanced courses receive 0.50 additional quality points per full credit, or 0.25 per half credit. FAS requires 3.50; FMS requires 3.00. The GPA is not rounded up.
Have the counselor check the English writing requirement, math level, science labs, world-language sequence, approved advanced-course weights and any repeated courses. Our calculator does not replace that review.
A 1240 SAT is 90 points below the 2027 FAS threshold and 110 below the 2028 threshold. Start with the correct target, a section-by-section diagnostic and the testing dates available. Improvement varies by student; use the plan to decide what is realistic for your timeline.
These gaps are arithmetic, not predictions of how much a student will improve. A practice score helps planning but cannot qualify a student. Section scores combine across sittings: 650 Reading and Writing from one test plus 680 Math from another counts as 1330 for Bright Futures.
College Board released October 3 SAT scores on October 16, 2026. If your teen is short of 1190 (Medallion Scholars) or 1330 (Academic Scholars) for the class of 2027, the next fall date is the December 5, 2026 SAT. Register by November 20, 2026, or by November 24 with the late fee. December 5 scores release December 18, 2026. Spring dates are March 6, May 1 and June 5, 2027, and Bright Futures accepts tests through August 31 of the graduation year.
Does Bright Futures superscore? In practice, yes. The state combines your teen's best Reading and Writing score and best Math score from any timely sitting, so one stronger section on December 5 can close the gap. Send the state your teen's scores from each test date, not a College Board superscore report. For the full decision, read should your teen retake the SAT on December 5, and check the 2026-27 Florida SAT dates.
Short of 1190 or 1330? Book your free Strategy Session. We'll look at your teen's October section scores, the Bright Futures line for their class, and the next step. Nothing to buy on the call. Trusted by 200+ families, with 70 Google reviews.
One score, two doors. For the class of 2027, the 1330 Academic Scholars score sits inside the admitted middle 50% SAT range at UCF (1310 to 1420) and USF (1290 to 1420), and 50 points below the bottom of FSU's range (1380). Training to that line covers tuition and makes a student a competitive applicant at several Florida schools at the same time. For the class of 2028, the Academic line is 1350.
The staircase. We do not aim every student at the Academic line on day one. A student at 1080 builds to the Medallion line first (1190 for the class of 2027, 1200 for the class of 2028) and then pushes for Academic. A student at 1240 goes straight at the Academic score. A senior counts backward from August 31 of the graduation year, the state's testing cutoff, and we fit the plan to the dates that remain.
Read more about our Map, Master, Mock method.
National Merit, AICE and IB diplomas, AP Capstone and other listed pathways have their own conditions. Home education, PEP, GED and certain out-of-state cases also need a closer review. Use the applicable Chapter 1 section with your counselor; none of these labels removes every other requirement.
No. For the class of 2027, submit the FFAA between October 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027, and satisfy the other applicable eligibility requirements. File while remaining requirements are in progress.
Use tests taken by August 31 of the graduation year, or January 31 for midyear graduates. College admission deadlines can arrive much earlier. Confirm both deadlines before choosing a test date.
The college normally reports renewal results to OSFA. FAS requires a 3.00 cumulative college GPA; FMS requires 2.75, unrounded and unweighted. Earned-credit requirements depend on funded enrollment. Chapter 3 explains renewal, limited restoration opportunities and appeals.
Yes, at eligible Florida private institutions. The award uses a fixed comparable amount, not a percentage of that school’s tuition. Ask the college to confirm the applicable rate and your remaining bill.
No. Bright Futures requires an official SAT, ACT or CLT score, so a strong PSAT is a good sign but not a qualifying score. Read what the PSAT is good for in Florida.
A 27 ACT clears the Medallion line but falls short of Academic. Medallion (75%) needs a 24 for the class of 2027 or a 25 for the class of 2028. Academic (100%) needs a 29 for both classes.
Source check: September 11, 2026. This independent guide summarizes the August 2026 Bright Futures Student Handbook. The handbook and OSFA’s official evaluation govern eligibility.
Bring their latest score to a free 45 to 60 minute Strategy Session. You leave with the target, the gap and a week-by-week plan to close it. Yours to keep either way.
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