DeSantis signs bill to expand opportunities for Bright Futures Scholarship

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday, June 27, signed H.B. 461 to expand eligibility requirements for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program to include paid work experience as a substitute for service hours. 

This expansion will allow students who work after-school jobs to apply their paid work contributions to their communities to substitute service-hour requirements. 

The legislation allows students the opportunity to receive Bright Futures Scholarships who may not otherwise have been able to meet the requirements for a scholarship. 

“Florida students should not lose the opportunity to receive a Bright Futures Scholarship because they have to work to help their families make ends meet,” DeSantis said. “After-school jobs teach our students valuable life lessons, much like community service hours do. I am glad to sign this bill and will continue to make sure higher education remains affordable in Florida.”

The bill modifies the eligibility requirements for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program to include an option for students to use paid work hours to qualify for the scholarship. Paid work hours must meet the requirements for volunteer hours, and there must be documentation of the hours. 

“Bright Futures has provided a pathway to success for nearly one million students,” Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said. “With today’s changes to Bright Futures eligibility requirements, no student will be forced to choose between supporting their family and meeting the volunteer hours necessary to earn a scholarship.”

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, primarily funded by the Florida Lottery, was established in 1997 to assist students with tuition costs when pursuing a postsecondary degree. During the 2021-2022 school year, more than 120,000 Florida students received Bright Futures Scholarships.