© 2024 WFSU Public Media
WFSU News · Tallahassee · Panama City · Thomasville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New State Scholarship Program Aimed At Keeping Top Scholars At Florida Schools

Monash University
/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monashuni/

Florida’s top high school graduates are getting a new financial incentive to go to Florida universities.

Tucked away in the state budget is a program aimed at rewarding Florida students designated as National Merit scholars, called the Florida National Merit Scholarship Initiative.

Many merit scholars already qualify for the state’s Bright Futures scholarship program which covers tuition. Now Florida lawmakers are giving them an extra incentive to stay in Florida. A new state-based scholarship could award them up to $15,000 to use for tuition, housing and other expenses, with the chance to renew it each year.  

Monday, the state revenue estimating conference led by Chief Economist Amy Baker began crunching numbers for the new program.

The state is looking into the long-term costs of the program. The Legislature gave $2.9 million to fund about 182 merit scholars this year. Economists expect the price of the program to climb as tuition increases and more students become aware of the new scholarship’s existence. 

Follow @HatterLynn

Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lynn has served as reporter/producer for WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas.  She is an award-winning member of the Capital Press Corps and has participated in the NPR Kaiser Health News Reporting Partnership and NPR Education Initiative. 

Find complete bio, contact info, and more stories here.