As with any governement program, the requirements may change from year to year. For a fact sheet of current requirements visit http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/factsheets/BF.htm

I like the program and hope it continues as long as people gamble in Florida. Nonetheless, I don’t see why you don’t consider it a government handout.

The state government does provide the money.

Yes, it has restrictions, good restrictions but most governmental assistance programs do too. We can easily call it a reward for good work, but the money was not earned as an hourly wage or as a sale. It was handed to you because you qualified. The state did not have to set up Bright Futures scholarships but it was the most useful expenditure I can think of.

The only thing I can figure is that you consider all government handouts to be bad things and since it is a good thing, it must not be a government handout. Let’s relook at the basic premise: maybe some government handouts are good things. This doesn’t mean that all, but that some might be since you and we all benefited from yours.

David for good things

Please note, if a student does meet the demanding requirements of bright futures, they lose their scholarship. With bright futures you are placed on academic probation the first semester you do not maintain the GPA requirements. And, two semesters in a row, say goodbye to the scholarship. There are several checks and balances currently in place, so it is not like these students are able to go 4 years and skate by.

An example, I have a friend who’s parents paid for his college education. They refinanced their house, ate ramen noodles, and sold off their hard earned luxuries to send him through college. He flunked out two colleges before earning a 6 year bachelors degree. He does not use his degree in political science and manages a grocery store.

So, I ask if you are parent who paid for children’s college education did they maintain high GPAs, did they graduate, and are they productive members of society? Hopefully, they are and I hope they consider themselves lucky, because most parents may not be able to afford this luxury.

True, but at least they voluntarily gave up the money by way of their gambling. Maybe they gambled out of desperation and that makes it a tax on fools since it makes them even MORE desperate but at least they were happy while hoping for millions of unearned dollars.

(In fact, this is probably why their well-heeled counterparts are relatively well-heeled, they didn’t waste their money so foolishly. You can‘t force people do act wisely, although it is a shame the state encourages them to act foolishly.)

David for dropping the idea
and just considering
Bright Futures a reward
for good past performance
to encourage good performance
from others in the future

@ MOM, I’m glad that you had the ability to pay for your kid/kids to go to school. I told mine from the time that they were in 5th grade that if college was in their future, they would have to work for it. Bright Futures currently allows children to set a goal and acheive it. Recipient did a great job of outlining the requirements. Bright Futures is not a “need” based government handout. This is exactly what should be happening in education, reward kids who work hard and achieve. Don’t lower the standards because some kids “can’t get a 3.5″.
If you want rules guidelines and restrictions, we could have a conversation about welfare, food stamps and medicaid, were mediocrity and poor family planning skills are rewarded with extra income.

Bright futures is a Lottery funded grant.
Funded by the poor for the poor.

Isn’t bright futures money funded by the lottery? I don’t consider that government money!