Why is this not posted in a Florida forum?

Does she even want to go to school in Florida?

If this is an in state program and you live in state, why not?

If she doesn’t have any real desire to go elsewhere, then why complicate things? Follow her lead and keep it simple, apply to the Florida schools. BF will cover tuition and if she gets merit at FSU, USF, UCF etc then that will help cover the dorm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child qualified for Bright Futures, would you encourage them to just go to a Florida school? Dd doesn't have a big desire to go elsewhere, but do we pretty much just apply to Florida schools and then a few others out of state in case of merit? What have you done in a similar situation, with Bright Futures or your own state's scenario for qualified students?

If my kid has Bright Futures, I would only consider Florida schools unless they can get into an IVY or Stanford. Even then, I would still probably do University of Florida bc you cannot beat free v $300k. In face, if they are smart enough to get into an IVY, I would save your money for grad school. If not grad school, I think the money is better served helping your kid by their first house- since this generation is completely priced out of the market.

Ivies are not a goal (she doesn't like the NE anyway) and UF or FSU would be a no-brainer, but she cannot count on being admitted there. Chances are it would be UCF or USF. So I am wondering if we should apply elsewhere and hope for merit at another flagship somewhere, or private college.

I think UCF would be a great option - I have heard mainly good things about the school. Some majors in particular would make UCF a better choice than FSU. The only negative about UCF is the housing shortage after freshman - but many kids at a lot of colleges end up going off campus after their first year. Also, a lot of the off campus apartments are on the UCF shuttle route. You have many good options in Florida. I would not waste the Bright Futures.

Yes, people seem to love UCF. She is very unsure as far as major so a big school with lots of options is a must. UCF does not feel thrilling geographically being in Orlando but I guess we can look on the bright side in different ways.

The beauty of Orlando is that there are a lot more job and internship opportunities than say Gainesville or Tallahassee. Also, because there is so much to do in Orlando (not just theme parks), your kid would not feel stuck on campus. Still, if your kid wanted to stay on campus, there are a million things to do on campus as well. I have read over and over again from various boards (i.e. Facebook and College Confidential) that the popularity of UCF has grown exponentially in recent years. Just 5 years ago, UCF was not anywhere near as popular as it is today. In fact, I have also heard that kids have started choosing UCF over FSU & UF (granted a lot of this has to do with the fact that UCF gives much better merit than UF). Also, because UCF has a rolling admissions process, you can potentially get an admission at a good school as early as November. If your child does UCF, you should also have her apply to the honors college - which is supposed to be very good (lots of support and extras).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child qualified for Bright Futures, would you encourage them to just go to a Florida school? Dd doesn't have a big desire to go elsewhere, but do we pretty much just apply to Florida schools and then a few others out of state in case of merit? What have you done in a similar situation, with Bright Futures or your own state's scenario for qualified students?

UF grad

Bright futures is a great program normally I would 100 percent say stay in state now with DeSantis in charge nope.

Apply to a blue state what are you thinking? Get your kid out now

UF is going to be unaccredited within three years. Don’t believe me you are literally stupid and not paying attention.

My millions of scholarship monies no longer available and UF or Florida Stare.

Is this a troll post? Next governor election is coming up in 2026, and DeSantis is not popular at all anymore so likely won't win.

DeSantis can’t even run in 2026. FL governors have to sit out a cycle after two consecutive terms.

Yes OP I think it’s silly to turn down Bright Futures except maybe for an elite school or a similarly priced alternative that your child prefers (both difficult options to come by).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child qualified for Bright Futures, would you encourage them to just go to a Florida school? Dd doesn't have a big desire to go elsewhere, but do we pretty much just apply to Florida schools and then a few others out of state in case of merit? What have you done in a similar situation, with Bright Futures or your own state's scenario for qualified students?

UF grad

Bright futures is a great program normally I would 100 percent say stay in state now with DeSantis in charge nope.

Apply to a blue state what are you thinking? Get your kid out now

UF is going to be unaccredited within three years. Don’t believe me you are literally stupid and not paying attention.

My millions of scholarship monies no longer available and UF or Florida Stare.

Is this a troll post? Next governor election is coming up in 2026, and DeSantis is not popular at all anymore so likely won't win.