What to know about SB86, Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program gainesville.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gainesville.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Florida tried to direct students to practical careers through scholarships. Backlash was swift.
Ben Kesslen
April 7, 2021, 9:46 AM
Florida state lawmakers remain set on trying to gut a beloved higher education scholarship despite making some initial concessions and facing significant backlash from students and parents.
More than 110,000 college students received the merit-based Bright Futures scholarship in 2020, but that number might have been significantly reduced after Republican state Sen. Dennis Baxley introduced Senate Bill 86. His proposal initially said only students going into fields he believes would yield high-paying jobs could receive the award, which pays between 75 and 100 percent of in-state tuition at public and private universities.
A controversial Senate proposal that would cut state-backed Bright Futures scholarships for students in degree programs that don’t “lead directly to employment” has been put on hold and is expected to undergo changes.