Florida Scholarships

Florida resident artists age 18 or older who are not enrolled in a degree or certificate program may apply for project grants up to $25,000. Projects must create or present original artistic work with a public component that benefits Florida communities. Individual Artist Project grants require a 1:1 cash match (up to 25% may be in-kind). This program replaced the legacy Individual Artist Fellowship. Awards are funded from the top down by score until appropriated funds are exhausted. FY 2027-2028 applications were open with a deadline of July 10, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET for a July 2027 through June 2028 grant period. The Florida Division of Arts and Culture administers Specific Cultural Project grants as part of the state's arts funding portfolio.

Florida high school seniors who are U.S. citizens and residents with an unweighted GPA between 2.30 and 3.59 may apply. Students above 3.59 are ineligible. Scholarships range from $3,000 to up to $20,000 per recipient. The number of awards varies based on annual funding. Apply through the Florida Elks HOPE Scholarship application. Selection weighs leadership through school activities, community service, and citizenship, including students who worked to support family during high school. The C. Valentine Bates Memorial HOPE Scholarship Fund is administered by the Florida State Elks Association.

National Merit Finalist scholarship package component for Florida residents admitted to USF. Recipients receive the USF National Merit Tradition of Excellence Award as part of a broader package covering full cost of attendance during fall and spring semesters, alongside state and National Merit Corporation awards. Students must enroll full time in the first fall semester of admission and meet renewal requirements of 30 USF credits per academic year and a 3.0 USF GPA. Recipients are also eligible for a one-semester USF Passport Scholarship for a USF-sponsored study abroad experience. Additional verification may be required beyond the standard admission application.

In-state freshmen admitted to the University of Florida who apply by the November 1 priority deadline are automatically considered for Presidential merit scholarships using the same holistic academic review as admission. About 10% of admitted freshmen receive a merit scholarship. Past recipients typically fall in the upper range of the middle 50 percent of admitted students or higher, with strong resumes and essays; meeting profile numbers does not guarantee an award. Tiers include Presidential ($5,000 per year), Presidential Gold ($8,000 per year), and Presidential Platinum ($10,000 per year), each renewable for four years. No separate scholarship application is required, and no additional materials may be submitted for review. Offers are emailed and posted to the status page by mid-March.

U.S. citizens pursuing campus-based study in the 2027-2028 academic year may apply to one or more stand-alone UNICO Foundation scholarships if they meet each fund's criteria. Most require Italian descent; several funds are open to all ethnicities. Award sizes vary by named fund, from about $1,000 to $10,000, covering high school seniors, undergraduates, graduate entrants, nursing, medical school, study abroad in Italy, and field-specific awards. Online applications are due March 15, 2027 for the 2027-2028 academic year. Applicants generally must reside in or hold chapter sponsorship from listed states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, or Wisconsin), with limited exceptions. UNICO National is an Italian-American service organization whose foundation promotes education, culture, and charitable projects nationwide.

The Presidential Platinum Scholarship is a UF merit award for high-achieving in-state freshmen and provides ten thousand dollars per year for fall and spring semesters, up to forty thousand dollars over four years. There is no separate application; all admitted students who apply by the November 1 freshman admission priority deadline are considered. Recipients are selected by committee each spring and notified by mid-March via email. Out-of-state tuition scholarships cannot be combined with this in-state merit award.

The University of Miami Women's Guild Scholarship supports women age twenty or older with above-average prior academic achievement who are accepted to or enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the University of Miami. Applicants must enroll full time with at least twelve credit hours per semester, maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA, demonstrate financial need, and have been residents of Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, or Palm Beach County before attending UM. The award provides up to ten thousand dollars. Students download the separate application from the donor scholarships page and submit required financial aid documentation.

Florida residents who are a spouse, child, grandparent, or other close relative of someone diagnosed with ALS and who are pursuing a medically related degree or social work certification may apply. Awards of up to $8,000 are available; the number of recipients varies. Applicants must attend or be accepted full-time at an accredited U.S. two- or four-year college, university, or vocational school. Submit an official transcript, a 500-word essay, and two recommendations by July 6. The Rick and Sherry Murray Medical Futures Scholarship supports students whose ALS family experience inspired a healthcare career path.

The Presidential Gold Scholarship provides eight thousand dollars per year for fall and spring semesters to selected in-state UF freshmen, totaling up to thirty-two thousand dollars over four years. UF considers all admitted students who meet the November 1 freshman admission priority deadline; there is no separate scholarship application. A committee selects recipients each spring with notification by mid-March. This merit scholarship is part of UF's limited portfolio of awards for high-achieving Florida residents entering the Gainesville campus.

Florida resident high school graduates admitted to UCF for summer or fall are automatically considered for the Provost Scholarship, one of UCF's most selective merit awards (described as less than 10% of the entering class). Undergraduate Admissions selects recipients for outstanding academic performance. Applicants must submit a FAFSA. Awards are up to $7,500 and renew for up to eight semesters. Recipients must enroll full time (at least 12 UCF credit hours) each fall and spring, complete 24 credit hours annually, and maintain a 3.0 UCF GPA. Dual or transient hours at another institution do not count toward the full-time requirement, except in the graduating semester. No separate scholarship application is required.