Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Back in Ohio, we don’t have anything like the Bright Futures scholarship program. 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of Bright Futures, and while I’d heard it mentioned in the hallways of USF and HCC, I wasn’t entirely sure of its nature. If you’re childless like me, or a new resident, it might be a new concept to you; here’s a quick breakdown.

There’s three levels of Bright Futures scholarships, based upon high school GPA and test scores. None of them factor financial need into the equation:

FASA. A student earning a 3.5 or better core GPA and scoring a 1270 SAT or 28 ACT who completes 75 hours of community service is awarded full tuition and fees to any state university along with a $600/year stipend.

FMSA. 3.0 core GPA, 970 SAT/20 ACT earns 75% tuition and fees.

GSVSA. Mainly for vocational students, the GSVSA requires students to earn a 3.0 core GPA, 3.5 vocational GPA, and a variety of SAT, ACT, or FCELPT scores too complicated to really list here. It pays 75% of tuition and fees for two years.

My first reaction is that Bright Futures seems to be very, very generous. For the FASA, one simply needs to score in the 95th percentile to earn a full ride — but even more stunning is the FMSA level. A student earning a 20 on the ACT is actually scoring BELOW the national average of 21. (It’s the 48th percentile, if anyone cares.)

The amount of money being given for mediocre results with the mandate that it be spent at state universities (or community colleges) explains the relatively few private colleges I’ve found in the state of Florida. Who can justify attending a private school when the state university will practically pay you to attend?

I’m not the only one questioning where Bright Futures sets the bar and the consequences this has for the state of Florida and its universities. Two of my students, Christin Causey and Kristen Fenzau, addressed the topic in a well-organized debate and I’m happy they’ve allowed me to quote them in analyzing the issue. I’ll post Christin’s affirmative position today, and Kristen’s negative response a little while later.

Resolved: The State of Florida should significantly restructure the Bright Futures program.

Harms
A. The criteria for a student to qualify for the scholarship are not legitimate and in many cases too easy. FSU President T.K. Wetherell: “That minimum criteria won’t get you into [...] most universities. How can you have a merit program that doesn’t qualify you to get into college?”
B. 25% of college freshmen will never complete their degree. The free money puts less at risk for college students, and thus they have little incentive to work hard in school. Every college dropout is wasted state money.
C. The state cannot maintain current funding levels. $1.6 billion has been distributed to students and the Florida Lottery system cannot maintain the annual increases.
D. High-performing students who may be better served academically at a private or out-of-state university are dissuaded from this by the payoffs they get to attend a Florida state school.

Inherency
A. Florida’s state government has a dedicated goal of getting students into college. The state constitution requires the lottery profits go toward education. Senate Democratic Leader Ron Klein opposes change.

Plan
A. Award Bright Futures scholarships after students have completed one year of college.
B. Make financial need a factor in awarding Bright Futures scholarships.

Solvency
A. Students will qualify on a more realistic metric of college performance, not high school.
B. Students will have significant incentive to achieve during their first year of college, due both to the impending scholarship and their own financial sacrifices made that first year.
C. The state avoids paying for the 25% of students who drop out in their first year.
D. Lottery money is distributed in more equitable ways, and still fulfills the “lottery promise.”
E. Due to reduced demand, students demonstrating financial need can receive additional incentives.

I’ve been teaching college freshmen for eight years, and I think Christin’s plan sounds reasonable. Do you? Kristen disagrees; stay tuned for her side of the debate.