Gov. DeSantis extends deadline for students to qualify for Bright Futures
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It's a sigh of relief for thousands of recent Florida high school graduates who've been hoping for another chance to qualify for the Bright Futures scholarship.
On Tuesday, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order extending the deadline for students graduating in the 2019-20 school year to earn the minimum qualifying SAT or ACT score to earn a Bright Futures scholarship until Dec. 1.
In a news release, the Florida Department of Education praised the move, saying the extension "will positively impact thousands of students statewide who either need to earn a qualifying score or wanted to take either the SAT or ACT again to earn a higher score. "
According to FDOE, when school campuses closed in the spring, estimates suggested that more than 30,000 seniors qualified for varying levels of the scholarship, with roughly a quarter of them likely to qualify for either a 75% or 100% Bright Futures scholarship if given another chance to take the SAT or the ACT.
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In June, the state's education commissioner extended the deadline to earn a qualifying score to July 31, but summer testing was administered sporadically. Testing site closures have continued on and off again amid the ongoing pandemic, creating a need to extend the deadline to give more spring 2020 graduates one last opportunity to earn a scholarship, according to the department.
"Governor DeSantis signed this order with the goal of providing compassion and relief to both Florida’s aspiring and current college and university students and their families, many of whom are in tremendous need of support with their postsecondary education during this period of economic recovery," the FDOE said in Tuesday's news release.
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"For three consecutive years, Florida’s postsecondary system has been recognized as the #1 postsecondary system in the country, and it is imperative that it remain affordable for the benefit of our students and Florida’s recovery," they added.
The College Board began administrating SATs on August 29. SATs will be done once a month from now until December, with registration deadlines approximately a month before the test is given. For the second half of the school year, tests will be given from March to June.
The ACT will be administered again in September over three days — Sept. 12, 13 and 19 — and in October over four days — Oct. 10, 17, 24 and 25.
When registering for either test, applicants should pay attention to available testing centers and limited seating.