PREPARING FOR HIGH SCHOOL ACCELERATION PROGRAMS
Agenda
Middle School Promotion Requirements & Reminders
Enrollment in a High School Course, While in Middle School
High School Acceleration Program
Benefits
Minimum Eligibility Information
Keys to Success
DCPS High School Acceleration Programs
DCPS High School Acceleration Program
Website Information Contact Me
Middle School Promotion Requirements
Civics
Are You Enrolled in a High School Course, as a Middle School Student?
Please Remember the following information
What Can I Do Now?
Additional DCPS High School Acceleration Programs Information
y for College?
What is Dual Enrollment?
Dual enrollment is an acceleration mechanism that allows student to pursue an advanced curriculum relevant to their postsecondary interests. Dual enrollment provides high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while simultaneously earning high school credit through dual enrollment. Colleges and universities that offer dual enrollment courses to Duval County Public School students must do so by way of an articulation agreement, which describes the parameters for which the students may participate.
Advantages and Cautions of Dual Enrollment
Florida Bright Futures
Scholarship Program
Initial Eligibility
General Requirements
• Be a Florida resident and a U. S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, as determined by the student’s postsecondary institution
• Complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) during senior year of high school beginning October 1, but no later than August 31 after high school graduation
• Earn a standard Florida high school diploma, or its equivalent, from a Florida public high school or a registered private high school
General Requirements (Continued)
• Not have been found guilty of, or pled nolo contendere to, a felony charge
• Be accepted by and enroll as a degree- or certificate-seeking student at an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary institution
• Enroll in at least six non-remedial semester hours (or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours) per term
• If not funded in the academic year immediately following high school graduation, apply within five years of high school graduation to have your award reinstated.
Questions
PAYING FOR COLLEGE
OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
WHAT IS FINANCIAL AID?
Financial aid is any resource that can assist in offsetting the cost of attending college.
What are the sources of Financial aid?
• Federal Government
• States
• Schools/ Institutions
• Private sources
TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID
GIFT AID
Scholarships and Grants
• Repayment is not required
• Applications may be necessary
SELF-HELP AID
Work-Study and Loans
• Part-time on- or off-campus jobs
• Repayment is required for loans
CATEGORIES OF FINANCIAL AID
NEED-BASED TALENT-BASED MERIT-BASED NON-NEED-BASED
Based on financial need determined by FAFSA
• Pell
• FSAG
• Subsidized loan
Based in a special talent or skill
• Athletic
• Musical
• Artistic
Based strictly on GPA and/or test scores
• Bright Futures
• UNF Presidential
• Everything else
SELF-HELP AID
FEDERAL WORK STUDY
Need-based award that allows a student to work part-time for an institution or within the community.
DIRECT LOANS
Need-based (subsidized) and non-need-based (unsubsidized) loans that have to be repaid.
PLUS LOANS
Non-need-based credit loans for which parents can apply.
FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• Application - Available in October for the 2025-2026 aid year
• Takes approximately 30 minutes to complete
• Needs to be renewed each year
• Priority consideration is January 15
• https://studentaid.gov
INCOME
APPLYING FOR FEDERAL AID
• Adjusted gross income
• Taxes paid
• Some untaxed income
ASSETS
• Cash, savings, checkings
• Investments, excluding retirement and IRAs
• Real estate, excluding primary residence
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
• Parents
• Siblings
• Others for whom parents provide more than 50% of support financially for the aid year in question
Financial Aid Application (FFAA)
• Takes approximately 15 minutes to complete
• www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org
• Must apply before August 31 the year of high school graduation
FINANCIAL AID
Social Security Number
It is important for UNF to have for:
- Bright Futures
- Florida Pre-Paid
Student Aid Index (SAI)
FINANCIAL AID
TERMINOLOGY
Cost of Attendance (COA)
FSA Contributor
Financial Student Aid ID (FSA ID)
FINANCIAL AID STUDENT AID INDEX
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that your college’s or career school’s financial aid office uses to determine how much federal student aid you would receive if you attended the school.
The college or career school will determine your financial need by subtracting your SAI from the cost of attendance.
FINANCIAL AID Cost of Attendance
COA is the amount it will cost a student to go to school.
If you’re attending school at least half time, the COA is the estimate of tuition and fees
•books, course materials, supplies, and equipment;
•cost of housing and food (or living expenses);
•transportation expenses;
•loan fees (excluding any loan fees for non-federal student loans);
•miscellaneous expenses (including a reasonable amount for the documented cost of a personal computer);
•allowance for childcare or other dependent care;
•costs related to a disability;
•costs of obtaining a license, certification, or a first professional credential; and
•reasonable costs for eligible study abroad programs.
FINANCIAL AID FSA ID
The FSA ID is a username and password combination you use to log in to U.S. Department of Education (ED) online systems. You’ll use your FSA ID every year you fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and for the lifetime of your federal student loans
You’ll need your full name, and date of birth. You’ll also need to create a memorable username and password, and complete challenge questions and answers so you can retrieve your account information if you forget it.
FINANCIAL AID Contributors
“Contributor” is a new term being introduced on the 2024–25 FAFSA form. A contributor is anyone (you, your spouse, your biological or adoptive parent, or your parent’s spouse) who is required to provide information on the FAFSA form, sign the FAFSA form, and provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly from the IRS into the form.
FINANCIAL AID UNF SCHOLARSHIPS
The University of North Florida offers scholarships to undergraduate freshmen (first-time-in-college) and transfer students. We are committed to helping students finance their college education. Whether you are seeking a scholarship based on academic achievements or financial need, we offer various options!
Scholarship awarding cannot be guaranteed and will only be done on a funds-available basis.
Florida Need-Based Scholarships (Freshmen)
Florida Resident Merit-Based (Freshmen)
Jacksonville Commitment (Freshmen)
Florida Pre-Collegiate A.A. (Freshmen)
Florida Transfer Student Scholarships
First Generation (Freshmen and Transfers)
Non-Resident Merit-Based Waivers (Freshmen and Transfers)
Latin American & Caribbean (LAC) Scholarship
Visit UNF: Scholarships for more information
STATE FINANCIAL AID
24-25 BRIGHT FUTURES INITIAL ELIGIBILITY
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS)
• High school weighted GPA of 3.5
• 29 ACT/1340 SAT/96 CLT
• 100 community service or work hours
Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)
• High school weighted GPA of 3.0
• 25 ACT/1210 SAT/84 CLT
• 75 Community service hours or 100 work hours
FINISH IN FOUR
• Complete 15 credit hours during both the fall and spring terms.
• Most UNF scholarships require 15 credit hours per term for renewal each year.
Excess Hours Surcharge
• Since 2009, the Florida legislature has encouraged students to finish a bachelor's degree in a timely manner
• The law requires universities to add a surcharge to each credit hour taken in excess of the total number necessary to complete the degree
• The cost of delaying graduation by even one or two years can be high
• Most scholarships renew for four years; we encourage students to complete a degree in this timeframe, so they are not here without funding
• Chamber of Commerce
• Civic groups/Unions
• High school
• Private corporations
APPLYING FOR PRIVATE FINANCIAL AID
Private scholarships come from a variety of sources. Don't pay for an online scholarship website.
• Private organizations
• Religious organizations
• School district
July
Apply for Admission unf.edu/apply
November 1
Priority application deadline
FINANCIAL AID TIMELINE
December
FAFSA opens (Spring and Summer FAFSA open now!)
January 15
Scholarship priority deadline
New Student Orientation May/June
August
Start of fall classes
Florida Application for Financial Aid (FFAA) opens October 1
November 15
First release of admission decisions
January 15
FAFSA priority consideration for Financial Aid
January
Estimated Financial Aid packaging
June
Start of summer classes
*All dates and deadlines are subject to change without notice.
www.studentaid.gov
www.facebook.com/FederalStudentAid
www.twitter.com/FAFSA
www.youtube.com/FederalStudentAid
www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org
www.finaid.org
www.Fastweb.com
www.gmsp.org
