The bill amends the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program by introducing new requirements for public middle schools to administer the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) to eligible minority and underrepresented students in 8th grade. Schools must provide written notice to parents about the opportunity to exempt their child from the test. Additionally, students scoring 1,000 or higher on the PSAT/NMSQT will receive access to SAT or ACT preparation resources and information on eligibility requirements for the scholarship program, with continued eligibility contingent on maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Funding for these initiatives will come from lottery funds deposited into the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

The bill also revises the eligibility criteria for the Florida Academic Scholars and Florida Medallion Scholars awards by changing references from the "Hispanic Recognition Program" to the "College Board National Recognition Programs." It maintains the requirement for students to complete a program of volunteer service or paid work, with specific hour requirements outlined for each scholarship type. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 17 Filed: 1007.27, 1009.534