A House panel advanced a plan Wednesday that dims the lights on the state’s popular Bright Futures scholarship program — making the merit-based college aid harder to get and less lucrative for students and their parents.

As part of spending cuts coursing through most state programs, top tier Bright Futures recipients would have to earn a 1300 SAT score, up from 1280 now. Second-tier “medallion” students also would need a 1270 SAT, up from 1020 currently, under the House’s $5.7 billion college and university budget proposal.

Community service hours needed to qualify for the scholarships also would be bumped up, according to the House approach.

Bright Futures’ overall allocation would be cut 15 percent, or $33.8 million. With the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee also authorizing tuition hikes of as much as 15 percent, parents will be digging deeper for Florida college costs next fall. (more…)

A promise made to tens of thousands of Florida students more than a decade ago was shattered Thursday as lawmakers ruled that Bright Futures Scholarships would not pay for an increase in base college tuition next year.

The move was practically unthinkable in years before the current economic calamity when Sen. Ken Pruitt protected the program so fiercely. University leaders desperate to change the money-hungry plan dared not push it when the Port St. Lucie Republican ruled as Senate president.

Yet in the waning days of a dizzying legislative session for higher education, lawmakers agreed not to extend the scholarships to cover hikes in base tuition next year because of state budget shortfalls.

More here.