One gets an envelope in the mail with the name of their dream school written across the middle of it, “University of Florida, Financial Aid Department.” It’s the moment one’s been waiting for: to open the envelope and take out the beige fancy paper. All one reads is “We are sorry to inform you…” and the message is clear: no scholarship.

Across Florida, this is the fate of many seniors; they are having a harder time getting scholarships, grants, or any financial aid from in-state schools.

“I’m personally aiming for the schools’ scholarships from UF and FSU, and scholarships from large corporations,” said Hope Wilcox, a senior at Miami Lakes Educational Center. “I’m not trying to graduate with debt.”

UF, UM, FSU, UCF, FAU: these are but a few of the universities the majority of high school seniors in Florida dream to go to. These are also some of the universities limiting the amount of financial aid they are giving to students. With changes in the Senate bill and financial strain on Florida colleges, many Florida seniors will be receiving their letter of denial for financial obligation this spring.

So why the Sunshine State?

The Senate in Tallahassee has recently undergone changes in state bills regarding the amount of money given to students to pay for school. For example, the Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship, is one of the most applied for and known scholarships across Florida, currently being used by more than 185,000 students. Bright Futures gives the awarded student financial aid that can be used in any Florida college or university.  The Senate budget committee has recently made changes to the requirements to get the scholarship. The scholarship program is currently facing about $6 million in deficits.

But how does that affect one?

To begin, the SAT score needed for the different categories of Bright Futures has been raised by about 80 points. This means one has to work twice as hard to get at least the minimum amount in scholarship money. Funding is also being restricted to only the classes needed to graduate. What about the overachievers? Money for extra classes will not be provided. The scholarship is also limiting the time frame in which the financial aid can be used.

“Times are tough, and the state is directly being affected by this. Though it will be harder for the average student to receive a Bright Futures scholarship, we can only advise Florida students to continue to stay on track in order to receive the scholarship. Hopefully state financial aid will no longer be cut,” said a representative from the Bright Futures scholarship offices.

 95% of the students at the University of Florida are there with the help of the Bright Futures scholarship. Without the money or the resources, scholarship funding is estimated to decrease by $450, and so will this percentage.

But, this issue is not only with Bright Futures. Several other Florida scholarships and the financial aid given to students by the university or college are facing financial stress simply because the Senate does not have enough money.

What does this mean for you?

Getting a scholarship is going to be much more competitive, and difficult to get.  Even if one does get financial aid, don’t expect as much. Scholarship programs and school financial aid will be lowering the amount of money given out, simply because the money that would be going to one student will now be spread among ten, and maybe even 20 students.

What can you do about this?

With many Florida students applying to schools such as the University of Florida or Florida State University, one can only expect the competition for scholarships and financial aid to get tougher. To help aid in one’s quest to win that scholarship, grant, or financial aid, here are a few things one should follow.

It’s senior year! No more teachers, no more classes! One is done! These are the deadly symptoms of senioritis; the disease that kills your chance of getting any financial aid money. Yes one is done, but not exactly yet. Colleges still keep up with one’s grades and GPA even AFTER they’ve already been accepted or been given that grant money.  Just because they’ve already received their acceptance letter and thousand-dollar check, doesn’t mean colleges can’t take it back.

            2.  GET STARTED/APPLY EARLY

Waiting until the last minute, will only lead to a half-effort application. If the university or scholarship program sees the student waited until the last minute, he/she can expect to be the last person on their list for financial aid.

            3.  COMMUNITY SERVICE, COMMUNITY SERVICE, COMMUNITY SERVICE!

This is a big one. If the scholarship office and university see that one takes priority in putting the needs of their community at the forefront of their to-do list, they will definitely put him/her at the forefront of their list for scholarship acceptance. Colleges and scholarship offices like to see that the student has been involved in a community service PROJECT. Not a few hours at the nursing home, but something the student has consistently been involved. Need ideas? Start a food drive for Christmas, collect books to donate to hospitals or schools, have a water drive to collect water and send them to third-world countries, or just organize a walk for a cause Organize a group of friends and work on the project together.

            4.  LOOK, SEARCH, SEEK,& FIND

One’s best bet at getting a scholarship is to search for all types of scholarships. There are scholarships out there for people who are Hispanic or Middle Eastern, for women or men who can draw, or play an instrument, for people who are over 6 ft. tall or less than 4 ft. tall, even scholarships just for people who write with their left-hand. Sounds funny right? Well, it’s true. The right scholarship is out there for everyone; one just has to LOOK for it. Search in your local area. Look for scholarships funded by local banks, grocery stores, etc. Look for state-funded scholarships, or scholarships funded by the school you are applying to.

            4.  Lastly, FOLLOW INSTURCTIONS & CREATE A NEAT PACKAGE

Any errors in the scholarship application can automatically lead to one’s application being thrown in the trash. Make sure every part is complete, and have someone else look over it and proofread it. The application should look presentable and unique. This doesn’t mean printing the application on bright pink or blue paper. Instead, print it out on more heavy-duty “fancy” paper. The application will stand-out and draw the attention of whoever will be reading it. If the application is wrinkled, messy, and incomplete, the people hopefully paying for one’s education will not bother spending money on someone who is wrinkled, messy, and incomplete.

“I was definitely worried about how I was going to pay for school, because it is so expensive. I knew that if I wanted to go to my dream school and not be held back due to financial strain, I had to stay focused. Luckily, I did everything as right as I could and in the end it paid off; here I am at my dream school, and I don’t have to pay a cent,” said Ewinka Romulus a Gates Millennium Scholarship receiver at Pennsylvania State University.