Florida high school students graduating in 2028 will need to hit higher standardized test scores to qualify for the state's Bright Futures scholarship, with the top-tier Florida Academic Scholars award now requiring a 1350 SAT score — a 20-point jump from the previous benchmark. The Florida Department of Education also raised the Classic Learning Test requirement for that award to a 96, while leaving the required ACT score for Academic Scholars unchanged at 29.
The changes, which affect students starting college in 2028, were reported by FOX 13 News, which reported that Florida Medallion Scholars — the program's second-tier award — will also see their minimums climb, with the required SAT score rising from 1190 to 1200, the CLT score rising from 83 to 84, and the ACT score rising from 24 to 25. The Florida Department of Education has not provided specific reasons for the updated thresholds, according to the same report. That silence leaves open the kind of strategic calculus families are now weighing: with the ACT bar frozen for Academic Scholars even as the SAT climbs, some students may find taking the ACT the more forgiving path toward full tuition coverage.
The shifts aren't arbitrary, even without an explicit explanation from the state. Under Florida Statute 1009.531, Bright Futures score benchmarks are statutorily tied to national percentile ranks — the 89th percentile for Academic Scholars and the 75th percentile for Medallion Scholars — with ACT and CLT scores required to be concordant using national concordance tables. Because College Board percentile tables shift over time, the state periodically recalculates numerical thresholds to hold those percentile standards steady. The same statute requires the Department of Education to publish any score changes before each school year for students graduating within the following two years, which is why 2028 graduation requirements are being announced now.
Advocates Warn of a Harder Climb for Lower-Income Students
Braulio Colón, executive director of the Florida College Access Network, told FOX 13 that past Bright Futures score adjustments have historically stemmed from costs or other factors, and he warned that students who struggle to translate classroom knowledge into exam performance will face a harder path to meeting the new benchmarks. Bright Futures currently covers at least 75 percent of tuition, but it doesn't touch housing, transportation, childcare, or other living costs that students still have to cover on their own, per the same report.
That concern echoes broader advocacy around the program. Bethany Lacey, chief executive officer of Take Stock in Children, said in September 2026 that students near the qualifying threshold may be affected by score increases, according to WLRN. Bright Futures score increases were applied for the Class of 2022 following a 2019 statutory change under Senate Bill 190, according to Miami Herald.
Test Scores Aren't the Whole Picture, Educators Say
Christie Raburn, executive director of high school education for Hillsborough County Public Schools, told FOX 13 that testing is not the only piece of a strong college application, noting that colleges look for well-rounded students and that essays play a significant role in admissions decisions. Hillsborough County runs its SCOPE program to help families navigate college planning and financial aid, and Raburn pointed families toward local school districts and guidance counselors for that kind of support. Guidance counselors, per the FOX 13 report, help students apply for FAFSA, understand Bright Futures requirements, and stay on track to meet the financial aid and scholarship qualifications they need.
Students have more routes to the scholarship than a single test date suggests. Florida allows the Classic Learning Test for Bright Futures scholarships, following a new state law.
