The University of Florida is an excellent public university that is located in Gainsville, Florida. Approximately 37,000 undergraduate students and 15,000 graduate students attend this university. The University of Florida is considered to be one of the larger state universities and is the flagship university in Florida. In this article, we will be looking at the various scholarships and financial aid that is offered by the Univerisity of Florida.
Cost of Attendance
Since UF is a public state university, the cost of attendance is different for different residencies. For in-state students, the tuition fee is around $6,000, room and board is around $10,000. Including the various fees and personal expenses, the total cost of attendance is around $21,000 per year. If you are an out-of-state student, you will need to pay around $43,000 a year.
This is a huge amount of money for most families to invest in their child’s education. However, the good news is that the University of Florida is very generous in their scholarships. So, let’s take a look.
University of Florida Scholarships
There are many scholarships that are offered to incoming freshmen at the University of Florida. Here, we will categorize these into scholarships for in-state students and scholarships for out-of-state so that it will be easier for you!
1. In-State Scholarships
There are several scholarships that are given to in-state students. These are primarily given based on merit.
A. Presidential Platinum Scholarships
This is a $10,000 a year scholarship that is given to high achieving students who are residents of Florida. The scholarship is renewable for four years.
B. Presidential Gold Scholarships
This is an $8,000 a year scholarship given to Florida students with excellent academic achievements. It is one tier below the Platinum scholarships.
C. Presidential Scholarships
Presidential Scholarship is $5,000 a year scholarship and is the next tier below the Presidential Gold Scholarship.
D. National Merit Finalist Scholarships
This scholarship is given to in-state students who are National Merit Finalists and have named University of Florida as their first-choice institution. This scholarship covers full cost of attendance, which is a full tuition, room, and board, for all four years after other scholarships and financial aid has been applied. If you are an out-of-state student, there is an equivalent scholarship called Benacquisto Scholarship.
E. Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars
This scholarship is given to Florida residents, who are first-generation students, meaning that both of their parents do not have a bachelor’s degree, and are from low-income families. UF specifies the income level being family income less than $40,000 and assets less than $25,000. This scholarship provides full cost of attendance, meaning full tuition, room, and board for the eligible students.
2. Scholarships for Out-of-State Students
Now, we will be discussing scholarships that are offered to out-of-state students.
A. Gator Nation Scholarships
Gator Nation Scholarships awards $20,000 a year to high achieving applicants from outside Florida. It is intended to reduce the cost of attendance for academically qualified students.
B. Sunshine Scholarships
Sunshine Scholarships is a tier below Gator Nation Scholarships and provide $16,000 a year scholarships to qualified out-of-state students.
C. Alumni Scholarships
This scholarship is the tier below Sunshine Scholarships and provides $8,000 a year scholarships.
D. Benacquisto Scholarship
Benacquisto Scholarship is the out-of-state version of the National Merit Scholarships. Out-of-State students who are National Merit Finalists and who’ve declared UF as their first-choice institution will be given scholarships that cover the full cost of attendance after other scholarships and financial aid have been applied.
How to Apply for University of Florida Scholarships
These awards are given automatically when you submit your application to the University of Florida. You will need to submit the application, however, by November 1 to be eligible for all the scholarships available. For complete information, visit the University of Florida Scholarship Page.
Florida Bright Futures
Florida Bright Futures is a wonderful opportunity for Florida residents with a high school diploma from Florida High School. There are countless students that have benefited from this program, so if you do fit these criteria, I would definitely check it out.
There are different tiers for different levels of academic achievement. The Florida Academic Scholars will receive full tuition and fees for all four years. They will also receive a $300 per semester award as well. The next tier is Florida Medallion Scholars, who will receive a 75% tuition award. For more information on the eligibility criteria, the application process, and the scholarship award visit Bright Futures Page.
Grants Available at University of Florida
The University of Florida gives many types of grants to incoming freshmen each year. These include Federal Pell Grant, which awards a maximum of $6,000 a year to low-income families, Florida Student Assistance Grant, which awards Florida Residents who are from low-income families, and other numerous grants. If you want to see the complete list of these grants, visit the Grants Page.
How to Apply for Grants
To apply for grants, you will need to submit a financial form called the FAFSA. This form is run by the US government and asks you questions about your finances. Then, the form calculates your financial need from the answers that you have provided.
You will need to fill this form and submit to University of Florida by December 15 to be eligible for UF Grants. You can use the code 001535 to submit the form. The FAFSA application becomes live on October 1, so it is best to submit your application as soon as it becomes live.
I hope that this article on the University of Florida scholarships and financial aid was helpful. If you are from Florida, I highly suggest that you visit the Florida University Category to view scholarships available in the state. This will most likely be affordable since you will be charged in-state tuition. If you live outside Florida, I recommend that you go to Authority Scholarships Website and view the universities that are in your state. These will be most likely be affordable to you as well. If you want to, you can view universities in other states as well.
