(1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:(a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or the equivalent, in high school courses that are designated by the State Board of Education as college-preparatory academic courses and has attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; (b) Has completed the International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; (c) Has attended a home education program according to s. 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 and has attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement program of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a scholar or finalist but has not completed the program of volunteer service work required under s. 1009.534; or (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed the program of volunteer service work required under s. 1009.534. A high school student graduating in the 2011-2012 academic year and thereafter must complete at least 75 hours of volunteer service work approved by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of Education for home education program students. The student must identify a social or civic issue or a professional area that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about the area, and, through papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her experience. Except for credit earned through service-learning courses adopted pursuant to s. 1003.497, the student may not receive remuneration or academic credit for volunteer service work performed. Such work may include, but is not limited to, a business or governmental internship, work for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer service must be documented in writing, and the document must be signed by the student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the student performed the volunteer service work.
(2) A Florida Medallion Scholar who is enrolled in a certificate, diploma, associate, or baccalaureate degree program at a public or nonpublic postsecondary education institution is eligible, beginning in the fall 2018 semester, for an award equal to the amount necessary to pay 75 percent of tuition and fees established under ss. 1009.22(3), (5), (6), and (7); 1009.23(3), (4), (7), (8), (10), and (11); and 1009.24(4), (7)-(13), (14)(r), and (16), as applicable, to assist with the payment of educational expenses. (3) To be eligible for a renewal award as a Florida Medallion Scholar, a student must maintain the equivalent of a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale with an opportunity for restoration one time as provided in this chapter.
