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The Florida Benacquisto Scholarship: Everything You Need to Know
By
Cece Gilmore
Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Scholarship Services at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Want to learn more about the Florida Benacquisto Scholarship Program? Well, you landed in the right place! If you are an upcoming Florida high school graduate who is also recognized as a National Merit Scholar, keep reading to learn more about the incredibly generous Benacquisto Scholarship and how to qualify!
What is the Benacquisto Scholarship?
The Benacquisto Scholarship is a merit based scholarship for Florida high school graduates who receive National Merit Scholar recognition. Students who are eligible receive an award equal to the cost of attendance for their eligible Florida institution.
What are the eligibility requirements for the Benacquisto Scholarship?
Below is a list of the eligibility requirements for the Benacquisto Scholarship:
- Earn a standard Florida high school diploma
- Be a National Merit Scholar
- Enroll in an eligible Florida postsecondary institution during the fall academic term following high school graduation
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Enroll full-time in a baccalaureate degree program
What is a National Merit Scholar?
A National Merit scholar is a scholarship competition in which there are roughly 7,000 winners out of the 3,500,000+ students who take the PSAT each year.
A National Merit finalist becomes a scholar by receiving one of the following:
- National Merit $2,500 scholarship
- Corporate-sponsored merit scholarship
- College-sponsored merit scholarship
National merit scholarship
The one-time $2,500 scholarship is open to all students regardless of financial need or college choice.
College-sponsored national merit scholarship
Students who are National Merit finalists will nominate a college or university as their first choice in order to receive funding from that particular institution.
Corporate-sponsored merit scholarship
Many corporations will offer awards for children of their employees, residents of locations where the company operates or for Finalists who have career interests aligned with the corporation.
Related: How to win a National Merit scholarship
What is the award amount for the Benacquisto Scholarship?
The award amount for the Benacquisto Scholarship is the total estimated cost to attend college full-time and may include the cost of tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, supplies, books, travel, and miscellaneous expenses.
What is the application process like for the Benacquisto Scholarship?
There is no separate application for the Benacquisto Scholarship. Rather, eligible students are identified through their National Merit Scholar status and must ensure their college has their National Merit Finalist information.
How do you renew the Benacquisto Scholarship?
You do not need to submit an application in order to renew the Benacquisto Scholarship. Rather, your renewal will be determined at the end of the second semester. You will automatically be renewed for the Benacquisto Scholarship if you have earned credit for all hours enrolled and earned a minimum GPA of 3.0.
If you fail to meet these renewal requirements, then you will become ineligible to continue in the program.
Frequently asked questions about the Benacquisto Scholarship
What colleges offer the Benacquisto Scholarship?
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- New College of Florida
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of South Florida