Canadian Healthcare from a Canadian...

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

I've heard of that program and I absolutely love it. I'd be fine with paying more taxes to subsidize those kinds of programs.

The beauty is: it's funded entirely by the Florida lottery!

[BigSKINBauer]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

In Florida, there is a program called Bright Futures. Any high-school student who meets the following criteria receives 75% tuition paid for any school in Florida:

Merit Scholarship-
1.) Meet attendance requirements
2.) 3.0 or greater cumulative high-school GPA
3.) 970 or better on the SAT

In addition, if you meet this criteria you receive 100% tuition paid, plus $600 per semester for other expenses (i.e.: books):

Full Academic Scholarship-
1.) Meet attendance requirements
2.) 3.5 or greater cumulative high-school GPA
3.) 1270 or better on SAT

The program will pay your tuition for up to 6 years, or 140 credits. It's probably the best education program in the state of Florida, and possibly the whole nation.

I moved to Florida after my Junior year in high-school, and since I met the requirements, I qualified for the Merit Scholarship. I don't have my Bachelor's degree yet, but I did get 118 college credits and only had to pay 25% tuition, plus books. I worked full-time and went to school at night. It was a great opportunity. Of course everyone is granted a high-school education for free, and if you perform there you will have most of your college tuition paid for (if not all of it) -- your income bracket is irrelevant. Poor people have the opportunity to go to college for free in Florida. Literally.

Note: I might be off 10 or 20 SAT points, and the Scholarship might not be 140 credits, but it's definitely really close to that. They also change the rules every now and then, but the basic idea doesn't change: poor people have the opportunity to get a college degree for free (or close to it).

What the f... Full scholarship for getting a 1270? Well i guess i should have lived in florida. Seriously, just about everyone at my high school broke a 1270

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by BigSKINBauer

What the f... Full scholarship for getting a 1270? Well i guess i should have lived in florida. Seriously, just about everyone at my high school broke a 1270

Yeah. I think the 3.5 GPA might be a bigger obstacle. But, I don't think they want to make it too difficult. After all, they are trying give as many kids a chance at free college as they can. If you do an average to good job in high school, then you get the scholarship.

Also, the primary education curriculum in Florida is mostly a joke. Kids struggle to get 3.0 GPAs, and most of them have a hard time passing the standardized test (FCAT). I was pretty shocked when I got there. During my Senior year, we didn't study a single thing that I hadn't already studied during my previous years in Texas. I just breezed right through that year, but isn't that how your Senior year is supposed to be?

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

Yeah. I think the 3.5 GPA might be a bigger obstacle. But, I don't think they want to make it too difficult. After all, they are trying give as many kids a chance at free college as they can. If you do an average to good job in high school, then you get the scholarship.

Also, the primary education curriculum in Florida is mostly a joke. Kids struggle to get 3.0 GPAs, and most of them have a hard time passing the standardized test (FCAT). I was pretty shocked when I got there. During my Senior year, we didn't study a single thing that I hadn't already studied during my previous years in Texas. I just breezed right through that year, but isn't that how your Senior year is supposed to be?

Wait, so they just give tuition money to any kid who does well in GPA and SAT? Are there any maximum household income cutoffs? Does the tuition money only apply to state schools??

I'm just dumbfounded that a state could afford to give money to ALL good students, regardless whether their families are rich or poor, and regardless of where they plan to attend college.

I went to a public school in PA, had a 3.95 high school GPA, a 1380 SAT, never got in trouble, but my parents made more than $150,000 between them. Would I have qualified for free tuition if I did that in a Florida high school???

I just can't believe that, there has to be some kind of limitation. With the money my parents made, there's no reason we needed the help.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Wait, so they just give tuition money to any kid who does well in GPA and SAT? Are there any maximum household income cutoffs? Does the tuition money only apply to state schools??

I'm just dumbfounded that a state could afford to give money to ALL good students, regardless whether their families are rich or poor, and regardless of where they plan to attend college.

I went to a public school in PA, had a 3.95 high school GPA, a 1380 SAT, never got in trouble, but my parents made more than $150,000 between them. Would I have qualified for free tuition if I did that in a Florida high school???

I just can't believe that, there has to be some kind of limitation. With the money my parents made, there's no reason we needed the help.

I'm pretty sure there are no income restrictions. My parents also made over 150K between them, and I got the scholarship.

Yes, the money only applies to schools in the state of Florida. However, it applies to all of them. You can go to public or private, but if you choose private you don't get near as much tuition money. They say it's 75% or 100%, but the way they figure it is by comparing the private school to an equivalent public school, and then they give you the percentage of that public school's tuition costs.

For example, I was first considering attending the University of Tampa, a private school. They would only offer me about 2K per year, which was only about 10% of the tuition. So, I decided to go to USF, and because it's a public school they pay the straight up percentage of your tuition.

Lab fees are not included in the scholarship, and there are credit requirements. In the summer you have to take 6 credits or more to receive the funding, and in the spring and fall you have to take 12 credits. However, if you skip a semester, or don't meet the credit requirements, they don't take the scholarship away from you. You just don't get the money for the semesters you don't meet the credit requirements.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

I currently work as a computer programmer. I have no academic credentials that apply to this profession. I learned what I know by reading and learning, which is free. I feel that everyone could do this. All you need is a computer, and you can get access to those for free at the library.

We are always looking for quality programmers, and education is of very little significance. Knowledge and experience are paramount. This is a big industry with lots of opportunities for great pay and benefits, and you don't need a college education -- just the time and desire to learn.

Sorry for getting off-topic. I just thought I would share some of my personal experiences which apply to some of the ideas being discussed here.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

I currently work as a computer programmer. I have no academic credentials that apply to this profession. I learned what I know by reading and learning, which is free. I feel that everyone could do this. All you need is a computer, and you can get access to those for free at the library.

We are always looking for quality programmers, and education is of very little significance. Knowledge and experience are paramount. This is a big industry with lots of opportunities for great pay and benefits, and you don't need a college education -- just the time and desire to learn.

Sorry for getting off-topic. I just thought I would share some of my personal experiences which apply to some of the ideas being discussed here.

I'm with GDAS on this. In the Info Tech sector the stuff that matters the most, by a lot, is experience. What do you know? And I have never met anyone who came out of college with a simple college education who was worth hiring to actually do a job. Most of them need real world training and months to finally be able to do well at their jobs. The exceptions are of course the uber dorks who didn't really need a college education in the first place since they had been coding or whatever since they were 9. Anyways my experience is that being successful requires 80% effort and 20% opportunity.

[jsarno]

Alright, I did find the info (finally) about the free college.

They no longer do it through the department of labor, they now do it through New Mexico Works. The program is called W.I.A. Workforce Investment Act.

The guy I spoke with wasn't positive it was available in all states, but thinks it's a federally funded program, so I would suggest that anyone that is interested, call your department of labor, or whatever state you're from "works" program and see if you are eligible.

My friend's wife went through the program, and not only did they pay for the college 100%, they gave her $150 a month until she was done with the program, now she's making about $30 an hour as a nurse.

[skinsguy]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Alright, I did find the info (finally) about the free college.

They no longer do it through the department of labor, they now do it through New Mexico Works. The program is called W.I.A. Workforce Investment Act.

The guy I spoke with wasn't positive it was available in all states, but thinks it's a federally funded program, so I would suggest that anyone that is interested, call your department of labor, or whatever state you're from "works" program and see if you are eligible.

My friend's wife went through the program, and not only did they pay for the college 100%, they gave her $150 a month until she was done with the program, now she's making about $30 an hour as a nurse.

I know about that program quite well. Southside Virginia has used the Workforce Investment Act quite a few times. They have also used Trade Act as well. Now, I know this because my father worked for a company that closed its doors due to the "free trade" stuff. I actually worked for this company as well, but since I was already in school and working towards my bachlelor degree, it really wouldn't have helped me.

Here is the skinny on those programs. They will pay for your college as long as you go full time and maintain a certain average. I believe as long as you maintain a "C" average, you should be good. You also have to go full time during the summer months as well. Once you have chosen a particular field of study, you cannot change it once you start it. You either have to finish it out, quit, or fail out. The biggest thing with the program is that it WILL NOT pay tuition for a four year degree. I know this, because I checked into it to see if it would pay for my bachelor degree. The representatives stated that the programs were mainly designed for associate degrees or vocational degrees. Basically, anything a community college would offer you. There is also a cap limit on how much they will pay, and if they cannot pay for your entire tuition, books and all, then it will not pay for any of it.

As I've stated, I know about this program and related programs quite well. They are good programs for those who have lost their job due to trade reasons, (i.e. factory and textile jobs) and are looking for a fresh start. They will not help with bachelor degree or master degree programs from universities.

[Schneed10]

Touching on some earlier posts by Ghetto and FRPLG, I do have to say that when it comes to degrees and certifications and whatever, they're nice to have and certainly can open doors. But primarily, employers are looking for quality workers. Smart people who get along well with others, and who will apply themselves will always be in demand.

If you lack top notch credentials, but show a manager in your office that you are valuable, the manager's not going to care what your credentials are. I work with a woman who has been at my company for like 20 years, she has no college degree. But she's bright, and great with working databases, so she's trusted for key projects and makes like 55 or 60K. That's pretty damn good for someone without a bachelor's. She's done it by working hard and proving herself, no degree necessary.

The tough part is when you're applying for a job where nobody knows you, like when you up and move to a new city. Then all you have to rely on is the credentials.

When you really hit the jackpot is to establish that reputation with managers in your company, gaining trust, working hard, building your credibility to the point where many people know you and talk positively about you; and then you turn around and combine that with top notch credentials. You'll build a network so fast, your momentum will carry you straight to the top.

[MTK]

Do you guys realize how horrible the public school systems are in Florida? It's no wonder they have college programs like this, sure it sounds great but I really wonder how many kids qualify.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Do you guys realize how horrible the public school systems are in Florida? It's no wonder they have college programs like this, sure it sounds great but I really wonder how many kids qualify.

Yes, the public schools for primary education in Florida are terrible. Like I said, it was a shock to me when I got there. Coming from Texas, a place with great education, I was like a big fish in a small pond.

However, it's a completely different story regarding secondary schools. Of course you know there are top-notch colleges there (UF, FSU, UM, USF, etc.)

The average primary school student in Florida is, sorry to say, not very academic. I'll bet the percentage of students taking advantage of the scholarship is much lower than it would be in most other states if they had similar programs.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

The funny thing about it is, you don't need to go to school in Florida for any specified period of time (that I know of). I only went to school in Florida for one year, and I received the scholarship. It's possible you could just transfer in your last month, and still receive the benefits, provided you meet all the academic requirements. That's something that should change, IMO -- if it hasn't already.