The Benacquisto Scholarship is Florida's award for National Merit Scholars: it pays the in-state cost of attendance at an eligible Florida college, minus whatever you receive from Bright Futures and from National Merit. That covers more than tuition. Cost of attendance can include housing and meals, books, supplies, and travel. There's no application, but the requirements are narrower than many families assume: you must become a National Merit Scholar, not just a Finalist, and you must be a Florida resident.

The details below are from the Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance's (OSFA) 2026-27 Benacquisto fact sheet and FAQ, and its 2024-25 annual report.

The formula

Per OSFA, the award each term is:

Benacquisto = cost of attendance − (Bright Futures + National Merit award)

At a Florida public university, cost of attendance is the school's own in-state figure, as reported to the Board of Governors. At an eligible private Florida college, OSFA uses the highest in-state cost of attendance among Florida's public universities. Because Benacquisto fills the gap after other awards, a bigger National Merit award doesn't increase your total; it shrinks the Benacquisto portion.

In 2024-25, 491 students received a first-year award and 1,433 renewed it, and the average award was $18,307, per OSFA. The program spent $35.2 million that year.

Who qualifies: Scholar, not Finalist

Reaching Finalist isn't enough. A Finalist becomes a National Merit Scholar by receiving one of three awards:

  1. A National Merit $2500 Scholarship,
  2. A corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship, or
  3. A college-sponsored Merit Scholarship.

OSFA's fact sheet adds that "Special" corporate scholarships and "Presidential" awards don't qualify. For how Finalists are chosen as Scholars, see how National Merit Finalists become Scholars. Florida's class of 2027 Semifinalist cutoff is 216.

You must also:

  • Be a Florida resident with a standard Florida high school diploma or equivalent. The exceptions: students who complete a home education program, and students who graduate from a non-Florida high school while living with a parent on military or public service assignment away from Florida.
  • Enroll full-time (at least 12 credit hours a term) in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible Florida public or private college.
  • Start in the fall term after high school graduation. You can defer once, for up to one year.

Out-of-state students no longer qualify. Florida's 2021 Legislature made 2021-22 the last year a non-resident could receive an initial award, per OSFA's annual report.

The nine college sponsors

Only nine Florida colleges sponsor college-sponsored Merit Scholarships for 2026-27, per OSFA:

Two rules come with a college-sponsored award:

  • You must name that college as your first choice when you report your choice to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. OSFA says that once NMSC has mailed an offer, you can't change the designation.
  • You must attend, and stay at, the sponsoring college. OSFA's FAQ gives the example of a Finalist with a college-sponsored award from the University of Georgia who enrolls at UF instead: not eligible. And a Benacquisto Scholar funded through a college-sponsored award loses it by transferring.

A student with a National Merit $2500 or corporate-sponsored scholarship can use Benacquisto at any eligible Florida college.

Several of these universities add their own National Merit packages on top. See colleges that give National Merit Finalists a full ride.

Keeping it: a 3.0, every credit, every term

Benacquisto renews automatically if you have:

  • A 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of each academic year, and
  • Earned every credit hour you were enrolled in at the end of drop/add, each term.

The credit-hour rule is strict. Per OSFA's FAQ, dropping a class after drop/add means you won't meet it, and extra courses in spring don't make up for hours missed in fall. Once lost, Benacquisto can't be restored.

The award covers up to the credit hours your bachelor's degree requires, for up to five years after high school graduation and 10 semesters. It doesn't pay for summer terms.

What this means for you

  • If you're a Florida Semifinalist, plan for the Scholar step. Benacquisto requires one of the three qualifying awards, so check what your intended college offers National Merit Finalists before you report your first choice.
  • Name a sponsoring college only if you're sure you'll attend. A college-sponsored award locks you to that school for Benacquisto, including after you enroll.
  • Treat the credit rule as seriously as the GPA rule. A late drop can end the scholarship permanently.
  • File the FFAA anyway. Benacquisto doesn't need it, but Bright Futures does, and Bright Futures is part of the formula. See Florida's state aid deadlines.

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