Florida students (and most likely all students) must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid to receive the scholarships. In part, this is because there is usually some sort of influx of federal money somewhere and it is also creating a centralized record keeping process on the national level. There are also some new limitations on the amount of money to be awarded under certain conditions. This is a story line that has yet to play itself out in full and each person will be a different case. It is well worth the effort to read the new regs in their entirety to see how they affect you. Everyone will be a different case and exceptions may be required but my sense is that the new regulations will make exceptions harder to get. Be clear on what your objectives are and think out of the box.
I have no idea how this will impact those coming out of prison as the feds have some quirky regulations tied to type and manner of convictions. However, the bottom line is that those coming out of prison will have to develop a tight budget that includes court costs, costs of supervision, restitution and a host of other things totally unrelated to college and living expenses.
See the link for a much more complete version of the situation.
