Students paying price for Bright Futures changes - Doug Blackburn, Tallahassee DEMOCRAT

The tens of thousands of Bright Futures scholars are in for a rude — and potentially pricey — awakening as the 2009-10 school year gets under way. Due to changes enacted by the Legislature to the statewide college scholarship program, for the first time most Bright Futures recipients are going to be required to pay part of their tuition. And that may not be the most costly change for students who qualify for the multi-million dollar program. Students who decide to drop a class after the initial drop-add period at the start of a semester will be responsible for paying the full tuition for that course. Previously there had not been a penalty for dropping a class.