FLORIDA LOTTERY AND POLK STATE COLLEGE CELEBRATE BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARS AND PROMOTE SCHOLARSHIP SUCCESS

LAKELAND, Fla. – This week, the Florida Lottery partnered with Polk State College to host a Bright Futures Student Success Connection event at the college’s Lakeland Campus, celebrating current Bright Futures Scholarship recipients and sharing information to help them maintain their awards throughout their college journey. The event highlights a priority of the Florida Lottery – ensuring that students understand how to access the services available to them to help retain their scholarship awards.

Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald D. Dixon, Polk State College President Anastasios Kamoutsas, and State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues joined students for the event, which highlighted scholarship renewal requirements and connected recipients with academic support services and other campus resources.

“Earning a Bright Futures Scholarship is a tremendous accomplishment, and we want students to make the most of that opportunity,” said Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald D. Dixon. “We’re here to encourage these students, make sure they understand what it takes to keep their scholarships, and remind them that there are resources available to help them succeed. We want them to stay focused, keep pushing forward, and cross that finish line.”

“Today, we celebrate something special: the hard work, discipline, volunteerism, and achievement of our Bright Futures scholars. Their success is a point of pride for our entire college community,” said Polk State College President Anastasios Kamoutsas. “Connecting students with campus resources and guidance can make a real difference as they work toward earning their degrees. Polk State exists to deliver an affordable, world-class education, and we are determined that cost will never be a barrier that stops a qualified student from moving forward.”

“Bright Futures is a transformative investment in Florida students, opening doors to opportunity and helping more students earn a high-quality degree with little to no debt,” said State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues. “We encourage students to take full advantage of this opportunity while building the knowledge, skills, and experiences that will serve them long after graduation.”

The Bright Futures Scholarship Program, established in 1997, has helped more than one million Florida students pursue higher education, awarding more than $9.3 billion in scholarships. Funded by the Florida Lottery, the program remains an important investment in Florida’s students and future workforce.

The Florida Lottery remains committed to maximizing revenue to enhance education across the state, supporting opportunities that help Florida students pursue their educational goals and build brighter futures.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $51 billion to enhance education and sending more than one million students to Florida’s colleges, universities, and technical schools through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue into Florida's economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,600 Lottery retailers, and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid over $110 billion in prizes and created more than 4,900 millionaires. For more information, please visit www.floridalottery.com and be sure to follow the Florida Lottery on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X to stay informed.

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