Requirements – Bright Futures

REQUIREMENT CHECKLIST

Weld County resident.
Stay Enrolled at your higher education institute or training program
Maintain a 2.0 GPA
Provide Information Updates
FAFSA
16 hours of community service in Weld County
The stipend must be started within 2 years of GED or graduation and completed within 6 years.

HIGH SCHOOL CHECKLIST

Create an account and complete the Bright Futures application at www.brightfuturesco.com. The fall application deadline is June 30th and the spring deadline is October 31st. Please do not wait until the last minute to complete your application and requirements.
Upload your verified FAFSA to the documents section of your account, selecting ‘student aid report’ as the document type and entering the school year for which you are applying to receive the grant. Please be sure to list each school you are considering in your FAFSA.
Complete 16 hours of community service in Weld County and upload your completed community service log to the programs section of your Bright Futures account.
For Fall Application: Complete 8 hours by June 30th. (Community service hours to be completed between November 1st-June 30th.)
For Spring Application: Complete 8 hours by October 31st. (Community service hours to be completed between April 1st-October 31st.)You may complete all 16 hours for the school year between April and June.
Community service must be done within Weld County and be of service to helping a person or organization. You may not add hours for work you have been paid for. For a list of suggested places to volunteer and the required community service form, please visit https://www.brightfuturesco.com/Community-Service/.
Attend the mandatory meeting and acknowledge your attendance in the programs section of your Bright Futures account. Most of these take place at the high schools during the school day. High school counselors may also provide the meeting to students that were absent during the school meetings or students can view it on the website under the resources page.
Enter school interest information in ‘My Colleges.’ Make sure to check the enrolled box and enter the appropriate semester and school year. This information can be entered prior to actual enrollment at the school. Without this completed, Bright Futures is unable to issue funds.

Geographic Region

Beginning in Fall of 2018, all new students of the program must attend Title IV institutions within Colorado and its surrounding states which includes Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Wyoming.

Changes will take effect for 2016-2017 graduates in August of 2019 to give time to students that are currently in programs outside of this area the opportunity to finish certifications or degrees and prepare for the change.