Higher Education Opportunity

About the HEO

The University of Florida’s Higher Education Opportunity (HEO) provides children of full-time TEAMS employees with the opportunity of tuition assistance for an undergraduate education at the University of Florida. The Higher Education Opportunity (HEO) program has expanded to provide the HEO scholarship to 150 applicants each year. Each year, UF Human Resources will choose at random from a pool of eligible applicants 150 children of TEAMS employees to participate in this program. For each child selected, the university will pay the in-state matriculation fees, less any Bright Futures scholarship award, for a maximum of 132 credit hours toward an undergraduate degree at the University of Florida or a Florida public college (i.e., SF College) or community college, in the event the child is not admitted to the University of Florida. Please visit the HEO policy page for more information about program eligibility and coverage.

Drawing Information

The program is not limited to incoming freshmen only. Parents of a child meeting the below criteria, may submit their child’s name for HEO drawing consideration as well.

1. 1. A child who is attending UF.
   2. A child who would like to transfer to UF.
   3. A child who would like to attend a public state of Florida college (i.e., SF College or equivalent) if they are not accepted to UF after applying for admission. Note: The HEO does not cover at private institutions, out of state institutions, or other Florida universities.

Drawing Eligibility

To be eligible to be entered into the pool, the parent must meet the following condition:

1. 1. A full time (1.0 FTE) TEAMS employee at the University of Florida. *LEON employees (UPD full time (1.0 FTE) police officers, sergeants and lieutenants) also qualify for this benefit.

*For purposes of the HEO, all references to TEAMS employees include eligible UPD employees.

The child must meet the following conditions:

1. 1. The child must be the natural, adopted, step, foster, or any other child for which legal guardianship can be documented, of a full-time TEAMS employee.
   2. The child must be under 26 to be entered into the drawing. The child will continue to be eligible for the program (if selected) through the end of the calendar year in which the child turns 26 years of age.
   3. The child must graduate high school before the (Fall semester) 2025 academic year begins.

Drawing Deadlines & Requirements

Parent HEO Drawing Application deadline, 11:59 p.m., Nov. 1, 2024 

Child UF Admissions Application deadline, 11:59 p.m., Jan. 15, 2025

1. 1. Each eligible full-time TEAMS employee parent may submit one child’s name into the drawing. 
   2. The child of the TEAMS employee must apply for admission to University of Florida, Office of Admissions by January 15, 2025.
   3. Both parent and child must meet their deadlines to participate in the HEO Drawing.

UF Admissions Application- HEO Drawing Requirement

All UF admissions-related inquires (including confirmation of the status of your child’s UF Admissions application, or your child’s eligibility to submit the UF Admissions application) should be directed to and confirmed by UF Office of Admissions.

1. 1. HEO Drawing applications will be disqualified if the TEAMS child does not complete the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2025.
   2. If the child is already an active UF student/attending UF, they do not need to re-apply to UF to meet this HEO drawing requirement.

The following (TEAMS children) students are required to apply with UF Office of Admissions by January 15, 2025, to be entered into the HEO drawing:

1. 1. Transfer students
   2. Students who have entered their high school senior year
   3. Students applying as freshman
   4. Students who are currently attending OR desire to attend another (HEO eligible) Florida public college (i.e., SF College or equivalent) institution

Waiving the UF Admissions – HEO Drawing Requirement

To waive the HEO Drawing’s UF Admissions application requirement, the (TEAMS child) student must be confirmed by the UF Office of Admissions as “ineligible to submit” the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2025, based upon the number of college credits earned after high school graduation. See HEO Policy for more detail.

Students confirmed by the UF Office of Admissions as “ineligible to submit” the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2025, based upon the number of college credits earned after high school graduation), must provide the following documentation to the UFHR office (upon request) to be included in the HEO drawing:

1. 1. Documentation from UF Office of Admissions confirming the child was not eligible to submit the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2025, based upon the number of college credits earned after high school graduation.
   2. Or, transcripts showing all college credit hours earned after high school graduation, confirmed by UF Admissions, the child’s ineligibility to submit the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2025.

Higher Education Opportunity (HEO) scholarship (TEAMS parent) application submissions will not be accepted after 11:59 PM, Nov. 1, 2024.

Please visit the HEO Policy procedures, for more detail about HEO drawing criteria. 

Program Coverage

This program only covers at the University of Florida or Florida public colleges (i.e., SF College) and community colleges, in the event the child is not accepted to UF. The HEO does not cover at private institutions, out of state institutions, or other Florida universities.

The HEO covers the in-state matriculation fees (the actual instruction portion of tuition fees). Student responsibility fees include housing, books, activities, transportation, health, services, athletic fees, late registration, late payment, materials, lab fees, supplies, etc. Please visit the HEO policy page, Financial Obligations for more program coverage detail.

Bright Futures Scholarship

The full amount of the Bright Futures scholarship award will be subtracted from the amount the student can receive from the HEO. If your child is, or you expect your child to be, a Bright Futures scholar, please visit the HEO policy page, Financial Obligations section and FAQ.

Continued Eligibility

To maintain eligibility in the program each semester:

1. The child’s legal guardian must be a full-time TEAMS employee on the first day of classes for each new semester.
2. The child’s cumulative GPA (for all college work attempted) must be 2.75 or higher.
3. If the child is attending a Florida public community or state college, upon request, they must provide UFHR with a current official transcript showing all courses attempted and grades received.

Requesting Funding

After the student is awarded the HEO scholarship, the student must complete the HEO Status Verification web form (by the established deadline) to request HEO funding for a new semester. The HEO Status Verification form confirms the student’s contact information, fee deadline, and verifies where the student is attending school. The student will not be covered by the HEO, in a new semester, if the form is not completed by the HEO established semester deadline.

HEO Status Verification forms will be requested from students, before the start of each semester, using the email on file with the HEO office. As an additional reference for students and parents,  upcoming semester deadlines will be published to this page. Students may contact the program coordinator to update their contact information, as needed, to ensure they are receiving email correspondence from this office, such as deadline reminders and important information about the HEO.

 HEO Contact Information

Program Coordinator heo@admin.ufl.edu or 352-273-0149