Higher Education Opportunity

About the HEO

We are excited to announce the University of Florida’s Higher Education Opportunity (HEO) program’s expansion to include all full faculty for the 2027 HEO Drawing cycle! 

As of the 2027 HEO Drawing cycle, HEO program provides children of full-time staff and faculty employees with the opportunity of tuition assistance for undergraduate education at the University of Florida. The 2027 HEO Drawing will continue to select up to 150 eligible staff applicants and up to 100 eligible faculty applicants to receive the HEO scholarship for their child.

For each selected child, the university will pay the in-state matriculation fees, for a maximum of 132 credit hours toward an undergraduate degree at the University of Florida or a Florida public college (formally known as community colleges) 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.

Bright Futures Scholarship

For children receiving the 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.

Program Coverage

HEO Eligible Institutions

• This program only covers at University of Florida and Florida public colleges (formally known as community colleges).
• The HEO does not cover private institutions, out-of-state institutions, or other Florida universities (e.g., UCF, UNF, FSU, etc.).

Fee Coverage

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.

Non-Transferable

The HEO scholarship is not transferable. Once a drawing applicant is selected, their scholarship cannot be transferred to another applicant, who was not selected. If a selected applicant later decides not to accept the HEO scholarship for their child, the scholarship will be withdrawn and closed.

See the HEO Policy page for more detail about continued eligibility requirements.

Drawing Procedures

Exclusions

The HEO is not available to:

• Staff employees in OPS or part-time positions less than 1.0 FTE. 
• Faculty in OPS, Adjunct, Visiting, or Courtesy appointments.
• Faculty who do not hold a minimum (or cumulative) 1.0 FTE appointment of FA09, FA10, FA12, or FACM.

Parents

Must be full-time (1.0 FTE) staff or faculty employed at the University of Florida.

• Staff: Full time (1.0 FTE) TEAMS employee, or LEON, LEOE (UPD police officer, sergeant or lieutenant). 
• Faculty: Fulltime (1.0 FTE) full faculty employee, FA09, FA10, FA12, or FACM. A combination of any FA09, FA10, FA12, or FACM, appointments that equal 1.0 FTE or greater also qualifies.

Waiting period

There is no waiting period to qualify. Eligible staff and faculty employees are eligible to participate in the next available drawing as of their first day of employment.

Children

Must meet the following conditions:

• The child must be the natural, adopted, step, foster, or any other child for which legal guardianship can be documented, of a full-time (staff or faculty) employee.
• 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.
• The child must graduate high school before the (Fall semester) academic year begins.

Eligible Children

Meeting the criteria below may be submitted for HEO drawing consideration.

• A child who is attending UF.
• A child who will be an incoming college freshman.
• A child who would like to transfer to UF.
• A child who would like to attend a public state of Florida public college if they are not accepted to UF after applying for admission.

HEO-eligible Institutions

• UF and public state of Florida public colleges (formally known as community colleges).
• The HEO does not cover private institutions, out-of-state institutions, or other Florida universities (e.g., UCF, UNF, FSU, etc.).

HEO Drawing Deadlines

Both the parent and child must meet the deadlines below to participate in the HEO Drawing.

Parent’s Deadline: 1159 PM, November 2, 2026

• Parents must submit the online HEO Drawing application (near the bottom of this page) before the deadline expires, to enter their child into the HEO Drawing.

Child’s Deadline: 1159 PM January 15, 2027

• Must apply for admission to the University of Florida, Office of Admissions by the “regular decision” Freshman deadline, regardless of academic status.
• 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.

Please contact heo@admin.ufl.edu if you or your child needs assistance with meeting HEO Drawing deadlines. 

Parent – HEO Drawing Application Requirement

The eligible (staff or faculty) employee must notify Training and Development in the Office of Human Resources by submitting the online HEO Drawing Application form (near the bottom of this page) by the established deadline,1159 PM, November 2, 2026.

• Each eligible full-time (staff or faculty) employee may submit one eligible child’s name per year for entrance into the HEO drawing.
• More than one eligible employee may enter the same eligible child’s name for consideration in this drawing, provided that the eligible child meets the eligibility criteria for each full-time (staff or faculty) employee.
• If the eligible employee has a child currently participating in the HEO program, the child should not be reentered unless the parent has lost employment eligibility to participate in the HEO.
• Each eligible employee may enter a different eligible child’s name in subsequent years, provided that the subsequent eligible child meets the eligibility criteria.

Child – UF Admissions Application Requirement

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 (children) students are required to apply with UF Office of Admissions by January 15, 2027 to be entered into the HEO drawing:

• Transfer students
• Students who have entered their high school senior year
• Students applying as freshman
• Students who are currently attending OR desire to attend another (HEO eligible) Florida public college institution

UF Admissions eligibility (for HEO drawing purposes) is based upon the number of college credits completed after high school graduation. Based on this guideline, the following students are eligible to apply for admission to UF (and therefore required to do so for the HEO benefit):

• Students with 11 semester hours or less (earned following high school graduation)
• Students with 60 semester hours or more (earned following high school graduation)
• Note: This is a guideline and should not be solely used to determine if the child should submit the UF Admissions application for drawing purposes.

All UF admissions-related inquiries (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.  

• HEO Drawing applications will be disqualified if the child does not complete the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2027.
• The child applying to UF Admissions is an HEO Drawing participation requirement. Regardless of where the child is currently attending or where the child wants to attend, the child must apply for admission to the University of Florida for HEO drawing purposes, by the UF Admissions deadline, January 15, 2027, to be considered for drawing participation.
• If the child is not admitted to UF, only then will the child have the option of attending a state of Florida college (formally known as community colleges) instead.
• The HEO does not cover private institutions, out-of-state institutions, or other Florida universities (e.g., UCF, UNF, FSU, etc.).

Please contact heo@admin.ufl.edu to connect with UF Admissions.

Waiving the UF Admissions – HEO Drawing Requirement 

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.

1. To waive the HEO Drawing’s UF Admissions application requirement, the (child) student must be confirmed by the UF Office of Admissions as “ineligible to submit” the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2027, based upon the number of college credits earned after high school graduation. See HEO Policy for more details.
2. Students confirmed by the UF Office of Admissions as “ineligible to submit” the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2027, 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:
3. Documentation from UF Office of Admissions confirming the child was not eligible to submit the UF Admissions application by January 15, 2027, based upon the number of college credits earned after high school graduation.

4. 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, 2027.

Please contact heo@admin.ufl.edu to connect with UF Admissions.

Submit HEO Drawing Application

SUBMIT HEO DRAWING APPLICATION – Due by 1159 PM, 11/2

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