Skip to content
← Back to UCF's chapter

MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

UCF
Decision sheet

Florida · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Massive Florida public in Orlando where in-state students stack the state's Bright Futures scholarship on top of UCF's Pegasus awards and an in-state cost of $26K, while National Merit Scholars chase the Benacquisto Scholarship for a near-full ride.

More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

Awards to discuss

The 2 awards in this school's research. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

Pegasus Scholarships

Amount varies; not publicly published on the UCF scholarship landing page · Variable or qualified amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

Eligibility: Awarded to students upon admission to UCF. No separate scholarship application required for the automatic Pegasus pool.

Renewal: Renewal terms not publicly disclosed on the landing page; verify in the individual scholarship offer letter.

Other terms: Catch-all term for UCF's institutional merit awards. Tier names and dollar amounts appear in the admission decision rather than on the public page.

https://www.ucf.edu/financial-aid/types/scholarships/

Benacquisto Scholarship

Cost of attendance for four years · Published award terms

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: High school graduates recognized as a National Merit Scholar by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Available at participating Florida public universities including UCF.

Renewal: Renewable for four years (state-funded program).

Other terms: Florida's flagship state-funded National Merit award. Combined with Bright Futures and federal aid, it can fully cover UCF's cost of attendance for qualifying recipients.

https://www.ucf.edu/financial-aid/types/scholarships/

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: Outside scholarships only trigger an aid adjustment if total aid would exceed the cost of attendance (or the student's aid eligibility cap); below that ceiling, awards are not displaced.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/ucf/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.