We are now accepting applications for the 2027 scholarship program. deadline for current application is january 20, 2027
Florida Retired Educators Foundation (FREF) Scholarship
Eligibility Criteria:
- Seniors graduating from an accredited Florida high school (public/private)
- Unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Minimum test scores: SAT – 1000 or ACT – 22
- MUST attend an accredited Florida college/university (public/private)
- MUST teach in Florida, following graduation. A copy of the OFFICIAL FLORIDA PROFESSIONAL TEACHING CERTIFICATE must be sent to the State FREA Office. The scholarship requires recipients to teach in the State of Florida for one year for every year the scholarship was awarded. If not, they must repay any scholarship monies received.
Scholarship Application Information
The application is online at www.frea.org/scholarships. Due to some students not having computers or access to Internet, there is also an option to print out a hardcopy of the application. You can print out a copy for them. Students with access to a computer and Internet should submit their applications online.
Things to Know:
- The application cannot be saved online, once it is started. Therefore, please advise students to visit the application before starting to fill it out. They need to know what information is needed to complete the application. There is a checklist on the first page of the scholarship information. They may also print out a hard copy for planning purposes.
- All application – online and hard copy – are due on or before January 20. Once the submit button has been pressed, students will have the option of saving their completed application on a flash drive or computer. Hard copy applications should be mailed to the following address:
Florida Retired Educators Association
8950 9th Street, N.
Suite 105
St. Petersburg, FL 33702 - Supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, essay, letters of recommendation, etc.) may be submitted online or printed and mailed. Supporting documents due on or before January 31.
- For the required essay, students may type the essay ahead of time and save it to a flash drive or computer. Once they have proofread and added any finishing touches, they will need to save it in PDF format and upload it to the application.
It is impossible to estimate the contribution a great teacher makes to our nation, to society, and to the students taught during a lifetime of devoted service to the teaching profession. Unfortunately, there exists, and always has existed, a severe shortage of great teachers. The Florida Retired Educators Foundation (FREF) has established a fund to assist the many young people who are interested in teaching, but unable to fulfill this goal without financial assistance.
Checklist for New FREF Scholarship Submission
ONCE ONLINE APPLICATION IS STARTED, IT CANNOT BE SAVED. IF YOU EXIT, YOU WILL HAVE TO START ALL OVER.
Info needed to fill out application fully:
- Family Income
- Community Service Information
- Leadership Info
- 2 References with full contact info
- Completed Application – online only, button below, cannot be printed and handwritten
- Single page typed essay
- Recommendation Letters
- Official high school transcript with ACT or SAT scores circled. In the event the ACT/SAT scores are not printed on the transcript, a student applying for this scholarship must supply these scores. If the school needs to send transcripts to FREA directly, that is acceptable. Our address is below.
- Submit your application by January 20. All transcripts and supporting paperwork, not available to be uploaded with application, must reach the FREA Office by January 31
Questions?
Email: info@frea.org
Phone: 727-577-6400
ALL above information must be received by the FREA Office before being submitted to local FREA Units for the next step, which is an in-person interview.
Apply Online for the 2026-2027 FREF Application
Download the FREF Scholarship Application PDF
NOTE: For use only as reference or if using the online application above is NOT available.
Renew a FREF Scholarship
If you already have submitted a FREF Scholarship you would like to renew, click the button below.
Have Questions?
We can help you with questions about the FREF Scholarship Application.
