• The Florida Lottery announced this week that it passed $43 billion in contributions since 1988 to Florida’s education system 
• The state lottery system contributes 24.6 percent — nearly one-quarter — of all generated revenue to the state’s education fund
• The state legislature, with input from the Florida Department of Education, then determines how funds will be allocated before being distributed to public school systems
• The Lottery’s contributions help fund state scholarships given to high-achieving Floridian students entering a state college

The Florida Lottery announced this week that it officially exceeded $43 billion in contributions to the state of Florida’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund since 1988.

The state lottery system contributes 24.6 percent — nearly one-quarter — of all generated revenue to the state’s education fund. A portion of every Florida Lottery ticket purchased gets transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

The state legislature, with input from the Florida Department of Education, then determines how funds will be allocated before being distributed to public school systems.

The Lottery’s contributions help fund state scholarships given to Floridian students entering a state college.

Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship Program, which provides high-achieving high school students in the state with either full or three-quarters tuition coverage, has been primarily funded by the Florida Lottery since the creation of the program by the Florida Legislature in 1997.

The Florida Lottery states that more than $7.48 billion has been used to fund the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, with contributions totaling more than $1 Billion to education in each of the past 21 years.

“I’m extremely proud to announce this latest milestone in the Lottery’s ongoing effort to enhance education in our great state,” said Lottery Secretary John F. Davis. “We believe the leaders of tomorrow are in the classroom today, and these Lottery contributions are helping to create brighter futures for students, their families, and the communities in which they reside.”

Since the Lottery’s inception, Florida’s public schools received more than $23 billion from the entity, while colleges and universities have received a combined total of more than $11 billion.

Florida’s five largest school districts –Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, Orange, and Palm Beach counties — collectively received more than $341 million dollars in 2021 from Lottery subsidies.

Miami-Dade County received $106.2 million, Broward County got $41.9 million, Hillsborough County was granted $76.9 million, Orange County was awarded $71.7 million, and Palm Beach County brought in $44.6 million.

In the current fiscal year, the Florida Lottery reports an average of more than $6.7 million a day in contributions to education.