Quick Links
SB 2150 — Postsecondary Education Funding
by Budget Committee
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Budget Committee (BC)
The bill relating to Higher Education Appropriations Issues provides for the following:
- Authorizes the Department of Revenue to provide information regarding gross receipts taxes to the State Board of Education, the Division of Bond Finance and the Office of Economic and Demographic Research. In making the determination of the amount of bonds that can be serviced by gross receipts tax the State Board of Education is to disregard the effects of a 2010 nonrecurring refund.
- Expands the class size reduction lottery bond program to include other educational facilities.
- Repeals certain responsibilities of the Department of Education for monitoring rehabilitation providers and services; repeals rehabilitation provider qualifications.
- Authorizes the implementation of a transient student admission application process through the Florida Academic Counseling Tracking for Students system to include admissions, readmissions, financial aid, and transfer of credit functions. Authorizes a fee of $5 to support the system.
- Designates the Northwest Regional Data Center as a primary data center.
- Requires an annual report on cost savings from collaborative licensing of electronic library resources.
- Authorizes the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc. to use other available funds for administration.
- Authorizes a spring and summer term student enrollment pilot program at the University of Florida for the purpose of aligning student enrollment and the availability of instructional facilities. Authorizes Bright Futures scholarships in the summer for these students.
- Updates the provisions related to tuition and out-of-state fees for postsecondary students in workforce, college, and university programs to include 2011-2012 tuition.
- Requires a block tuition and corresponding out-of-state fee for students enrolled in adult general education courses. Removes fee exemptions for certain students and requires residency of students to be documented.
- Authorizes college and school district workforce programs to use capital improvement fee revenue for the acquisition of improved real property.
- Authorizes college and school district workforce programs to charge a convenience fee for processing automated or online credit card payments.
- Authorizes the Board of Trustees of Santa Fe College to establish a transportation access fee of up to $6 if approved by a referendum held by student government.
- Provides an exemption from the 30 percent need-based expenditure requirement from the tuition differential fee if the university has covered the entire tuition and fee costs of all resident students who are eligible for need-based aid.
- Authorizes alternative documentation for tuition fee waivers for Purple Heart veterans.
- Increases the Florida Medallion Scholarship test scores in 2013-2014, from 1050 to 1170 for SAT, including the applicable home school test scores. Increases or establishes required community service hours for Bright Futures applicants.
- Requires applicants for Bright Futures, FRAG, and ABLE programs to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid prior to disbursement of funds.
- Increases the tuition surcharge for excess hours to 100 percent in excess of 115 percent of the credit hours required for a degree.
- Provides that funding for student financial aid and tuition assistance programs shall be as provided in the General Appropriations Act.
- Streamlines library operations through consolidation and joint purchasing. Requires creation of a union catalog for higher education.
- Prioritizes state student financial aid to the neediest (Pell eligible) students for the Florida Work Experience Program and the First Generation in College Program.
- Prohibits funding for coenrollment in public schools and adult general education programs, except that for the 2011-2012 fiscal year students may enroll in core courses for credit recovery or dropout prevention for up to two courses. High school students are exempt from the payment of block tuition for general adult education programs.
- Prohibits the use of state workforce education and Florida College funding for prison inmate education.
- Temporarily suspends the state match for facilities and operating challenge grant programs for colleges and universities, effective July 1, 2011. Existing eligible donations will remain eligible for future match. The suspension may be removed once $200 million of the grant backlog has been matched.
- Allows a university board of trustees to expend carry-forward balances from prior year operational appropriations on legislatively approved fixed capital outlay projects authorized for the establishment of a new campus.
- Requires the Florida College System Council of Presidents to develop and recommend an equitable funding formula for the distribution of PECO funds to the college system institutions.
- Provides for the use of a funding formula to ensure equitable distribution of district workforce funds.
- Provides a $200,000 limit on the amount of state funds that may be paid for salaries of college and university presidents and administrative employees.
- Allows the Division of Blind Services to lease donated property.
- Provides that funds received from community events or festivals are not eligible for state match under the Dr. Philip Benjamin Matching Grant Program.
- Terminates the University Concurrency Trust Fund.
This bill substantially amends ss. 213.053, 215.61, 440.491, 413.011, 1004.091, 1006.72, 1007.28, 1009.22, 1009.23, 1009.24, 1009.25, 1009.286, 1009.531, 1009.534, 1009.535, 1009.536, 1009.55, 1009.56, 1009.57, 1009.60, 1009.605, 1009.68, 1009.69, 1009.701, 1009.73, 1009.74, 1009.77, 1009.89, 1009.891, 1011.32, 1011.61, 1011.80, 1011.81, 1011.85, 1011.94, 1012.885, 1012.975, 1013.33, 1013.737, 1013.79 and creates ss. 1004.649, 1009.21, 1009.215, 1012.886, 1012.976, and repeals s. 1013.63 of the F.S.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2011.
Vote: Senate 35-3; House 89-29