The Florida Senate

445.012  Careers for Florida's Future Incentive Grant Program.--

(1)  The Careers for Florida's Future Incentive Grant Program is created to encourage students in this state to obtain degrees or certificates in postsecondary programs that produce graduates with job skills in advanced technology which are critical to the economic future of this state. The program shall provide for a forgivable loan that requires a student to enroll in and complete an eligible program and then to maintain employment in an eligible occupation in this state for 1 year for each year of grant receipt. The recipient must begin repayment of the grant 1 year after the recipient is no longer enrolled in an eligible institution or completes the program, unless the recipient obtains employment in an eligible occupation.

(2)  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall manage the Careers for Florida's Future Incentive Grant Program in accordance with rules and procedures established for this purpose. Workforce Florida, Inc., shall contract with the Office of Student Financial Assistance in the Department of Education to administer the incentive grant program for students pursuing baccalaureate degrees or degree career education programs that articulate into baccalaureate degree programs. The office shall advertise the availability of the grant program and collect all delinquent incentive grant repayments.

(a)  The Office of Student Financial Assistance of the Department of Education shall issue awards from the incentive grant program each semester. Before the registration period each semester, the department shall transmit payment for each award to the president or director of the postsecondary education institution, or his or her representative, except that the department may withhold payment if the receiving institution fails to report or make refunds to the department as required in this section.

(b)  Within 30 days after the end of regular registration each semester, the educational institution shall certify to the department the eligibility status of each student who receives an award. After the end of the drop-and-add period, an institution is not required to reevaluate or revise a student's eligibility status, but must make a refund to the department if a student who receives an award disbursement terminates enrollment for any reason during an academic term and a refund is permitted by the institution's refund policy.

(c)  An institution that receives funds from the program shall certify to the department the amount of funds disbursed to each student and shall remit to the department any undisbursed advances within 60 days after the end of regular registration. The department may suspend or revoke an institution's eligibility to receive future moneys for the program if the department finds that an institution has not complied with this section.

(3)  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall allocate to each regional workforce board its share of funds available for incentive grants in eligible diploma, certificate, and degree career education programs that do not articulate into baccalaureate programs. Each regional workforce board shall administer the program, including determining award recipients within funds available to it for that purpose. Workforce Florida, Inc., shall contract with the Office of Student Financial Assistance in the Department of Education for collecting delinquent incentive grant repayments.

(a)  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall reallocate any funds not encumbered by the regional workforce boards by January 31 of each year to other regional workforce boards for additional awards, in accordance with rules and procedures established for this purpose.

(b)  Within 30 days after the student begins classes, the educational institution shall certify to the regional workforce board the eligibility status of each student who receives an award. After this report, an institution is not required to reevaluate or revise a student's eligibility status, but must make a refund to the regional workforce board if a student who receives an award disbursement terminates enrollment for any reason during the period that would permit a refund by the institution's refund policy.

(c)  Regional workforce boards shall ensure that each recipient receives maximum funding possible by coordinating career education awards with Individual Training Accounts funded by the federal Workforce Investment Act, Retention Incentive Training Accounts funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act, the federal Welfare-to-Work program, and other programs intended to assist incumbent workers in upgrading their skills.

(4)  If funds appropriated are not adequate to provide the maximum allowable award to each eligible applicant, full awards must be provided in the order of priority established by Workforce Florida, Inc. Awards must not be reduced to increase the number of recipients.

(5)  A recipient who is pursuing a baccalaureate degree shall receive $100 for each lower-division credit hour in which the student is enrolled at an eligible college or university, up to a maximum of $1,500 per semester, and $200 for each upper-division credit hour in which the student is enrolled at an eligible college or university, up to a maximum of $3,000 per semester. For purposes of this section, a student is pursuing a baccalaureate degree if he or she is in a program that articulates into a baccalaureate degree program by agreement of the Articulation Coordinating Committee. A student in an applied technology diploma program, a certificate career education program, or a degree career education program that does not articulate into a baccalaureate degree program shall receive $2 for each vocational contact hour, or the equivalent, for certificate programs, or $60 for each credit hour, or the equivalent, for degree career education programs and applied technology programs for which the student is enrolled at an eligible college, technical center, or nonpublic career education school.

(6)  If a recipient who is enrolled in a diploma, certificate, or degree career education program that does not articulate into a baccalaureate degree program transfers from one eligible institution to another within the same workforce region and continues to meet eligibility requirements, the award shall be transferred with the student.

(7)  If a recipient who is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree or a degree career education program that articulates into a baccalaureate degree program transfers from one eligible institution to another and continues to meet eligibility requirements, the award shall be transferred with the student.

(8)  An award recipient may use an award for enrollment in a summer term if funds are available.

(9)  Funds may not be used to pay for remedial, college-preparatory, or vocational-preparatory coursework.

History.--s. 155, ch. 2000-165.