The Florida Senate

402.401  Florida Child Welfare Student Loan Forgiveness Program.--

(1)  There is created the Florida Child Welfare Student Loan Forgiveness Program to be administered by the Department of Education. The program shall provide loan assistance to eligible students for upper-division undergraduate and graduate study. The primary purpose of the program is to attract capable and promising students to the child welfare profession, increase employment and retention of individuals who are working towards or who have received either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in social work, or any human services subject area that qualifies the individual for employment as a family services worker, and provide opportunities for persons making midcareer decisions to enter the child welfare profession. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules necessary to administer the program.

(2)(a)  To be eligible for a program loan, a candidate shall:

1.  Be a full-time student at the upper-division undergraduate or graduate level in a social work program approved by the Council on Social Work Education leading to either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in social work or an accredited human services degree program.

2.  Have declared an intent to work in child welfare for at least the number of years for which a forgivable loan is received at the Department of Children and Family Services or its successor, or with an eligible lead community-based provider as defined in s. 409.1671

3.  If applying for an undergraduate forgivable loan, have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate work. Renewal applicants for undergraduate loans shall have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate work and have earned at least 12 semester credits per term, or the equivalent.

4.  If applying for a graduate forgivable loan, have maintained an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or have attained a Graduate Record Examination score of at least 1,000. Renewal applicants for graduate loans shall have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate work and have earned at least 9 semester credits per term, or the equivalent.

(b)  An undergraduate forgivable loan may be awarded for 2 undergraduate years, not to exceed $4,000 per year.

(c)  A graduate forgivable loan may be awarded for 2 graduate years, not to exceed $8,000 per year. In addition to meeting criteria specified in paragraph (a), a loan recipient at the graduate level shall:

1.  Hold a bachelor's degree from a school or department of social work at any college or university accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, or hold a degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university.

2.  Not have received an undergraduate forgivable loan as provided for in paragraph (b).

(d)  The State Board of Education shall adopt by rule repayment schedules and applicable interest rates under ss. 1009.82 and 1009.95 A forgivable loan must be repaid within 10 years after completion of a program of studies.

1.  Credit for repayment of an undergraduate or graduate forgivable loan shall be in an amount not to exceed $4,000 in loan principal plus applicable accrued interest for each full year of eligible service in the child welfare profession.

2.  Any forgivable loan recipient who fails to work at the Department of Children and Family Services or its successor, or with an eligible lead community-based provider as defined in s. 409.1671, is responsible for repaying the loan plus accrued interest at 8 percent annually.

3.  Forgivable loan recipients may receive loan repayment credit for child welfare service rendered at any time during the scheduled repayment period. However, such repayment credit shall be applicable only to the current principal and accrued interest balance that remains at the time the repayment credit is earned. No loan recipient shall be reimbursed for previous cash payments of principal and interest.

(3)  This section shall be implemented only as specifically funded.

History.--s. 5, ch. 2003-146.