Senate Bill 1852c1

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1852

    By the Committee on Education and Senator Kirkpatrick





    304-2164D-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to student grants; amending s.

  3         216.136, F.S.; providing duties of the

  4         Education Estimating Conference; amending s.

  5         240.409, F.S.; authorizing eligibility

  6         determination and grant distribution for the

  7         Florida Public Student Assistance Grant Program

  8         to be conducted by the receiving institution;

  9         specifying a dollar value range for grant

10         awards; amending s. 240.4095, F.S.; authorizing

11         eligibility determination and grant

12         distribution for the Florida Private Student

13         Assistance Grant Program to be conducted by the

14         receiving institution; specifying a dollar

15         value range for grant awards; amending s.

16         240.4097, F.S.; authorizing eligibility

17         determination and grant distribution for the

18         Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant

19         Program to be conducted by the receiving

20         institution; specifying a dollar value range

21         for grant awards; providing an effective date.

22

23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

24

25         Section 1.  Subsection (4) of section 216.136, Florida

26  Statutes, is amended to read:

27         216.136  Consensus estimating conferences; duties and

28  principals.--

29         (4)  EDUCATION ESTIMATING CONFERENCE.--

30         (a)  Duties.--The Education Estimating Conference shall

31  develop such official information relating to the state public

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1852
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  1  educational system, including forecasts of student

  2  enrollments, the number of students qualified for state

  3  financial aid programs and the appropriation required to fund

  4  the full award amounts for each program, fixed capital outlay

  5  needs, and Florida Education Finance Program formula needs, as

  6  the conference determines is needed for the state planning and

  7  budgeting system.  The conference's initial projections of

  8  enrollments in public schools shall be forwarded by the

  9  conference to each school district no later than 2 months

10  prior to the start of the regular session of the Legislature.

11  Each school district may, in writing, request adjustments to

12  the initial projections.  Any adjustment request shall be

13  submitted to the conference no later than 1 month prior to the

14  start of the regular session of the Legislature and shall be

15  considered by the principals of the conference.  A school

16  district may amend its adjustment request, in writing, during

17  the first 3 weeks of the legislative session, and such amended

18  adjustment request shall be considered by the principals of

19  the conference.  For any adjustment so requested, the district

20  shall indicate and explain, using definitions adopted by the

21  conference, the components of anticipated enrollment changes

22  that correspond to continuation of current programs with

23  workload changes; program improvement; program reduction or

24  elimination; initiation of new programs; and any other

25  information that may be needed by the Legislature.  For public

26  schools, the conference shall submit its full-time equivalent

27  student consensus estimate to the Legislature no later than 1

28  month after the start of the regular session of the

29  Legislature. No conference estimate may be changed without the

30  agreement of the full conference.

31

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1852
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  1         (b)  Adjustments.--No later than 2 months prior to the

  2  start of the regular session of the Legislature, the

  3  conference shall forward to each eligible postsecondary

  4  education institution its initial projections of the number of

  5  students qualified for state financial aid programs and the

  6  appropriation required to fund those students at the full

  7  award amount. Each postsecondary education institution may

  8  request, in writing, adjustments to the initial projection.

  9  Any adjustment request must be submitted to the conference no

10  later than 1 month prior to the start of the regular session

11  of the Legislature and shall be considered by the principals

12  of the conference. For any adjustment so requested, the

13  postsecondary education institution shall indicate and

14  explain, using definitions adopted by the conference, the

15  components of anticipated changes that correspond to

16  continuation of current programs with enrollment changes,

17  program reduction or elimination, initiation of new programs,

18  award amount increases or decreases, and any other information

19  that is considered by the conference. The conference shall

20  submit its consensus estimate to the Legislature no later than

21  1 month after the start of the regular session of the

22  Legislature. No conference estimate may be changed without the

23  agreement of the full conference.

24         (c)(b)  Principals.--The Associate Deputy Commissioner

25  for Educational Management, the Executive Office of the

26  Governor, the director of the Division of Economic and

27  Demographic Research of the Joint Legislative Management

28  Committee, and professional staff of the Senate and House of

29  Representatives who have forecasting expertise, or their

30  designees, are the principals of the Education Estimating

31  Conference.  The Associate Deputy Commissioner for Educational

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1852
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  1  Management or his or her designee shall preside over sessions

  2  of the conference.

  3         Section 2.  Effective July January 1, 1999, section

  4  240.409, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  5         240.409  Florida Public Student Assistance Grant

  6  Program; eligibility for grants.--

  7         (1)  There is hereby created a Florida Public Student

  8  Assistance Grant Program. The program shall to be administered

  9  by the participating institutions Department of Education in

10  accordance with rules of the state board.

11         (2)(a)  State student assistance grants through the

12  program may be made only to full-time degree-seeking students

13  enrolled for a minimum of 6 credit hours who meet the general

14  requirements for student eligibility as provided in s.

15  240.404, except as otherwise provided in this section.  Such

16  grants shall be awarded annually for the amount of

17  demonstrated unmet need for the cost of education and may not

18  exceed an amount equal to the average prior academic year cost

19  of tuition and matriculation fees and other registration fees

20  for 30 credit hours at state universities or such other amount

21  as specified in the General Appropriations Act, to any

22  recipient.  A demonstrated unmet need of less than $200 shall

23  render the applicant ineligible for a state student assistance

24  grant. Recipients of such grants must have been accepted at a

25  state university or community college authorized by Florida

26  law.  No student may receive an award for more than the

27  equivalent of 9 semesters or 14 quarters of full-time

28  enrollment in a period of not more than 6 consecutive years,

29  except as otherwise provided in s. 240.404(3).

30         (b)  A student applying for a Florida public student

31  assistance grant shall be required to apply for the Pell

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1852
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  1  Grant. The Pell Grant entitlement shall be considered by the

  2  department when conducting an assessment of the financial

  3  resources available to each student.

  4         (c)  The criteria and procedure for establishing

  5  standards of eligibility shall be determined by the

  6  department.  The department is directed to establish a rating

  7  system upon which to base the approval of grants, and such

  8  system shall include a certification of acceptability by the

  9  state university or community college of the applicant's

10  choice and the use of a nationally recognized system of need

11  analysis.  Priority in the distribution of grant moneys shall

12  be given to students with the lowest total family resources,

13  in accordance with a nationally recognized system of need

14  analysis as determined pursuant to this subsection, taking

15  into consideration the receipt of Pell Grants and student

16  contributions to educational costs. Using the system of need

17  analysis, the department shall establish a maximum expected

18  family contribution. An institution may not make a grant from

19  this program to a student whose expected family contribution

20  exceeds the level established by the department.

21         (d)  Each participating institution shall report, to

22  the department by the established date, the eligible students

23  to whom grant moneys are disbursed each academic term. Each

24  institution shall also report to the department necessary

25  demographic and eligibility data for such students. The

26  department is directed to establish, for fall enrollment, an

27  initial application deadline for students attending all

28  eligible institutions and an additional application deadline

29  for community college applicants who apply after the initial

30  application deadline.  The second community college deadline

31  shall be at the close of each institution's drop-add period.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1852
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  1  The department shall reserve an amount to be designated

  2  annually in the General Appropriations Act for the purpose of

  3  providing awards to community college students who apply for a

  4  student assistance grant after the initial application

  5  deadline.  Community college applicants who apply during the

  6  initial application period and are eligible to receive an

  7  award, but do not receive an award because of insufficient

  8  funds, shall have their applications reconsidered with those

  9  community college applicants who apply after the initial

10  application deadline.  The provisions of this paragraph shall

11  take effect beginning with the 1990-1991 academic year.

12         (3)  Based on the unmet financial need of an eligible

13  applicant, the full amount of a Florida public student

14  assistance grant must be between $200 and the weighted average

15  of the cost of matriculation and other registration fees for

16  30 credit hours at state universities $1,500 per academic year

17  or the amount specified in the General Appropriations Act.

18  Students enrolled for 6 to 8 credit hours may receive up to

19  one-half of the maximum award, students enrolled for 9 to 11

20  credit hours may receive up to three-fourths of the maximum

21  award, and students enrolled for 12 or more credit hours may

22  receive up to the full award. When funds are not sufficient to

23  make full awards to all eligible applicants, the department

24  shall reduce the amount of each recipient's grant award pro

25  rata.  For any year in which a pro rata grant reduction is

26  necessary, such adjustment shall be made by reducing the

27  second semester or the second and third quarter award

28  disbursements to grant recipients.  In each such instance,

29  institutions shall notify students of award adjustments.

30         (4)  In the event that a Florida public student

31  assistance grant recipient transfers from one institution

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  1  eligible under this section, s. 240.4095, or s. 240.4097 to

  2  another, his or her eligibility shall be transferable upon

  3  approval of the department. When approved by the department,

  4  the amount of the unmet need shall be recalculated for the new

  5  institution and shall be adjusted accordingly.

  6         (4)(5)(a)  The funds appropriated for the Florida

  7  Public Student Assistance Grant shall be distributed to

  8  eligible institutions in accordance with a formula recommended

  9  by the Department of Education's Florida Council of Student

10  Financial Aid Advisors and reviewed by the Postsecondary

11  Education Planning Commission, the State Board of Community

12  Colleges, and the Board of Regents. The formula shall consider

13  at least the prior year's distribution of funds, the number of

14  full-time and part-time eligible applicants who did not

15  receive awards, the standardization of the expected family

16  contribution, and provisions for unused funds.

17         (b)  Payment of Florida public student assistance

18  grants shall may be transmitted to the president of the state

19  university or community college which the recipient is

20  attending, or to his or her representative, in advance of the

21  registration period. Institutions shall notify students of the

22  amount of their awards.

23         (c)(b)  Institutions shall certify to the department,

24  within 30 days of the end of regular registration, the

25  eligibility status of each awarded student.  The eligibility

26  status of each student to receive a disbursement shall be

27  determined by each institution as of the end of its regular

28  registration period, inclusive of a drop-add period.

29  Institutions shall not be required to reevaluate a student's

30  eligibility status after this date for purposes of changing

31  amending eligibility determinations previously made.  However,

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1852
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  1  an institution shall be required to make refunds for students

  2  who receive award disbursements and terminate enrollment for

  3  any reason during the academic term when an institution's

  4  refund policies permit a student to receive a refund under

  5  these circumstances.

  6         (d)(c)  Institutions shall certify to the department

  7  the amount of funds disbursed to each student and shall remit

  8  to the department any undisbursed advances by June 1 of each

  9  year within 60 days of the end of regular registration.

10         (5)(6)  Funds appropriated by the Legislature for state

11  student assistance grants shall be deposited in the State

12  Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund. Notwithstanding the

13  provisions of s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any

14  balance in the trust fund at the end of any fiscal year that

15  has been allocated to the Florida Public Student Assistance

16  Grant Program shall remain therein and shall be available for

17  carrying out the purposes of this section.

18         (6)(7)  The State Board of Education shall establish

19  rules necessary to implement this section.

20         Section 3.  Effective July 1, 1999, section 240.4095,

21  Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

22         240.4095  Florida Private Student Assistance Grant

23  Program; eligibility for grants.--

24         (1)  There is hereby created a Florida Private Student

25  Assistance Grant Program. The program shall to be administered

26  by the participating institutions Department of Education in

27  accordance with rules of the state board.

28         (2)(a)  Florida private student assistance grants from

29  the State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund may be made

30  only to full-time degree-seeking students enrolled for a

31  minimum of 6 credit hours who meet the general requirements

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  1  for student eligibility as provided in s. 240.404, except as

  2  otherwise provided in this section.  Such grants shall be

  3  awarded for the amount of demonstrated unmet need for tuition

  4  and fees and may not exceed an amount equal to the average

  5  matriculation and other registration fees for 30 credit hours

  6  at state universities plus $1,000 a total of $1,500 per

  7  academic year, or as specified in the General Appropriations

  8  Act, to any applicant.  A demonstrated unmet need of less than

  9  $200 shall render the applicant ineligible for a Florida

10  private student assistance grant.  Recipients of such grants

11  must have been accepted at a baccalaureate-degree-granting

12  independent nonprofit college or university, which is

13  accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern

14  Association of Colleges and Schools, and which has a secular

15  purpose, and which is located in and chartered as a domestic

16  corporation by the state.  No student may receive an award for

17  more than the equivalent of 9 semesters or 14 quarters of

18  full-time enrollment in a period of not more than 6

19  consecutive years, except as otherwise provided in s.

20  240.404(3).

21         (b)  A student applying for a Florida private student

22  assistance grant shall be required to apply for the Pell

23  Grant. The Pell Grant entitlement shall be considered by the

24  department when conducting an assessment of the financial

25  resources available to each student.

26         (c)  The criteria and procedure for establishing

27  standards of eligibility shall be determined by the

28  department. The department is directed to establish a rating

29  system upon which to base the approval of grants, including

30  the use of a nationally recognized system of need analysis.

31  The system shall include a certification of acceptability by

                                  9

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  1  the independent nonprofit college or university of the

  2  applicant's choice.  Priority in the distribution of grant

  3  moneys shall be given to students with the lowest total family

  4  resources, in accordance with a nationally recognized system

  5  of need analysis as determined pursuant to this subsection,

  6  taking into consideration the receipt of Pell Grants and

  7  student contributions to educational costs. Using the system

  8  of need analysis, the department shall establish a maximum

  9  expected family contribution. An institution may not make a

10  grant from this program to a student whose expected family

11  contribution exceeds the level established by the department.

12         (d)  Each participating institution shall report, to

13  the department by the established date, the eligible students

14  to whom grant moneys are disbursed each academic term. Each

15  institution shall also report to the department necessary

16  demographic and eligibility data for such students.

17         (3)  Based on the unmet financial need of an eligible

18  applicant, the full amount of a Florida private student

19  assistance grant must be between $200 and the average cost of

20  matriculation and other registration fees for 30 credit hours

21  at state universities plus $1,000 $1,500 per academic year or

22  the amount specified in the General Appropriations Act.

23  Students enrolled for 6 to 8 credit hours may receive up to

24  one-half of the maximum award, students enrolled for 9 to 11

25  credit hours may receive up to three-fourths of the maximum

26  award, and students enrolled for 12 or more credit hours may

27  receive up to the full award. When funds are not sufficient to

28  make full awards to all eligible applicants, the department

29  shall reduce the amount of each recipient's grant award pro

30  rata.  For any year in which a pro rata grant reduction is

31  necessary, such adjustment shall be made by reducing the

                                  10

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  1  second semester or the second and third quarter award

  2  disbursements to grant recipients.  In each such instance,

  3  institutions shall notify students of award adjustments.

  4         (4)  In the event that a Florida private student

  5  assistance grant recipient transfers from one institution

  6  eligible under this section, s. 240.409, or s. 240.4097 to

  7  another, his or her eligibility shall be transferable upon

  8  approval of the department. When approved by the department,

  9  the amount of the unmet need shall be recalculated for the new

10  institution and shall be adjusted accordingly.

11         (4)(5)(a)  The funds appropriated for the Florida

12  Private Student Assistance Grant shall be distributed to

13  eligible institutions in accordance with a formula recommended

14  by the Department of Education's Florida Council of Student

15  Financial Aid Advisors and reviewed by the Postsecondary

16  Education Planning Commission and the Independent Colleges and

17  Universities of Florida. The formula shall consider at least

18  the prior year's distribution of funds, the number of

19  full-time and part-time eligible applicants who did not

20  receive awards, the standardization of the expected family

21  contribution, and provisions for unused funds.

22         (b)  Payment of Florida private student assistance

23  grants shall may be transmitted to the president of the

24  college or university which the recipient is attending, or to

25  his or her representative, in advance of the registration

26  period. Institutions shall notify students of the amount of

27  their awards.

28         (c)(b)  Institutions shall certify to the department,

29  within 30 days of the end of regular registration, the

30  eligibility status of each awarded student. The eligibility

31  status of each student to receive a disbursement shall be

                                  11

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  1  determined by each institution as of the end of its regular

  2  registration period, inclusive of a drop-add period.

  3  Institutions shall not be required to reevaluate a student's

  4  eligibility status after this date for purposes of changing

  5  amending eligibility determinations previously made. However,

  6  an institution shall be required to make refunds for students

  7  who receive award disbursements and terminate enrollment for

  8  any reason during the academic term when an institution's

  9  refund policies permit a student to receive a refund under

10  these circumstances.

11         (d)(c)  Institutions shall certify to the department

12  the amount of funds disbursed to each student and shall remit

13  to the department any undisbursed advances by June 1 of each

14  year within 60 days of the end of regular registration.

15         (e)(d)  Each institution that receives moneys through

16  the Florida Private Student Assistance Grant Program shall

17  cause to be prepared a biennial report that includes an

18  independent external audit of the institution's administration

19  of the program and a complete accounting of moneys in the

20  State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund allocated to the

21  institution for the program. Such report shall be submitted to

22  the department on or before March 1 every other year.  The

23  department may conduct its own annual or biennial audit of an

24  institution's administration of the program and its allocated

25  funds in lieu of the required biennial report and independent

26  external audit.  The department may suspend or revoke an

27  institution's eligibility to receive future moneys from the

28  trust fund for the program or request a refund of any moneys

29  overpaid to the institution through the trust fund for the

30  program if the department finds that an institution has not

31  complied with the provisions of this section. Any refund

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  1  requested pursuant to this paragraph shall be remitted within

  2  60 days.

  3         (5)(6)  Funds appropriated by the Legislature for

  4  Florida private student assistance grants shall be deposited

  5  in the State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund.

  6  Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301 and pursuant to

  7  s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund at the end of any

  8  fiscal year that has been allocated to the Florida Private

  9  Student Assistance Grant Program shall remain therein and

10  shall be available for carrying out the purposes of this

11  section and as otherwise provided by law.

12         (6)(7)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules

13  necessary to implement this section.

14         Section 4.  Effective July 1, 1999, section 240.4097,

15  Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

16         240.4097  Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance

17  Grant Program; eligibility for grants.--

18         (1)  There is hereby created a Florida Postsecondary

19  Student Assistance Grant Program. The program shall to be

20  administered by the participating institutions Department of

21  Education in accordance with rules of the state board.

22         (2)(a)  Florida postsecondary student assistance grants

23  through the State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund may

24  be made only to full-time degree-seeking students enrolled for

25  a minimum of 6 credit hours who meet the general requirements

26  for student eligibility as provided in s. 240.404, except as

27  otherwise provided in this section.  Such grants shall be

28  awarded for the amount of demonstrated unmet need for tuition

29  and fees and may not exceed an amount equal to the average

30  prior-academic-year cost of matriculation and other

31  registration fees for 30 credit hours at state universities

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  1  plus $1,000 a total of $1,500 per academic year, or as

  2  specified in the General Appropriations Act, to any applicant.

  3  A demonstrated unmet need of less than $200 shall render the

  4  applicant ineligible for a Florida postsecondary student

  5  assistance grant.  Recipients of such grants must have been

  6  accepted at a postsecondary institution that is located in and

  7  chartered as a domestic corporation by the state and that is:

  8         1.  A private nursing diploma school approved by the

  9  Florida Board of Nursing; or

10         2.  An institution either licensed by the State Board

11  of Independent Colleges and Universities or exempt from

12  licensure pursuant to s. 246.085(1)(a), excluding those

13  institutions the students of which are eligible to receive a

14  Florida private student assistance grant pursuant to s.

15  240.4095.

16

17  No student may receive an award for more than the equivalent

18  of 9 semesters or 14 quarters of full-time enrollment in a

19  period of not more than 6 consecutive years, except as

20  otherwise provided in s. 240.404(3).

21         (b)  A student applying for a Florida postsecondary

22  student assistance grant shall be required to apply for the

23  Pell Grant. The Pell Grant entitlement shall be considered by

24  the department when conducting an assessment of the financial

25  resources available to each student.

26         (c)  The criteria and procedure for establishing

27  standards of eligibility shall be determined by the

28  department.  The department is directed to establish a rating

29  system upon which to base the approval of grants, including

30  the use of a nationally recognized system of need analysis.

31  The system shall include a certification of acceptability by

                                  14

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  1  the school of the applicant's choice.  Priority in the

  2  distribution of grant moneys shall be given to students with

  3  the lowest total family resources, in accordance with a

  4  nationally recognized system of need analysis as determined

  5  pursuant to this subsection, taking into consideration the

  6  receipt of Pell Grants and student contributions to

  7  educational costs. Using the system of need analysis, the

  8  department shall establish a maximum expected family

  9  contribution. An institution may not make a grant from this

10  program to a student whose expected family contribution

11  exceeds the level established by the department.

12         (d)  Each participating institution shall report, to

13  the department by the established date, the eligible students

14  to whom grant moneys are disbursed each academic term. Each

15  institution shall also report to the department necessary

16  demographic and eligibility data for such students.

17         (3)  Based on the unmet financial need of an eligible

18  applicant, the full amount of a Florida postsecondary student

19  assistance grant must be between $200 and the average cost of

20  matriculation and other registration fees for 30 credit hours

21  at state universities plus $1,000 $1,500 per academic year or

22  the amount specified in the General Appropriations Act.

23  Students enrolled for 6 to 8 credit hours may receive up to

24  one-half of the maximum award, students enrolled for 9 to 11

25  credit hours may receive up to three-fourths of the maximum

26  award, and students enrolled for 12 or more credit hours may

27  receive up to the full award. When funds are not sufficient to

28  make full awards to all eligible applicants, the department

29  shall reduce the amount of each recipient's grant award pro

30  rata.  For any year in which a pro rata grant reduction is

31  necessary, such adjustment shall be made by reducing the

                                  15

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  1  second semester or the second and third quarter award

  2  disbursements to grant recipients.  In each such instance,

  3  institutions shall notify students of award adjustments.

  4         (4)  In the event that a student assistance grant

  5  recipient transfers from one institution eligible under this

  6  section, s. 240.409, or s. 240.4095 to another, his or her

  7  eligibility shall be transferable upon approval of the

  8  department.  When approved by the department, the amount of

  9  the unmet need shall be recalculated for the new institution

10  and shall be adjusted accordingly.

11         (4)(5)(a)  The funds appropriated for the Florida

12  Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant shall be distributed to

13  eligible institutions in accordance with a formula recommended

14  by the Department of Education's Florida Council of Student

15  Financial Aid Advisors and reviewed by the Postsecondary

16  Education Planning Commission and the Florida Association of

17  Postsecondary Schools and Colleges. The formula shall consider

18  at least the prior year's distribution of funds, the number of

19  full-time and part-time eligible applicants who did not

20  receive awards, the standardization of the expected family

21  contribution, and provisions for unused funds.

22         (b)  Payment of Florida postsecondary student

23  assistance grants shall may be transmitted to the president of

24  the eligible institution which the recipient is attending, or

25  to his or her representative, in advance of the registration

26  period. Institutions shall notify students of the amount of

27  their awards.

28         (c)(b)  Institutions shall certify to the department,

29  within 30 days of the end of regular registration, the

30  eligibility status of each awarded student.  The eligibility

31  status of each student to receive a disbursement shall be

                                  16

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1852
    304-2164D-98




  1  determined by each institution as of the end of its regular

  2  registration period, inclusive of a drop-add period.

  3  Institutions shall not be required to reevaluate a student's

  4  eligibility status after this date for purposes of changing

  5  amending eligibility determinations previously made.  However,

  6  an institution shall be required to make refunds for students

  7  who receive award disbursements and terminate enrollment for

  8  any reason during the academic term when an institution's

  9  refund policies permit a student to receive a refund under

10  these circumstances.

11         (d)(c)  Institutions shall certify to the department

12  the amount of funds disbursed to each student and shall remit

13  to the department any undisbursed advances by June 1 of each

14  year within 60 days of the end of regular registration.

15         (e)(d)  Each institution that receives moneys through

16  the Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant Program

17  shall cause to be prepared a biennial report that includes an

18  independent external audit of the institution's administration

19  of the program and a complete accounting of moneys in the

20  State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund allocated to the

21  institution for the program.  Such report shall be submitted

22  to the department on or before March 1 every other year.  The

23  department may conduct its own annual or biennial audit of an

24  institution's administration of the program and its allocated

25  funds in lieu of the required biennial report and independent

26  external audit. The department may suspend or revoke an

27  institution's eligibility to receive future moneys from the

28  trust fund for the program or request a refund of any moneys

29  overpaid to the institution through the trust fund for the

30  program if the department finds that an institution has not

31  complied with the provisions of this section.  Any refund

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






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    304-2164D-98




  1  requested pursuant to this paragraph shall be remitted within

  2  60 days.

  3         (5)(6)  Any institution that was eligible to receive

  4  state student assistance grants on January 1, 1989, and that

  5  is not eligible to receive grants pursuant to s. 240.4095 is

  6  eligible to receive grants pursuant to this section.

  7         (6)(7)  Funds appropriated by the Legislature for

  8  Florida postsecondary student assistance grants shall be

  9  deposited in the State Student Financial Assistance Trust

10  Fund. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301 and

11  pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund at the

12  end of any fiscal year that has been allocated to the Florida

13  Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant Program shall remain

14  therein and shall be available for carrying out the purposes

15  of this section and as otherwise provided by law.

16         (7)(8)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules

17  necessary to implement this section.

18         Section 5.  Except as otherwise provided in this act,

19  this act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

20

21          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
22                             SB 1852

23

24  The committee substitute does not transfer administration of
    all the state's financial assistance programs to a private
25  corporation.

26  Rather, it will decentralize the state's three need-based
    grant programs to be administered by the universities and
27  colleges that enroll the students, instead of the Department
    of Education.
28
    It also makes part-time students eligible for the programs./
29

30

31

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