CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 3155
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3155
By Representative Miller
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
3 Scholarship Program; amending ss. 240.40205 and
4 240.40206, F.S.; revising academic eligibility
5 requirements for receipt of a Florida Academic
6 Scholars award or a Florida Merit Scholars
7 award; requiring the Department of Education to
8 establish certain standards; amending s.
9 240.40207, F.S.; revising academic eligibility
10 requirements for transfer from a Florida Gold
11 Seal Vocational Scholars award to a Florida
12 Merit Scholars award; providing an effective
13 date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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17 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 240.40205,
18 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
19 240.40205 Florida Academic Scholars award.--
20 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic
21 Scholars award if the student meets the general eligibility
22 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
23 Program and the student:
24 (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted unweighted grade point
25 average on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in high school
26 courses that are adopted by the Board of Regents and
27 recommended by the State Board of Community Colleges as
28 college-preparatory academic courses which courses shall be
29 weighted according to standards established by the Department
30 of Education; and
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3155
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1 (b) Has attained at least the score identified by
2 rules of the Department of Education on the combined verbal
3 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
4 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
5 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
6 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program; or
7 (c) Has attended a home education program according to
8 s. 232.02(4) during grades 11 and 12, and has attained at
9 least the score identified by rules of the Department of
10 Education on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the
11 Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
12 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
13 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the American
14 College Testing Program; or
15 (d) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate
16 Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office; or
17 (e) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
18 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
19 scholar or finalist.
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21 Effective with the 1998-1999 school year, a student must
22 complete a program of community service work, as approved by
23 the district school board or the administrators of a nonpublic
24 school, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours of service
25 work and require the student to identify a social problem that
26 interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her personal
27 involvement in addressing the problem, and, through papers or
28 other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her
29 experience.
30 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 240.40206,
31 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3155
516-189-98
1 240.40206 Florida Merit Scholars award.--
2 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Merit Scholars
3 award if the student meets the general eligibility
4 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
5 Program and the student:
6 (a) Has achieved a an unweighted grade point average
7 of 3.0 weighted grade point average on a 4.0 scale, or the
8 equivalent, in high school courses that are adopted by the
9 Board of Regents and recommended by the State Board of
10 Community Colleges as college-preparatory academic courses
11 which courses shall be weighted according to standards
12 established by the Department of Education; and
13 (b) Has attained at least the score identified by
14 rules of the Department of Education on the combined verbal
15 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
16 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
17 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
18 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program; or
19 (c) Has attended a home education program according to
20 s. 232.02(4) during grades 11 and 12, and has attained at
21 least the score identified by rules of the Department of
22 Education on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the
23 Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
24 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
25 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the American
26 College Testing Program.
27 Section 3. Subsection (4) of section 240.40207,
28 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
29 240.40207 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars
30 award.--The Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is
31 created within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3155
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1 to recognize and reward academic achievement and vocational
2 preparation by high school students who wish to continue their
3 education.
4 (4) A student may earn a Florida Gold Seal Vocational
5 Scholarship for 110 percent of the number of credit hours
6 required to complete the program, up to 90 credit hours or the
7 equivalent. A Florida Gold Seal Scholar who has a cumulative
8 grade point average of 3.0 2.75 in all postsecondary education
9 work attempted and meets the testing requirement for the
10 Florida Merit Scholars award specified in s. 240.40206(1)(b)
11 may apply for a Florida Merit Scholars award at any renewal
12 period. All other provisions of that program apply, and the
13 credit-hour limitation must be calculated by subtracting from
14 the student's total eligibility the number of credit hours the
15 student attempted while earning the Gold Seal Vocational
16 Scholarship.
17 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1 of the
18 year in which enacted.
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21 HOUSE SUMMARY
22
With respect to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
23 Program, revises certain academic eligibility
requirements for receipt or transfer of awards.
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