House Bill 4747
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4747
By the Committee on Colleges & Universities and
Representative Casey
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
3 Scholarship Program; amending s. 240.40201,
4 F.S.; providing responsibilities of school
5 principals; revising provisions relating to
6 payment for awards; amending s. 240.40202,
7 F.S.; providing additional student eligibility
8 requirements for an initial award; amending s.
9 240.40205, F.S.; revising student eligibility
10 requirements for receipt of a Florida Academic
11 Scholars award; specifying fees for which
12 payment may be made; amending s. 240.40206,
13 F.S.; revising student eligibility requirements
14 for receipt of a Florida Merit Scholars award;
15 specifying fees for which payment may be made;
16 amending s. 240.40207, F.S.; restricting the
17 use of a Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars
18 award; specifying fees for which payment may be
19 made; revising provisions relating to transfer
20 of awards and providing requirements; amending
21 s. 240.40208, F.S., to conform; providing an
22 effective date.
23
24 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
25
26 Section 1. Subsections (3) and (5) of section
27 240.40201, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
28 240.40201 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
29 Program.--
30 (3) The Department of Education shall administer the
31 Bright Futures Scholarship Program according to rules and
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1 procedures established by the Commissioner of Education. A
2 single application must be sufficient for a student to apply
3 for any of the three types of awards. The department must
4 advertise the availability of the scholarship program and must
5 notify students, teachers, parents, guidance counselors, and
6 principals or other relevant school administrators of the
7 criteria and application procedures. The department must begin
8 this process of notification no later than January 1 of each
9 year. Principals are responsible for ensuring that guidance
10 counselors or other relevant school administrators adequately
11 advise students regarding the options available to the student
12 through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
13 (5)(a) Following the drop/add period each semester, an
14 education institution shall certify to the department the
15 award amount necessary for each student eligible to receive an
16 award. Upon receipt of the certifications, the department
17 shall transmit payment for the awards to the president or the
18 director of the institution or the designee of the president
19 or the director. The department shall issue awards from the
20 scholarship program annually. Annual awards may be for up to
21 45 semester credit hours or the equivalent. Before the
22 registration period each semester, the department shall
23 transmit payment for each award to the president or director
24 of the postsecondary education institution, or his or her
25 representative, except that the department may withhold
26 payment if the receiving institution fails to report or to
27 make refunds to the department as required in this act.
28 (a) Within 30 days after the end of regular
29 registration each semester, the educational institution shall
30 certify to the department the eligibility status of each
31 student who receives an award. After the end of the drop and
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1 add period, An institution is not required to reevaluate or
2 revise a student's eligibility status, but must make a refund
3 to the department if a student who receives an award
4 disbursement terminates enrollment for any reason during an
5 academic term and a refund is permitted by the institution's
6 refund policy.
7 (b) An institution that receives funds from the
8 program shall certify to the department the amount of funds
9 disbursed to each student and shall remit to the department
10 any undisbursed advances within 60 days after the end of
11 regular registration.
12 (c) Each institution that receives moneys through this
13 program shall prepare an annual report that includes an
14 independent external audit or an audit prepared by the Office
15 of the Auditor General. The report shall include an audit of
16 the institution's administration of the program and a complete
17 accounting of the moneys for the program. This report must be
18 submitted to the department annually by March 1. The
19 department may conduct its own annual audit of an
20 institution's administration of the program. The department
21 may request a refund of any moneys overpaid to the institution
22 for the program. The department may suspend or revoke an
23 institution's eligibility to receive future moneys for the
24 program if the department finds that an institution has not
25 complied with this section. The institution must remit within
26 60 days any refund requested in accordance with this
27 subsection.
28 Section 2. Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (1) of
29 section 240.40202, Florida Statutes, to read:
30 240.40202 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
31 student eligibility requirements for initial awards.--
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1 (1) To be eligible for an initial award from any of
2 the three types of scholarships under the Florida Bright
3 Futures Scholarship Program, a student must:
4 (g) Submit to the United States Department of
5 Education a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid
6 and permit release of the information to the state.
7 Section 3. Subsections (1) and (2) of section
8 240.40205, Florida Statutes, as amended by chapter 97-379,
9 Laws of Florida, are amended to read:
10 240.40205 Florida Academic Scholars award.--
11 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic
12 Scholars award if the student meets the general eligibility
13 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
14 Program and the student:
15 (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
16 calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, or its equivalent, in
17 high school courses that are adopted by the Board of Regents
18 and recommended by the State Board of Community Colleges as
19 college-preparatory academic courses; and
20 (b) has attained at least a the score of 1270
21 identified by rules of the Department of Education on the
22 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
23 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the
24 recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance
25 Examination, or an equivalent score on the American College
26 Testing Program, or an equivalent score on an equivalent test
27 as determined by the Department of Education; or
28 (b)(c) Has attended a home education program according
29 to s. 232.02(4) during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
30 International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
31 International Baccalaureate Diploma, and has attained at least
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1 a the score of 1270 identified by rules of the Department of
2 Education on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the
3 Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
4 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
5 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the American
6 College Testing Program, or an equivalent score on an
7 equivalent test as determined by the Department of Education;
8 or
9 (c)(d) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate
10 Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office; or
11 (d)(e) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
12 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
13 scholar or finalist.
14
15 Effective with the 1998-1999 school year, a student must
16 complete a program of community service work, as approved by
17 the district school board or the administrators of a nonpublic
18 school, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours of service
19 work and require the student to identify a social problem that
20 interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her personal
21 involvement in addressing the problem, and, through papers or
22 other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her
23 experience.
24 (2) A Florida Academic Scholar who is enrolled in a
25 public postsecondary education institution is eligible for an
26 award equal to the amount required to pay registration
27 matriculation, fees, and $600 for college-related expenses
28 annually. A student who is enrolled in a nonpublic
29 postsecondary education institution is eligible for an award
30 equal to the amount that would be required to pay for the
31 average registration matriculation and fees of a public
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1 postsecondary education institution at the comparable level,
2 plus the annual $600. For purposes of this award, registration
3 fees at a public postsecondary education institution include
4 the following fees if authorized by the Legislature and
5 assessed by the institution: matriculation fee, financial aid
6 fee, building fee, capital improvement fee, health fee,
7 athletic fee, activity and service fee, and technology fee.
8 Section 4. Subsections (1) and (2) of section
9 240.40206, Florida Statutes, as amended by chapter 97-379,
10 Laws of Florida, are amended to read:
11 240.40206 Florida Merit Scholars award.--
12 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Merit Scholars
13 award if the student meets the general eligibility
14 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
15 Program and the student:
16 (a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0
17 as calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, or the equivalent, in
18 high school courses that are adopted by the Board of Regents
19 and recommended by the State Board of Community Colleges as
20 college-preparatory academic courses; and
21 (b) has attained at least the score identified by
22 rules of the Department of Education on the combined verbal
23 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
24 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
25 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
26 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program, or
27 for any student who graduates from high school in or after
28 2001, a score of at least 1100 on the recentered Scholastic
29 Assessment Test or its equivalent as determined by the
30 Department of Education; or
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1 (b)(c) Has attended a home education program according
2 to s. 232.02(4) during grades 11 and 12 or Has completed the
3 International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
4 International Baccalaureate Diploma, and has attained at least
5 the score identified by rules of the Department of Education
6 on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the
7 Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
8 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
9 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the American
10 College Testing Program, or for any student who graduates from
11 high school in or after 2001, a score of at least 1100 on the
12 recentered Scholastic Assessment Test or its equivalent as
13 determined by the Department of Education; or
14 (c) Has completed a college-preparatory curriculum
15 through a registered home education program and has attained a
16 score of 970 on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of
17 the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test,
18 or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
19 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the American
20 College Testing Program. Eligibility shall be determined in
21 the same manner as for public school students. For students
22 whose parents do not document a college-preparatory
23 curriculum, a score of 1070 on the combined verbal and
24 quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
25 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
26 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
27 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program,
28 shall be required for award eligibility. For students who
29 complete a home education program in or after 2001, a score of
30 1100 on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the
31 recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance
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1 Examination, or an equivalent score on the American College
2 Testing Program, shall be required for this award.
3 (2) A Florida Merit Scholar is eligible for an award
4 equal to the amount required to pay 75 percent of registration
5 matriculation and fees, if the student is enrolled in a public
6 postsecondary education institution. A student who is enrolled
7 in a nonpublic postsecondary education institution is eligible
8 for an award equal to the amount that would be required to pay
9 75 percent of the registration matriculation and fees of a
10 public postsecondary education institution at the comparable
11 level. For purposes of this award, registration fees at a
12 public postsecondary education institution include the
13 following fees if authorized by the Legislature and assessed
14 by the institution: matriculation fee, financial aid fee,
15 building fee, capital improvement fee, health fee, athletic
16 fee, activity and service fee, and technology fee.
17 Section 5. Section 240.40207, Florida Statutes, as
18 amended by chapter 97-379, Laws of Florida, is amended to
19 read:
20 240.40207 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars
21 award.--The Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is
22 created within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
23 to recognize and reward academic achievement and vocational
24 preparation by high school students who wish to continue their
25 education. Effective fall 1999, a Florida Gold Seal Vocational
26 Scholars award may not be used at a baccalaureate
27 degree-granting institution unless the award is a renewal of
28 an initial award issued prior to fall 1999.
29 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal
30 Vocational Scholars award if the student meets the general
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1 eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures
2 Scholarship Program and the student:
3 (a) Completes the secondary school portion of a
4 sequential program of studies that requires at least three
5 secondary school vocational credits taken over at least 2
6 academic years, and is continued in a planned, related
7 postsecondary education program. If the student's school does
8 not offer such a two-plus-two or tech-prep program, the
9 student must complete a job-preparatory career education
10 program selected by the Occupational Forecasting Conference or
11 the Workforce Development Board of Enterprise Florida for its
12 ability to provide high-wage employment in an occupation with
13 high potential for employment opportunities. On-the-job
14 training may not be substituted for any of the three required
15 vocational credits.
16 (b) Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education
17 by earning a passing score on the Florida College Entry Level
18 Placement Test or its equivalent as identified by the
19 Department of Education.
20 (c) Earns a minimum cumulative weighted grade point
21 average of 3.0, as calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, on all
22 subjects required for a standard high school diploma,
23 excluding elective courses.
24 (d) Earns a minimum unweighted grade point average of
25 3.5 on a 4.0 scale for secondary vocational courses comprising
26 the vocational program.
27 (e) Completes the requirements of a vocational-ready
28 diploma program, as defined by rules of the State Board of
29 Education.
30 (2) A Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholar is eligible
31 for an award equal to the amount required to pay 75 percent of
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1 registration matriculation and fees, if the student is
2 enrolled in a public postsecondary education institution. A
3 student who is enrolled in a nonpublic postsecondary education
4 institution is eligible for an award equal to the amount that
5 would be required to pay 75 percent of the registration
6 matriculation and mandatory fees of a public postsecondary
7 education institution at the comparable level. For purposes of
8 this award, registration fees at a public postsecondary
9 education institution include the following fees if authorized
10 by the Legislature and assessed by the institution:
11 matriculation fee, financial aid fee, building fee, capital
12 improvement fee, health fee, athletic fee, activity and
13 service fee, and technology fee.
14 (3) To be eligible for a renewal award as a Florida
15 Gold Seal Vocational Scholar, a student must maintain the
16 equivalent of a grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for
17 all postsecondary education work attempted, with an
18 opportunity for reinstatement one time as provided in this
19 act.
20 (4) A student may earn a Florida Gold Seal Vocational
21 Scholarship for 110 percent of the number of credit hours
22 required to complete the program, up to 90 credit hours or the
23 equivalent. A Florida Gold Seal Scholar who has a cumulative
24 grade point average of 2.75 in all postsecondary education
25 work attempted may apply for a Florida Merit Scholars award at
26 any renewal period. All other provisions of that Program
27 apply, and the credit-hour limitation must be calculated by
28 subtracting from the student's total eligibility the number of
29 credit hours the student attempted while earning the Gold Seal
30 Vocational Scholarship.
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1 (5) Upon successful completion of a postsecondary
2 education program pursuant to paragraph (1)(a), an award
3 recipient who meets the renewal criteria in subsection (3) and
4 enrolls in an associate or baccalaureate degree program at an
5 eligible postsecondary education institution is eligible to
6 transfer to the Florida Merit Scholars award component of the
7 Bright Futures Scholarship Program. All other provisions of
8 that component of the program apply.
9 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 240.40208,
10 Florida Statutes, as amended by chapter 97-379, Laws of
11 Florida, is amended to read:
12 240.40208 Eligibility for the Florida Bright Futures
13 Scholarship Program; transition.--
14 (1) A student who graduates from high school in 1997
15 or earlier and who is eligible for the Florida Undergraduate
16 Scholar's Program pursuant to s. 240.402 is eligible for the
17 Florida Academic Scholars award as provided in this act. A
18 student who graduates from high school in 1998 or 1999 is
19 eligible for the Florida Academic Scholars award if the
20 student meets the criteria in s. 240.40205. However, in lieu
21 of satisfying the requirements set forth in s. 240.40205(1)(a)
22 and (b), a student may meet the following criteria:
23 (a) Complete a program of at least 24 credits in
24 advanced-level studies as prescribed by the State Board of
25 Education, including as a minimum:
26 1. Four years of progressively advanced instruction in
27 language arts, including courses in English composition and
28 literature.
29 2. Four years of progressively advanced instruction in
30 science, including laboratory courses in biology, chemistry,
31 and physics where laboratory facilities are available.
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1 3. Four years of progressively advanced instruction in
2 mathematics, including courses in algebra, geometry, and
3 calculus or trigonometry.
4 4. Two years of sequential foreign language.
5 5. One year of instruction in art and music or in
6 either art or music.
7 6. Three years of instruction in social studies,
8 including courses in American history and government, world
9 history, and comparative political and economic systems.
10 7. One year of instruction in health and physical
11 education to include assessment, improvement, and maintenance
12 of personal fitness.
13 (b) Obtain at least the equivalent of an unweighted
14 grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all courses
15 taken for which high school credit may be granted.
16 (c) Achieve a score of 1180 on the combined verbal and
17 quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
18 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
19 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
20 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program or an
21 equivalent program.
22 (d) Complete a program of community service work, as
23 approved by the district school board or the administrators of
24 a nonpublic school, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours
25 of service work and require the student to identify a social
26 problem that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or
27 her personal involvement in addressing the problem, and,
28 through papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect
29 upon his or her experience.
30
31
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1 Students who graduate from high school after 1999 must meet
2 the eligibility criteria pursuant to s. 240.40205.
3 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1 of the
4 year in which enacted.
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7 HOUSE SUMMARY
8
Amends provisions of the Florida Bright Futures
9 Scholarship Program to: provide responsibilities of
school principals; revise student eligibility
10 requirements for receipt of awards; revise provisions
relating to payment of awards and fees for which payment
11 may be made; restrict the use of certain awards; and
revise requirements for certain transfers.
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