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House Bill 0543

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 By Representative K. Pruitt 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to education; amending s. 3 24.121, F.S.; providing for the funding of 4 specified postsecondary scholarship programs 5 from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund; 6 amending s. 232.2465, F.S., relating to Florida 7 Academic Scholars; conforming provisions 8 relating to award of scholarships; amending s. 9 239.217, F.S., relating to the Florida Gold 10 Seal Vocational Endorsement Program; revising 11 provisions relating to eligibility 12 requirements; amending s. 240.402, F.S., 13 relating to the Florida Undergraduate Scholars' 14 Program; revising eligibility requirements; 15 revising the amount of awards and reinstatement 16 requirements; revising funding source; amending 17 s. 240.4021, F.S., relating to the Vocational 18 Gold Seal Endorsement Scholarship Program; 19 revising eligibility, renewal, and 20 reinstatement requirements; revising the amount 21 of awards; amending s. 240.4024, F.S., relating 22 to the Florida Postsecondary Tuition Program; 23 revising eligible postsecondary institutions; 24 revising provisions relating to the amount of 25 awards; revising eligibility and renewal 26 requirements; revising administrative 27 procedures; requiring annual reports and 28 audits; authorizing penalties for certain 29 noncompliance; amending s. 240.404, F.S., 30 relating to requirement for student eligibility 31 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 for state financial aid; conforming provisions; 2 providing an effective date. 3 4 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 5 6 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section 7 24.121, Florida Statutes, 1996 Supplement, is amended, 8 paragraph (e) is redesignated as paragraph (f), and a new 9 paragraph (e) is added to said subsection, to read: 10 24.121 Allocation of revenues and expenditure of funds 11 for public education.-- 12 (5) 13 (b) Except as provided in paragraphs (c), and (d), and 14 (e), the Legislature shall equitably apportion moneys in the 15 trust fund among public schools, community colleges, and 16 universities. 17 (e) The Florida Postsecondary Tuition Program created 18 under s. 240.4024, the Florida Undergraduate Scholars' Program 19 created under s. 240.402, and the Vocational Gold Seal 20 Endorsement Scholarship Program created under s. 240.4021 21 shall be funded annually from the Educational Enhancement 22 Trust Fund. Funds shall be allocated to these programs prior 23 to application of the formula for equitable distribution to 24 public schools, community colleges, and state universities. 25 Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 232.2465, Florida 26 Statutes, is amended to read: 27 232.2465 Florida Academic Scholars' Certificate 28 Program.--For the purpose of recognizing and rewarding 29 outstanding performance and academic achievement on the part 30 of public school students and nonpublic school students, the 31 Commissioner of Education shall award to each high school 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 graduate who meets the requirements specified herein, and as 2 further specified by the State Board of Education, a special 3 certificate recognizing and designating the graduate as a 4 Florida Academic Scholar. 5 (4) Each Florida Academic Scholar who demonstrates 6 advanced proficiency, as defined by the State Board of 7 Education, through performance on the combined verbal and 8 quantitative portions of an approved standardized test and who 9 enrolls full time in a postsecondary institution under s. 10 240.402(1)(e) state university, a public community college, a 11 nursing diploma school approved by the Board of Nursing, or a 12 private institution of higher education which is accredited by 13 a member of the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary 14 Accreditation or the credits of which are acceptable for 15 transfer to state universities is eligible for a scholarship 16 from the Florida Undergraduate Scholars' Program, as provided 17 by s. 240.402. 18 Section 3. Paragraphs (b) and (d) of subsection (2) of 19 section 239.217, Florida Statutes, are amended to read 20 239.217 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Endorsement 21 Program.-- 22 (2) Each school district may award the Florida gold 23 seal vocational endorsement to a high school student who meets 24 the requirements of this section. To be eligible for award of 25 the Florida gold seal vocational endorsement, a student must: 26 (b) Complete three vocational credits in a sequential 27 program of studies in a vocational job-preparatory or 28 technology-education program. On-the-job training credit may 29 not be substituted for the three vocational credits. Beginning 30 in the 1997-1998 school year, a student must complete the 31 secondary school portion of a sequential program of studies 3 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 which requires at least three secondary school vocational 2 credits, taken over at least 2 school years, and is continued 3 in a planned, related postsecondary education program. If the 4 student's school does not offer such a two-plus-two program, 5 the student is eligible for a vocational endorsement if the 6 student completes a job-preparatory vocational education 7 program selected by the Occupational Forecasting Conference or 8 the Jobs and Education Partnership of Enterprise Florida for 9 its ability to provide high-wage employment in an occupation 10 with high potential for employment opportunities. 11 (d) Earn a minimum cumulative unweighted grade point 12 average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all subjects, other than 13 Level I courses, required for a standard high school diploma. 14 15 If a student does not meet the requirements of this subsection 16 as a result of inaccurate or incomplete information provided 17 by a high school guidance counselor, teacher, or school 18 district personnel, the student may, nevertheless, be eligible 19 for the Florida gold seal vocational endorsement if the 20 principal of the school or the district superintendent 21 verifies that such inaccuracies or misinformation caused the 22 deficiencies. The school district must provide a means for 23 the student to correct deficiencies resulting from such 24 misinformation. The student must correct the deficiencies no 25 later than December 31 immediately following high school 26 graduation, either by completing comparable work at the 27 postsecondary institution or by completing a directed 28 individualized study program that is developed and 29 administered by the school district. If the student does not 30 complete the requirements necessary to correct the 31 deficiencies by December 31 immediately following high school 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 graduation, the student is ineligible to participate in the 2 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Endorsement Program. 3 Section 4. Subsections (1), (4), and (7), paragraph 4 (b) of subsection (2), and paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of 5 section 240.402, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 6 240.402 Florida Undergraduate Scholars' Program.-- 7 (1) There is created a Florida Undergraduate Scholars' 8 Program, to be administered by the Department of Education. 9 The department shall award scholarships to each Florida 10 student who: 11 (a)1. Is recognized by the merit or achievement 12 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a 13 scholar or finalist; 14 2. By the end of the first semester of the senior 15 year, has obtained a 3.5 unweighted grade point average on a 16 4.0 scale, or the equivalent, in high school subjects, other 17 than Level I courses, acceptable for credit toward a diploma 18 and has attained at least the minimum score as determined by 19 rules of the Department of Education on the combined verbal 20 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the 21 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic 22 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination or an 23 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program; 24 3. Has completed attended a home education program 25 during grade levels 9 through 12 according to the provisions 26 of s. 232.02(4) and has attained at least the minimum score as 27 determined by rules of the Department of Education on the 28 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic 29 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the 30 recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance 31 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 Examination or an equivalent score on the American College 2 Testing Program; 3 4. Has been designated by the State Board of Education 4 as a Florida Academic Scholar, pursuant to the provisions of 5 s. 232.2465; or 6 5. Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate 7 Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office. 8 (b) Meets the general requirements for student 9 eligibility as provided in s. 240.404, except as otherwise 10 provided in this section. 11 (c) Receives a standard Florida high school diploma, 12 or its equivalent as described in s. 229.814. Any student who 13 is enrolled on a full-time basis in the early admission 14 program of an eligible postsecondary institution or has 15 completed attended a home education program during grade 16 levels 9 through 12 according to the provisions of s. 17 232.02(4) shall be exempt from this requirement. Also 18 exempted shall be the dependents of Florida residents who are 19 on military or public service assignments away from Florida 20 when such dependents live with such Florida residents and 21 receive high school diplomas from non-Florida schools. 22 (d) Files an application for an award during his or 23 her last year in high school within established time limits. 24 (e) Attends, on a full-time basis, a Florida state 25 university, or community college, or technical institute or 26 any eligible Florida independent college, university, or 27 vocational-technical school. An independent college, 28 university, or vocational-technical school is eligible to 29 participate if it meets the following criteria: 30 1. Is located in and charted as a domestic corporation 31 by the state. 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 2. Has a program completion and placement rate at the 2 minimum rate established under the current Florida Statutes or 3 the Florida Administrative Code which governs the institution, 4 or as established by the department. 5 3. Shows evidence of sound financial condition. 6 4.a. Is accredited at the institutional level by an 7 accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department 8 of Education and has operated in the state for 3 years under 9 the same ownership during which time there have been no 10 complaints for which probable cause has been found; or 11 b. Is licensed by the state and has operated in the 12 state for 5 years under the same ownership during which time 13 there have been no complaints for which probable cause has 14 been found. authorized by Florida law; a nursing diploma 15 school approved by the Board of Nursing; or any Florida 16 college, university, or community college which is accredited 17 by a member of the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary 18 Accreditation the credits of which are acceptable for transfer 19 without qualification to state universities. 20 (f) Enrolls as a first-time-in-college student. Any 21 student who earns postsecondary academic credit prior to or 22 during the summer immediately subsequent to receiving a high 23 school diploma, who is dually enrolled in secondary and 24 postsecondary educational institutions, or who is enrolled in 25 the early admission program of a postsecondary institution 26 shall be exempt from this requirement. 27 (g) At the time an application is submitted, has not 28 been convicted of a felony. 29 30 Prior to graduation, a student may be notified of eligibility 31 of award pending award of a high school diploma. 7 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 (2) 2 (b) Students who apply for awards no later than April 3 1 during their last year in high school may later reapply to 4 receive awards during subsequent application periods when they 5 do not accept their initial awards. Similarly, students who 6 receive initial awards and who later do not accept renewal 7 awards may reapply to receive awards during subsequent 8 application periods. Students who apply under this paragraph 9 must submit reinstatement applications within 3 years of 10 filing their initial applications. The department shall accept 11 reinstatement applications postmarked between February 15 and 12 June 1 of each year and shall determine the eligibility of 13 such applicants in the same manner as first-time applicants, 14 except that students who apply pursuant to this paragraph 15 shall be exempt from the provisions of paragraph (1)(f) and 16 shall be required to have maintained the equivalent of a 3.0 17 3.2 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale for all 18 college work attempted. The department shall not make awards 19 to reinstatement applicants who submit applications that are 20 postmarked after June 1. 21 (3)(a) The annual and subsequent renewal award to a 22 student shall be an amount sufficient to pay for tuition and 23 mandatory fees and $500 for books and college-related expenses 24 $2,500; however, the highest-ranked, eligible, initial 25 applicant from each county shall be designated as a Challenger 26 Astronauts Memorial Award recipient and shall receive an 27 annual and subsequent renewal award of $4,000. The department 28 shall rank eligible initial applicants for purposes of 29 designating the Challenger Astronauts Memorial Award 30 recipients on the basis of unweighted grade point averages on 31 a 4.0 scale and test scores achieved on the combined verbal 8 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the 2 College Entrance Examination. Renewal awards shall be $4,000 3 annually for eligible Challenger Astronauts Memorial Award 4 recipients and $2,500 annually for all other eligible 5 applicants. Payment of an award shall be transmitted, on 6 behalf of the student, to the president of the college, 7 university, community college, or nursing diploma school which 8 the recipient is attending or to his or her representative in 9 advance of the registration period. If funds are insufficient 10 to provide the full amount of scholarship authorized in this 11 section to each eligible applicant, the department may prorate 12 available funds and make a partial award to each eligible 13 applicant. 14 (4) A recipient shall maintain the equivalent of a 3.0 15 3.2 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale, or shall 16 maintain an approved equivalent student progress evaluation 17 plan, on at least 12 hours per quarter, trimester, or semester 18 in order to be eligible for a continuation of the award. A 19 recipient who fails to meet the grade point requirement may be 20 eligible for the Florida Postsecondary Tuition Program if 21 continuation or reinstatement requirements for that program 22 are met. No student may receive a Florida Undergraduate 23 Scholars' Program award for more than the equivalent of 8 24 semesters or 12 quarters. However, a student enrolled in a 25 5-year undergraduate degree program may receive an award for 26 the equivalent of 10 semesters or 15 quarters. The award may 27 be renewed annually upon documentation by the recipient that 28 he or she meets the necessary qualifications. If any 29 recipient transfers from one accredited Florida college, 30 university, community college, or nursing diploma school to 31 another eligible institution, his or her award will be 9 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 transferable, provided he or she is otherwise eligible for the 2 award. 3 (7) The Legislature shall appropriate, from the 4 Educational Enhancement Trust Fund general revenue and from 5 the Challenger Astronauts Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship 6 Trust Fund, funds to be deposited into the State Student 7 Financial Assistance Trust Fund for the purpose of funding 8 this act. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301 and 9 pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund that has 10 been allocated to the Florida Undergraduate Scholars' Program 11 at the end of any fiscal year shall remain therein and shall 12 be available for carrying out the purposes of this section. 13 Section 5. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3), subsection 14 (5), paragraph (b) of subsection (6), and paragraph (a) of 15 subsection (7) of section 240.4021, Florida Statutes, are 16 amended to read: 17 240.4021 Vocational Gold Seal Endorsement Scholarship 18 Program.-- 19 (3) The department is authorized to make awards to a 20 student who: 21 (c) Enrolls as a full-time or part-time 22 certificate-seeking or degree-seeking student at: 23 1. A public state university, community college, or 24 area vocational-technical school authorized by law; or 25 2. A nonpublic postsecondary school or college under 26 the jurisdiction of the State Board of Independent 27 Postsecondary Vocational, Technical, Trade, and Business 28 Schools or the State Board of Independent Colleges and 29 Universities. To be eligible, a licensed school or college 30 must have been in continuous operation for at least 5 years 31 and must have held a biennial or regular license for at least 10 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 2 years, must not have been the subject of a finding of 2 probable cause and subsequent disciplinary action by either 3 board, must not be required by the Federal Government to apply 4 for reimbursement for Title IV funding, and must be located in 5 and chartered by the state. A licensed school or college or a 6 school or college exempt from licensure must be accredited by 7 the Career College Association, the Accrediting Bureau of 8 Health Education Schools, or the Southern Association of 9 Colleges and Schools and must never have had its accreditation 10 removed; and 11 (5) To be eligible for the renewal of an award, an 12 applicant each academic year must: 13 (a) Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average 14 of 2.5 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or the equivalent; and 15 (b) Earn the equivalent of 6 12 semester credits for 16 each term of the academic year for which he or she received 17 the award. 18 19 A student who fails to attain a 2.5 cumulative grade point 20 average at any time while attending a postsecondary 21 institution may have eligibility restored upon attaining a 22 cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above during the 23 eligibility period. No student shall be eligible for more 24 than one reinstatement of eligibility. 25 (6) 26 (b) Students who apply for awards no later than April 27 1 during their last year in high school and who meet all other 28 eligibility requirements to receive awards may later reapply 29 to receive awards during subsequent application periods when 30 they do not accept their initial awards. Similarly, students 31 who receive initial awards and who later do not accept renewal 11 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 awards may reapply to receive awards during subsequent 2 application periods. Students who apply under this paragraph 3 must submit reinstatement applications within 3 years after 4 filing their initial applications. The department shall 5 accept reinstatement applications postmarked between January 1 6 and June 1 of each year and shall determine the eligibility of 7 such applicants in the same manner as first-time applicants, 8 except that students shall not be eligible for reinstatement 9 awards unless they have maintained the equivalent of a 2.5 3.0 10 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale for all college 11 work attempted. The department shall not make awards to 12 reinstatement applicants who submit applications that are 13 postmarked after June 1. 14 (7)(a) The annual award to each recipient shall equal 15 the amount of tuition of the postsecondary institution in 16 which the student is enrolled, not to exceed the average 17 tuition per credit hour calculated by the department for the 18 state universities be a maximum of $2,000. Payment of an award 19 shall be transmitted in advance of the registration period 20 each semester on behalf of the student to the president of the 21 university or community college, or his or her representative, 22 or to the director of the area vocational-technical school 23 which the recipient is attending, or his or her 24 representative, except that the department may withhold 25 payment if the receiving institution fails to report or to 26 make refunds to the department as required in paragraphs (b) 27 and (c). 28 Section 6. Section 240.4024, Florida Statutes, 1996 29 Supplement, is amended to read: 30 240.4024 Florida Postsecondary Tuition Program.-- 31 12 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 (1) The Florida Postsecondary Tuition Program is 2 hereby created to reward outstanding high school students with 3 financial assistance in undergraduate degree, diploma, or 4 certificate programs at any Florida public university, 5 community college, or technical institute or at any eligible 6 Florida independent college, university, or vocational- 7 technical school. An independent college, university, or 8 vocational-technical school is eligible to participate if it 9 meets the following criteria: 10 (a) Is located in and chartered as a domestic 11 corporation by the state. 12 (b) Has a program completion and placement rate at the 13 minimum rate established under the current Florida Statutes or 14 the Florida Administrative Code which governs the institution, 15 or as established by the department. 16 (c) Shows evidence of sound financial condition. 17 (d)1. Is accredited at the institutional level by an 18 accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department 19 of Education and has operated in the state for 3 years under 20 the same ownership during which time there have been no 21 complaints for which probable cause has been found; or 22 2. Is licensed by the state and has operated in the 23 state for 5 years under the same ownership during which time 24 there have been no complaints for which probable cause has 25 been found. 26 27 This financial assistance shall be in the form of scholarships 28 and may be used to assist with any educational costs the cost 29 of education, not to exceed the cost of tuition, mandatory 30 fees, and books. Except as otherwise provided in this section, 31 the scholarship shall cover the full cost of tuition subject 13 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 to the availability of funds and may not exceed the cost of 2 tuition. The scholarship may not be used for remedial courses. 3 (2) In order to be eligible to receive a scholarship 4 under the Florida Postsecondary Tuition Program, an 5 initial-year applicant must: 6 (a) Be a Florida resident. 7 (b) Receive a standard Florida high school diploma, or 8 its equivalent as described in s. 229.814, in or after 1997 9 1996. Any student who is enrolled on a full-time basis in the 10 early admission program of an eligible postsecondary 11 institution or has completed attended a home education program 12 during grade levels 9 through 12 according to the provisions 13 of s. 232.02(4) shall be exempt from this requirement. Also 14 exempt shall be the dependents of Florida residents who are on 15 military or public service assignments away from Florida when 16 such dependents live with such Florida residents and receive 17 high school diplomas from non-Florida schools. 18 (c) At the time an application is submitted, have not 19 been convicted of a felony. 20 (d)1. At the end of the first semester of the senior 21 year of high school time of application or by the end of the 22 senior year, have been enrolled in, and intend to complete, a 23 college preparatory curriculum, have an unweighted grade point 24 average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale in courses, other than 25 Level I courses, as identified by the Department of Education, 26 and by the time of graduation have attained at least the 27 minimum score established by the Department of Education on 28 the American College Test or the Scholastic Assessment Test; 29 or 30 2. At the time of application or by the end of the 31 senior year, have been enrolled in a curriculum other than a 14 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 college preparatory curriculum, have an unweighted grade point 2 average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, and have attained at 3 least the minimum score established by the department on the 4 American College Test or the Scholastic Assessment Test; 5 2.3. At the time of application, be a home education 6 program student, or a high school equivalency diploma 7 recipient, who has attained at least the minimum score 8 established by the department on the American College Test or 9 the Scholastic Assessment Test. 10 (e) Utilize the an initial scholarship within 7 years 11 of the date of high school graduation by the date established 12 by the department. 13 14 Prior to graduation, a student may be notified of eligibility 15 of award pending award of a high school diploma. 16 (3) Students may receive annual awards for the first 17 year of either full-time or part-time enrollment 30 semester 18 credit hours attempted at any eligible Florida postsecondary 19 educational institution as defined in subsection (1). As used 20 in this section, the term "eligible Florida postsecondary 21 institution" means an institution within the State University 22 System, the community college system, or a public 23 vocational-technical institution. The maximum amount of the 24 award shall include tuition, mandatory fees, and a book 25 allowance of up to $300, except that students who receive a 26 grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, or above, in a 27 college preparatory curriculum may receive a higher award as 28 determined by the department. The maximum award for tuition 29 for students in the independent institutions shall not exceed 30 the average tuition per credit hour calculated by the 31 department for the state universities. Awards shall be 15 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 disbursed in equal installments each academic term. Full-time 2 enrollment shall not be required. Awards through this program 3 may be made to degree-seeking students enrolled for a minimum 4 of 6 credit hours who meet the general requirements for 5 student eligibility as provided in this section. Students 6 enrolled for 6 to 8 credit hours may receive up to one-half of 7 the maximum award; students enrolled for 9 to 11 credit hours 8 may receive up to three-fourths of the maximum award; and 9 students enrolled for 12 or more credit hours may receive up 10 to the full award. 11 (a) A scholarship shall be awarded prior to the 12 certification or award of a federal family education loan or 13 federal direct loan and shall be considered in the 14 certification or calculation of the student's loan 15 eligibility. 16 (b) Students attending a Florida public technical 17 institute or independent vocational-technical school in order 18 to earn a certificate or diploma may qualify for tuition 19 scholarships for the cost of tuition, not to exceed the 20 average tuition per credit hour calculated by the department 21 for the state universities. Students pursuing certificates or 22 diplomas at Florida public or private technical institutes or 23 schools must enroll in programs of study which are at least 24 900 clock hours in length mandatory fees, and up to $150 per 25 semester for a book allowance. Awards through this program may 26 be made to students enrolled for a minimum of 6 credit hours, 27 or the equivalent in clock hours, in a job preparatory 28 vocational program who meet the general requirements for 29 student eligibility as provided in this section. Students 30 enrolled for 6 to 8 credit hours, or the equivalent in clock 31 hours, may receive up to one-half of the maximum award; 16 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 students enrolled for 9 to 11 credit hours, or the equivalent 2 in clock hours, may receive up to three-fourths of the maximum 3 award; and students enrolled for 12 or more credit hours, or 4 the equivalent in clock hours, may receive up to the full 5 award. 6 (4) Students may renew a scholarship for their 7 sophomore, junior, and senior years of undergraduate study. To 8 do so, the student must: 9 (a) Maintain at least a 2.5 3.0 cumulative grade point 10 average on a 4.0 scale in courses attempted. 11 (b) Be making satisfactory academic progress if 12 classified as a certificate-seeking or diploma-seeking 13 student. 14 (c) Have used, within a maximum period of 7 5 years 15 from the date of high school graduation, less than the maximum 16 number of semesters of eligibility as determined by the 17 department. The department may waive this paragraph for 18 students who demonstrate that compliance would entail 19 extraordinary hardship. 20 21 Renewal eligibility shall be determined at the end of the 22 second semester or third quarter of each subsequent regular 23 academic year of postsecondary participation. A student who 24 fails to attain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average at any 25 time while attending a postsecondary institution may have 26 eligibility restored upon attaining a cumulative grade point 27 average of 2.5 or above during the eligibility period. No 28 student shall be eligible for more than one reinstatement of 29 eligibility. 30 (5) A student planning to attend an eligible 31 postsecondary institution must comply with any application 17 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 requirements established by the department institution. Upon 2 verifying that the student meets eligibility criteria 3 established in this section, the eligible institution shall 4 submit to the department a request for the appropriate level 5 of payment; however, the department may transmit a portion of 6 the funds to the institution prior to registration. The 7 department shall establish the necessary data to be reported 8 and a date by which such requests for payment are due each 9 semester. Late requests shall be honored by the department to 10 the extent that funds are available after all timely requests 11 have been funded. 12 (6) The department shall adopt rules as necessary to 13 implement and administer the Florida Postsecondary Tuition 14 Program. 15 (7) Each institution that receives moneys through this 16 program shall cause to be prepared an annual report that 17 includes an independent external audit or an audit prepared by 18 the Office of the Auditor General. The report must include an 19 audit of the institution's administration of the program and a 20 complete accounting of the moneys for the program. This 21 report must be submitted to the Department of Education 22 annually on or before March 1. The department may conduct its 23 own annual audit of an institution's administration of the 24 program and may request a refund of any moneys overpaid to the 25 institution for the program. The department may suspend or 26 revoke an institution's eligibility to receive future moneys 27 for the program if the department finds that an institution 28 has not complied with this section. An institution must remit 29 within 60 days any refund requested in accordance with this 30 subsection. 31 18 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 (8)(7) The program shall be implemented to the extent 2 authorized annually in the General Appropriations Act. If 3 funds are insufficient to provide the full amount of 4 scholarships authorized in this section to each eligible 5 applicant, the department may prorate available funds and make 6 a partial award to each eligible applicant. 7 Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 8 240.404, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 9 240.404 General requirements for student eligibility 10 for state financial aid.-- 11 (1)(a) The general requirements for eligibility of 12 students for state financial aid awards consist of the 13 following: 14 1. Acceptance at a state university or community 15 college; a nursing diploma school approved by the Florida 16 Board of Nursing; a Florida college, university, or community 17 college which is accredited by a member of the Commission on 18 Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation; any Florida 19 institution the credits of which are acceptable for transfer 20 to state universities; any area technical center; or any 21 private vocational-technical institution accredited by a 22 member of the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary 23 Accreditation. 24 2. Participation in the college-level communication 25 and computation skills testing program. This requirement is 26 limited to students seeking associate's or bachelor's degrees. 27 3. Residency in this state for no less than 1 year 28 preceding the award of aid for a program established pursuant 29 to s. 240.402, s. 240.4021, s. 240.4024, s. 240.4085, s. 30 240.409, s. 240.4093, s. 240.4095, s. 240.4097, s. 240.412, s. 31 240.4125, s. 240.413, s. 240.4987, s. 240.605, or s. 240.606. 19 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 543 286-192-97 1 Residency in this state must be for purposes other than to 2 obtain an education. Resident status for purposes of receiving 3 state financial aid awards shall be determined in the same 4 manner as resident status for tuition purposes pursuant to s. 5 240.1201 and rules of the State Board of Education. 6 4. Compliance with Selective Service System 7 registration requirements pursuant to s. 240.4045. 8 5. Submission of certification attesting to the 9 accuracy, completeness, and correctness of information 10 provided to demonstrate a student's eligibility to receive 11 state financial aid awards. Falsification of such information 12 shall result in the denial of any pending application and 13 revocation of any award currently held to the extent that no 14 further payments shall be made. Additionally, students who 15 knowingly make false statements in order to receive state 16 financial aid awards shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the 17 second degree subject to the provisions of s. 837.06 and shall 18 be required to return all state financial aid awards 19 wrongfully obtained. 20 Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 1997. 21 22 ***************************************** 23 HOUSE SUMMARY 24 Provides for funding of the Florida Postsecondary Tuition 25 Program, the Florida Undergraduate Scholars' Program, and the Vocational Gold Seal Endorsement Scholarship Program 26 from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. With respect to the scholarship programs, revises eligibility, 27 renewal, and reinstatement requirements. Revises provisions relating to amount of awards. Revises 28 provisions relating to eligibility for award of the Florida gold seal vocational endorsement. 29 30 31 20