Senate Bill 1380c1

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    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1380

    By the Committee on Education and Senator Sullivan





    304-1955-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures

  3         Scholarship Program; amending s. 240.40202,

  4         F.S.; requiring an applicant to complete a

  5         certain form; amending s. 240.40203, F.S.;

  6         setting a time limit for the receipt of a

  7         scholarship; amending s. 240.40205, F.S.;

  8         requiring a test score and two levels of

  9         maximum annual award for a scholarship;

10         amending s. 240.40206, F.S.; requiring a test

11         score, to be raised in certain increments, and

12         two levels of maximum annual award for a

13         scholarship; amending s. 240.40207, F.S.;

14         requiring the use of a scholarship at certain

15         postsecondary educational institutions;

16         amending s. 240.40208, F.S.; deleting a

17         cross-reference; repealing s. 240.40209, F.S.;

18         relating to awards used at nonpublic

19         postsecondary educational institutions;

20         providing an effective date.

21

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

23

24         Section 1.  Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (1) of

25  section 240.40202, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, to read:

26         240.40202  Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;

27  student eligibility requirements for initial awards.--

28         (1)  To be eligible for an initial award from any of

29  the three types of scholarships under the Florida Bright

30  Futures Scholarship Program, a student must:

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    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1380
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  1         (g)  Submit to the United States Department of

  2  Education a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid

  3  and permit release of the information to the state. The

  4  privacy of the information is protected under s. 228.093,

  5  Florida Statutes, and an analysis or report derived from the

  6  data may not be made public if it permits individual

  7  identification of an applicant.

  8         Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 240.40203,

  9  Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

10         240.40203  Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;

11  student eligibility requirements for renewal awards.--

12         (2)  A student who is enrolled in a program that

13  requires 120 credit hours or more to complete terminates in an

14  associate degree or a baccalaureate degree may receive an

15  award for a maximum of 132 semester credit hours or the

16  equivalent 110 percent of the number of credit hours required

17  to complete the program. A student who is enrolled in a

18  program that terminates in an associate degree or a technical

19  certificate may receive an award for a maximum of 110 percent

20  of the credit hours or clock hours required to complete the

21  program up to 90 credit hours. A student who transfers from

22  one of these program levels to another becomes eligible for

23  the higher of the two credit hour limits.

24         Section 3.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section

25  240.40205, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, are amended to

26  read:

27         240.40205  Florida Academic Scholars award.--

28         (1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Academic

29  Scholars award if the student meets the general eligibility

30  requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

31  Program and the student:

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  1         (a)  Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as

  2  calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, or its equivalent, in

  3  high school courses that are adopted by the Board of Regents

  4  and recommended by the State Board of Community Colleges as

  5  college-preparatory academic courses; and

  6         (b)  has attained at least a the score of 1270

  7  identified by rules of the Department of Education on the

  8  combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic

  9  Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the

10  recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance

11  Examination, or an equivalent score on another test identified

12  by the department the American College Testing Program; or

13         (b)(c)  Has completed attended a college-preparatory

14  curriculum through a registered home education program

15  according to s. 232.0201 during grades 11 and 12 or has

16  completed the International Baccalaureate curriculum but

17  failed to earn the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and

18  has attained at least a the score of 1270 identified by rules

19  of the Department of Education on the combined verbal and

20  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 another test identified by the department

24  the American College Testing Program; or

25         (c)(d)  Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate

26  Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office; or

27         (d)(e)  Has been recognized by the merit or achievement

28  programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a

29  scholar or finalist.

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  1  Effective with the 1998-1999 school year, a student must

  2  complete a program of community service work, as approved by

  3  the district school board or the administrators of a nonpublic

  4  school, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours of service

  5  work and require the student to identify a social problem that

  6  interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her personal

  7  involvement in addressing the problem, and, through papers or

  8  other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her

  9  experience.

10         (2)  A Florida Academic Scholar who is enrolled in a

11  baccalaureate-degree-granting public postsecondary education

12  institution is eligible for a maximum award of $2,800 an award

13  equal to the amount required to pay matriculation, fees, and

14  $600 for college-related expenses annually. A Florida Academic

15  Scholar who is enrolled in an institution that does not award

16  baccalaureate degrees is eligible for a maximum annual award

17  of $2,000. The maximum award amount must be prorated each

18  semester as provided in s. 240.4021(6). student who is

19  enrolled in a nonpublic postsecondary education institution is

20  eligible for an award equal to the amount that would be

21  required to pay for the average matriculation and fees of a

22  public postsecondary education institution at the comparable

23  level, plus the annual $600.

24         Section 4.  Section 240.40206, Florida Statutes, 1998

25  Supplement, is amended to read:

26         240.40206  Florida Merit Scholars award.--

27         (1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Merit Scholars

28  award if the student meets the general eligibility

29  requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

30  Program and also meets one of the following criteria the

31  student:

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    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1380
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  1         (a)  The student has achieved a weighted grade point

  2  average of 3.0 as calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, or the

  3  equivalent, in high school courses that are adopted by the

  4  Board of Regents and recommended by the State Board of

  5  Community Colleges as college-preparatory academic courses;

  6  and

  7         (b)  has attained at least the applicable score listed

  8  in subsection (2) identified by rules of the Department of

  9  Education on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the

10  Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or

11  the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College

12  Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on another test

13  identified by the department. the American College Testing

14  Program; or

15         (b)(c)  The student has completed attended a

16  college-preparatory curriculum through a registered home

17  education program according to s. 232.0201 during grades 11

18  and 12 or has completed the International Baccalaureate

19  curriculum but failed to earn the International Baccalaureate

20  Diploma, and has attained at least the applicable score listed

21  in subsection (2) 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 another test

26  identified by the department the American College Testing

27  Program. The department shall determine eligibility for a

28  home-educated student in the same way as for a public-school

29  student.

30         (c)  The student has completed the International

31  Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the International

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    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1380
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  1  Baccalaureate Diploma, and has attained at least the

  2  applicable score listed in subsection (2) on the combined

  3  verbal and quantitative parts of the recentered Scholastic

  4  Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an

  5  equivalent score on another test identified by the department.

  6         (2)  The test score required for a student to earn a

  7  Florida Merit Scholars award must be raised annually in the

  8  following increments:

  9         (a)  A student who graduates from high school by the

10  end of the 2001-2002 school year must earn a score of 970 or

11  above on the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test or its

12  equivalent. A student who wishes to earn an award through a

13  home-education program but whose parents cannot document a

14  college preparatory curriculum must earn a score of 1070 or

15  above.

16         (b)  A student who graduates from high school in the

17  2002-2003 school year must earn a score of 1020 or above on

18  the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test or its equivalent. A

19  student who wishes to earn an award through a home-education

20  program but whose parents cannot document a college

21  preparatory curriculum must earn a score of 1120 or above.

22         (c)  A student who graduates from high school in the

23  2003-2004 school year must earn a score of 1030 or above on

24  the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test or its equivalent. A

25  student who wishes to earn an award through a home-education

26  program but whose parents cannot document a college

27  preparatory curriculum must earn a score of 1130 or above.

28         (d)  A student who graduates from high school in the

29  2004-2005 school year must earn a score of 1040 or above on

30  the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test or its equivalent. A

31  student who wishes to earn an award through a home-education

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  1  program but whose parents cannot document a college

  2  preparatory curriculum must earn a score of 1140 or above.

  3         (e)  A student who graduates from high school in the

  4  2005-2006 school year or thereafter must earn a score of 1050

  5  or above on the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test or its

  6  equivalent. A student who wishes to earn an award through a

  7  home-education program but whose parents cannot document a

  8  college preparatory curriculum must earn a score of 1150 or

  9  above.

10         (3)(2)  A Florida Merit Scholar who is enrolled in a

11  baccalaureate-degree-granting postsecondary education

12  institution is eligible for a maximum an award of $1,700

13  annually. A Florida Merit Scholar who is enrolled in an

14  institution that does not award baccalaureate degrees is

15  eligible for a maximum annual award of $1,100. The maximum

16  award must be prorated each semester as provided in s.

17  240.40201(6). equal to the amount required to pay 75 percent

18  of matriculation and fees, if the student is enrolled in a

19  public postsecondary education institution. A student who is

20  enrolled in a nonpublic postsecondary education institution is

21  eligible for an award equal to the amount that would be

22  required to pay 75 percent of the matriculation and fees of a

23  public postsecondary education institution at the comparable

24  level.

25         (4)(3)  To be eligible for a renewal award as a Florida

26  Merit Scholar, a student must maintain the equivalent of a

27  grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for all

28  postsecondary education work attempted, with an opportunity

29  for reinstatement one time as provided in this act.

30         Section 5.  Section 240.40207, Florida Statutes, is

31  amended to read:

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    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 1380
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  1         240.40207  Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars

  2  award.--The Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is

  3  created within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program

  4  to recognize and reward academic achievement and vocational

  5  preparation by high school students who wish to continue their

  6  education. Beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, a student

  7  may not use a Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award to

  8  enroll in a baccalaureate-degree-granting institution, except

  9  that a student may renew an initial award issued before the

10  2001-2002 school year.

11         (1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal

12  Vocational Scholars award if the student meets the general

13  eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures

14  Scholarship Program and the student:

15         (a)  Completes the secondary school portion of a

16  sequential program of studies that requires at least three

17  secondary school vocational credits taken over at least 2

18  academic years, and is continued in a planned, related

19  postsecondary education program. If the student's school does

20  not offer such a two-plus-two or tech-prep program, the

21  student must complete a job-preparatory career education

22  program selected by the Occupational Forecasting Conference or

23  the Workforce Development Board of Enterprise Florida for its

24  ability to provide high-wage employment in an occupation with

25  high potential for employment opportunities. On-the-job

26  training may not be substituted for any of the three required

27  vocational credits.

28         (b)  Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education

29  by earning a passing score on the Florida College Entry Level

30  Placement Test or its equivalent as identified by the

31  Department of Education.

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  1         (c)  Earns a minimum cumulative weighted grade point

  2  average of 3.0, as calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, on all

  3  subjects required for a standard high school diploma,

  4  excluding elective courses.

  5         (d)  Earns a minimum unweighted grade point average of

  6  3.5 on a 4.0 scale for secondary vocational courses comprising

  7  the vocational program.

  8         (e)  Completes the requirements of a vocational-ready

  9  diploma program, as defined by rules of the State Board of

10  Education.

11         (2)  A Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholar is eligible

12  for a maximum annual award of $1,100. The maximum award amount

13  must be prorated each semester as provided in s. 240.40201(6)

14  an award equal to the amount required to pay 75 percent of

15  matriculation and fees, if the student is enrolled in a public

16  postsecondary education institution. A student who is enrolled

17  in a nonpublic postsecondary education institution is eligible

18  for an award equal to the amount that would be required to pay

19  75 percent of the matriculation and mandatory fees of a public

20  postsecondary education institution at the comparable level.

21         (3)  To be eligible for a renewal award as a Florida

22  Gold Seal Vocational Scholar, a student must maintain the

23  equivalent of a grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for

24  all postsecondary education work attempted, with an

25  opportunity for reinstatement one time as provided in this

26  act.

27         (4)  A student may earn a Florida Gold Seal Vocational

28  Scholarship for 110 percent of the number of credit hours

29  required to complete the program, up to 90 credit hours or the

30  equivalent. A Florida Gold Seal Scholar who has a cumulative

31  grade point average of 2.75 in all postsecondary education

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  1  work attempted may apply for a Florida Merit Scholars award at

  2  any renewal period. All other provisions of that program

  3  apply, and the credit-hour limitation must be calculated by

  4  subtracting from the student's total eligibility the number of

  5  credit hours the student attempted while earning the Gold Seal

  6  Vocational Scholarship.

  7         (5)  If an award recipient successfully completes the

  8  postsecondary education component of the education program

  9  described in paragraph (1)(a) and wishes to continue in

10  postsecondary education, the student may transfer to the

11  Florida Merit Scholars award component of the Bright Futures

12  Scholarship Program. To transfer the scholarship, the student

13  must meet all requirements to renew a Merit Scholarship.

14         Section 6.  Subsection (1) of section 240.40208,

15  Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

16         240.40208  Eligibility for the Florida Bright Futures

17  Scholarship Program; transition.--

18         (1)  A student who graduates from high school in 1997

19  or earlier and who is eligible for the Florida Undergraduate

20  Scholar's Program pursuant to s. 240.402 is eligible for the

21  Florida Academic Scholars award as provided in this act. A

22  student who graduates from high school in 1998 or 1999 is

23  eligible for the Florida Academic Scholars award if the

24  student meets the criteria in s. 240.40205. However, in lieu

25  of satisfying the requirements set forth in s. 240.40205(1)(a)

26  and (b), a student may meet the following criteria:

27         (a)  Complete a program of at least 24 credits in

28  advanced-level studies as prescribed by the State Board of

29  Education, including as a minimum:

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  1         1.  Four years of progressively advanced instruction in

  2  language arts, including courses in English composition and

  3  literature.

  4         2.  Four years of progressively advanced instruction in

  5  science, including laboratory courses in biology, chemistry,

  6  and physics where laboratory facilities are available.

  7         3.  Four years of progressively advanced instruction in

  8  mathematics, including courses in algebra, geometry, and

  9  calculus or trigonometry.

10         4.  Two years of sequential foreign language.

11         5.  One year of instruction in art and music or in

12  either art or music.

13         6.  Three years of instruction in social studies,

14  including courses in American history and government, world

15  history, and comparative political and economic systems.

16         7.  One year of instruction in health and physical

17  education to include assessment, improvement, and maintenance

18  of personal fitness.

19         (b)  Obtain at least the equivalent of an unweighted

20  grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all courses

21  taken for which high school credit may be granted.

22         (c)  Achieve a score of 1180 on the combined verbal and

23  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 an

27  equivalent program.

28         (d)  Complete a program of community service work, as

29  approved by the district school board or the administrators of

30  a nonpublic school, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours

31  of service work and require the student to identify a social

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  1  problem that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or

  2  her personal involvement in addressing the problem, and,

  3  through papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect

  4  upon his or her experience.

  5

  6  Students who graduate from high school after 1999 must meet

  7  the eligibility criteria pursuant to s. 240.40205.

  8         Section 7.  Section 240.40209, Florida Statutes, as

  9  created by section 6 of chapter 97-379, Laws of Florida, is

10  repealed.

11         Section 8.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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13          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
14                             SB 1380

15

16  The Committee Substitute differs from SB 1380 in that it will:

17   Rquire an applicant for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
    to apply to the United States Department of Education for
18  financial aid and to permit release of the information to the
    state;
19
    Delay until the 2001-2002 school year the provision that a
20  Gold Seal Vocational Scholarship may not be used at an
    educational institution that confers baccalaureate degrees;
21
    Limit a scholarship to 132 semester credit hours for a student
22  in a program of 120 credit hours or more.

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