Senate Bill 2258
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 2258
By Senator Campbell
33-1401-99
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s.
3 240.147, F.S.; amending the powers and duties
4 of the Postsecondary Education Planning
5 Commission; creating s. 240.6052, F.S.;
6 creating the Florida Resident Job Preparation
7 Grant Program; providing legislative intent;
8 providing for the Department of Education to
9 administer the grants; providing rulemaking
10 authority; providing criteria for eligibility;
11 providing procedures; amending s. 240.4097,
12 F.S.; revising eligibility criteria for the
13 Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant
14 Program; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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18 Section 1. Present subsection (16) of section 240.147,
19 Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is redesignated as
20 subsection (17), and a new subsection (16) is added to that
21 section, to read:
22 240.147 Powers and duties of the commission.--The
23 commission shall:
24 (16) In consultation with the Florida Association of
25 Postsecondary Schools and Colleges, recommend to the
26 Legislature accountability measures and an accountability
27 process for independent institutions that participate in the
28 Florida Resident Job Preparation Grant. The process must make
29 use of existing information submitted to the federal and state
30 governments. In addition, the process must provide for an
31 assessment of the benefits and cost-effectiveness of the
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 2258
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1 Florida Resident Job Preparation Grant Program in providing
2 state residents with access to 2-year college programs and
3 with the successful completion of an associate degree. The
4 commission shall provide oversight of this accountability
5 process.
6 Section 2. Section 240.6052, Florida Statutes, is
7 created to read:
8 240.6052 Florida Resident Job Preparation Grant
9 Program; creation, legislative intent, administration,
10 eligibility.--
11 (1) The Legislature recognizes that the economic
12 welfare of the state is heavily dependent upon the education
13 and employability of its citizenry. The Legislature further
14 recognizes that the needs of the workforce extend across a
15 variety of industries. The Legislature finds and declares that
16 a significant number of state residents choose to attend
17 nonpublic colleges and universities as a means to acquiring
18 the knowledge and skills necessary to become contributing
19 members of society. The Legislature further finds that a
20 strong and viable system of nonpublic colleges reduces the tax
21 burden on the residents of the state. Therefore, the
22 Legislature finds that a Florida Resident Job Preparation
23 Grant that awards funds to its state residents for the study
24 of career-oriented programs at nonpublic colleges is
25 consistent with the goals of the state to increase the
26 educational and skill levels of its citizenry, as well as to
27 reduce the tax burden on the residents of the state. Because
28 the Florida Resident Job Preparation Grant is not related to a
29 student's financial need or other criteria upon which
30 financial aid programs are based, it is the intent of the
31 Legislature that the Florida Resident Job Preparation Grant be
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 2258
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1 considered a tuition assistance program and not a financial
2 aid program.
3 (2) There is created the Florida Resident Job
4 Preparation Grant Program. The Department of Education shall
5 administer the program. The State Board of Education shall
6 adopt rules for the administration of the program. The
7 department shall issue through the program a Florida Resident
8 Job Preparation Grant to any full-time, degree-seeking
9 undergraduate student who is registered at an institution that
10 is either licensed by the State Board of Independent Colleges
11 and Universities or is exempt from licensure under s.
12 246.085(1)(a); that is accredited by an agency recognized by
13 the United States Department of Education; that has operated a
14 campus in the state for at least 5 years; that grants
15 associate degrees or baccalaureate degrees or both; that
16 participates in the state common course designation and
17 numbering system; that is not a state university or state
18 community college; that has a secular purpose, so that the
19 receipt of state aid by students at the institution would not
20 have the primary effect of advancing or impeding religion nor
21 would it result in excessive entanglement between the state
22 and any religious sect; and the students of which are not
23 eligible to receive a Florida resident access grant under s.
24 240.4095.
25 (3) An individual is eligible to receive a Florida
26 Resident Job Preparation Grant if he or she is a student who:
27 (a) Meets the general requirements, including
28 residency requirements, for student eligibility as provided in
29 s. 240.404 or as otherwise provided in this section;
30 (b) Is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student
31 at an eligible college or university;
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1 (c) Is not enrolled in a program of study leading to a
2 degree in theology or divinity; and
3 (d) Is making satisfactory academic progress as
4 defined by the college or university in which he or she is
5 enrolled.
6 (4)(a) Funding for the Florida Resident Job
7 Preparation Grant must be allocated in accordance with a
8 formula based on planned enrollment and the state cost of
9 funding undergraduate enrollment at public community colleges.
10 The amount of the Florida Resident Job Preparation Grant
11 issued to a full-time student must equal the average cost to
12 the state per academic year of an undergraduate student
13 enrolled in the state community colleges or an amount
14 specified in the General Appropriations Act. The Florida
15 Resident Job Preparation Grant may be paid on a prorated basis
16 in advance of the registration period. The department shall
17 make such payments to the college or university in which the
18 student is enrolled for credit to the student's account for
19 payment of tuition and fees. Institutions shall certify to the
20 department the amount of funds disbursed to each student and
21 shall remit to the department any undisbursed advances or
22 refunds within 60 days after the end of regular registration.
23 A student is eligible to receive the award for a maximum of 9
24 semesters or 14 quarters except as otherwise provided in s.
25 240.404(3).
26 (b) If the combined amount awarded to a student as a
27 Florida Resident Job Preparation Grant and all other
28 scholarships and grants for tuition or fees exceeds the amount
29 charged to the student for tuition and fees, the department
30 must reduce the Florida Resident Job Preparation Grant by an
31 amount equal to the excess amount.
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1 Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
2 240.4097, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to
3 read:
4 240.4097 Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance
5 Grant Program; eligibility for grants.--
6 (2)(a) Florida postsecondary student assistance grants
7 through the State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund may
8 be made only to full-time degree-seeking students who meet the
9 general requirements for student eligibility as provided in s.
10 240.404, except as otherwise provided in this section. Such
11 grants shall be awarded for the amount of demonstrated unmet
12 need for tuition and fees and may not exceed an amount equal
13 to the average prior academic year cost of matriculation and
14 other registration fees for 30 credit hours at state
15 universities plus $1,000 per academic year, or as specified in
16 the General Appropriations Act, to any applicant. A
17 demonstrated unmet need of less than $200 shall render the
18 applicant ineligible for a Florida postsecondary student
19 assistance grant. Recipients of such grants must have been
20 accepted at a postsecondary institution that is located in the
21 state and that is:
22 1. A private nursing diploma school approved by the
23 Florida Board of Nursing; or
24 2. An institution either licensed by the State Board
25 of Independent Colleges and Universities or exempt from
26 licensure pursuant to s. 246.085(1)(a), excluding those
27 institutions the students of which are eligible to receive a
28 Florida private student assistance grant pursuant to s.
29 240.4095.
30 3. An institution that receives biennial licensure by
31 the State Board of Nonpublic Career Education, that is
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1 institutionally accredited by an agency recognized by the
2 United States Department of Education, and that offers
3 specialized associate degrees.
4
5 No student may receive an award for more than the equivalent
6 of 9 semesters or 14 quarters of full-time enrollment, except
7 as otherwise provided in s. 240.404(3).
8 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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11 SENATE SUMMARY
12 Provides powers and duties of the Postsecondary Education
Planning Commission relating to the Florida Resident Job
13 Preparation Grant. Creates the Florida Resident Job
Preparation Grant Program. Provides legislative intent.
14 Provides for the Department of Education to administer
the grant program. Provides rulemaking authority.
15 Provides criteria for eligibility. Provides procedures.
Revises eligibility criteria for the Florida
16 Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant Program.
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