House Bill 2045
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2045
By Representative Henriquez
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Resident Job
3 Preparation Forgivable Loan program; creating
4 s. 240.6052, F.S.; providing legislative
5 intent; creating the Florida Resident Job
6 Preparation Forgivable Loan program to make
7 forgivable loans available to eligible students
8 enrolled in associate degree programs at
9 eligible independent colleges and universities;
10 providing eligibility requirements for
11 independent colleges and universities;
12 providing student eligibility requirements;
13 establishing a method to determine the amount
14 of a Florida Resident Job Preparation
15 Forgivable Loan; providing for the amount of
16 the loan to be reduced if the amount of all
17 scholarships and grants received exceeds the
18 amount charged to the student for tuition and
19 fees; limiting the numbers of semesters or
20 quarters a student may receive a Florida Job
21 Preparation Forgivable Loan; providing an
22 exception; requiring a student who receives a
23 Florida Job Preparation Forgivable Loan and
24 does not complete an associate degree within a
25 certain period of time to repay the amount of
26 the loan plus interest; providing for the
27 disbursement of funds; requiring the Department
28 of Education to include in its annual
29 legislative budget request an amount necessary
30 to implement the provisions of this section;
31 requiring funding to be included annually in
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2045
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1 the General Appropriations Act; requiring the
2 State Board of Education to adopt rules;
3 providing an effective date.
4
5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
6 Section 1. Section 240.6052, Florida Statutes, is
7 created to read:
8 240.6052 Florida Resident Job Preparation Forgivable
9 Loan program.--
10 (1) The Legislature recognizes that the economic
11 welfare of the state is heavily dependent upon the education
12 and employability of its citizenry. The Legislature further
13 recognizes that the needs of the workforce stretch across a
14 variety of industries. The Legislature finds that a
15 significant number of state residents choose to attend
16 nonpublic colleges and universities as a means of acquiring
17 the knowledge and skills necessary to become contributing
18 members of society. The Legislature further finds that a
19 strong and viable system of nonpublic colleges reduces the tax
20 burden on the citizens of the state. Therefore, the
21 Legislature finds that a Resident Job Preparation Forgivable
22 Loan program which awards forgivable loans to state residents
23 for study in career-oriented programs at nonpublic colleges is
24 consistent with the goals of the state to increase the
25 education and skill levels of its citizenry, and to reduce the
26 tax burden on the citizens of the state. Because the award of
27 a Florida Resident Job Preparation Forgivable Loan will not be
28 related to a student's financial need or other criteria upon
29 which financial aid programs are based, it is the intent of
30 the Legislature that the Florida Resident Job Preparation
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2045
716-114A-00
1 Forgivable Loan program not be considered a financial aid
2 program, but rather a tuition assistance program.
3 (2) There is hereby created the Florida Resident Job
4 Preparation Forgivable Loan program to be administered by the
5 Department of Education. The program shall make forgivable
6 loans available to eligible students for undergraduate study
7 at an eligible independent college or university.
8 (3) A Florida Resident Job Preparation Forgivable Loan
9 may be used at an independent college or university that:
10 (a) Is located in Florida.
11 (b) Is accredited by a regional or national
12 accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department
13 of Education.
14 (c) Is either licensed by the State Board of
15 Independent Colleges and Universities or exempt from licensure
16 pursuant to s. 246.085(1)(a).
17 (d) Participates in the common course designation and
18 numbering system and had at least 10 percent of its courses
19 submitted to the system by December 31, 1999. To remain
20 eligible, an independent college or university must have 50
21 percent of its courses submitted to the system by December 31,
22 2000, and 75 percent of its courses submitted to the system by
23 December 31 of the year preceding the fiscal year of the award
24 of the forgivable loan.
25 (e) Is not eligible to participate in the William L.
26 Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant Program established by
27 s. 240.605.
28 (f) Has a secular purpose, provided that the receipt
29 of state aid by students at the institution will not have the
30 primary effect of advancing or impeding religion, or result in
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2045
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1 excessive entanglement between the state and any religious
2 sect.
3 (4) To be eligible to receive a Florida Resident Job
4 Preparation Forgivable Loan, a student must:
5 (a) Meet the general requirements for student
6 eligibility for state financial aid established by s. 240.404,
7 including residency, except as otherwise provided by this
8 section.
9 (b) Be enrolled as a full-time student in an associate
10 degree program at an eligible independent college or
11 university.
12 (c) Not be enrolled in a program of study leading to a
13 degree in theology or divinity.
14 (d) Be making satisfactory academic progress, as
15 defined by the college or university in which he or she is
16 enrolled.
17 (e) Agree in writing to complete his or her associate
18 degree within the maximum timeframe determined by the United
19 States Department of Education for purposes of financial aid,
20 or to repay the loan amount plus interest, according to
21 provisions established by the Department of Education.
22 (5)(a) The amount of a Florida Resident Job
23 Preparation Forgivable Loan awarded to a student shall be the
24 average cost to the state, per academic year, for the
25 full-time enrollment of a student in an institution within the
26 Florida Community College System, unless otherwise specified
27 in the General Appropriations Act. If the combined amount of
28 a forgivable loan awarded according to this section and all
29 other scholarships and grants for tuition or fees awarded to a
30 student exceeds the amount charged to the student for tuition
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2045
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1 and fees, the Department of Education shall reduce the
2 forgivable loan by an amount equal to such excess.
3 (b) No student shall receive a Florida Job Preparation
4 Forgivable Loan for more than 6 semesters or 9 quarters,
5 except as otherwise provided by s. 240.404(3).
6 (c) Any Florida Resident Job Preparation Forgivable
7 Loan recipient who does not complete an associate degree
8 within the maximum timeframe determined by the United States
9 Department of Education for purposes of financial aid shall
10 repay to the Florida Department of Education, on a schedule to
11 be determined by the department, the entire amount of the
12 scholarship plus interest accruing from the date of the
13 scholarship payment.
14 (6) The Department of Education shall disburse to the
15 college or university in which a student receiving a Florida
16 Resident Job Preparation Forgivable Loan is enrolled funds for
17 payment of that student's tuition and fees. The department
18 may disburse a portion of such funds in advance of the
19 registration period. Each institution receiving funds
20 pursuant to this subsection shall certify to the department
21 the amount of funds disbursed to each student and shall remit
22 to the department any undisbursed advances or refunds within
23 60 days after the end of regular registration.
24 (7) The Department of Education shall include in its
25 annual legislative budget request an amount necessary to
26 implement the provisions of this section which shall be based
27 on the average cost to the state, per academic year, for the
28 full-time enrollment of a student in an institution within the
29 Florida Community College System, multiplied by the number of
30 students planned to participate in the program. Funding for
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2045
716-114A-00
1 the Florida Job Preparation Forgivable Loan program shall be
2 included annually in the General Appropriations Act.
3 (8) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules
4 necessary for the administration of the program, including
5 rules that establish repayment schedules and applicable
6 interest rates pursuant to ss. 240.451 and 240.465.
7 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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9 *****************************************
10 HOUSE SUMMARY
11
Creates the Florida Resident Job Preparation Forgivable
12 Loan program to make forgivable loans available to
eligible students enrolled in associate degree programs
13 at eligible independent colleges and universities.
Provides eligibility requirements for independent
14 colleges and universities. Provides student eligibility
requirements. Establishes a method to determine the
15 amount of a Florida Resident Job Preparation Forgivable
Loan. Provides for the amount of the loan to be reduced
16 if the amount of all scholarships and grants received
exceeds the amount charged to the student for tuition and
17 fees. Limits the numbers of semesters or quarters a
student may receive a Florida Job Preparation Forgivable
18 Loan. Provides an exception. Requires a student who
receives a Florida Job Preparation Forgivable Loan and
19 does not complete an associate degree within a certain
period of time to repay the amount of the loan plus
20 interest. Provides for the disbursement of funds.
Requires the Department of Education to include in its
21 annual legislative budget request an amount necessary to
implement the provisions of this section. Requires
22 funding to be included annually in the General
Appropriations Act. Requires the State Board of
23 Education to adopt rules.
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