Senate Bill sb1046
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1046
By Senator Pruitt
27-645-01
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to student financial aid;
3 creating s. 240.4061, F.S.; creating the Teach
4 Florida Program within the Department of
5 Education; providing for the program to fund
6 scholarships for students who attend state
7 postsecondary institutions and who are enrolled
8 in state-certified teacher education programs;
9 providing for the amount of the scholarship;
10 requiring that a recipient earn a minimum
11 cumulative grade point average in certain
12 courses in high school; amending ss. 231.62,
13 240.4065, F.S., relating to the Critical
14 Teacher Shortage Program; conforming provisions
15 to changes made by the act; repealing s.
16 240.4063, F.S., relating to the Florida Teacher
17 Scholarship and Forgivable Loan Program;
18 providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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22 Section 1. Section 240.4061, Florida Statutes, is
23 created to read:
24 240.4061 Teach Florida Program.--
25 (1) There is created the Teach Florida Program to be
26 administered by the Department of Education. The primary
27 purpose of the program is to attract capable and promising
28 high school students to the teaching profession.
29 (2) The scholarship shall be used by a student who
30 attends a state postsecondary educational institution and who
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1046
27-645-01
1 is enrolled in a course of study leading to a degree from a
2 state-certified teacher education program.
3 (3) A recipient of a scholarship under the Teach
4 Florida Program is eligible for an annual award equal to the
5 amount required to pay the average cost of tuition and fees at
6 a state postsecondary institution, plus $3,000.
7 (4) A recipient must intend to teach in a publicly
8 funded school in Florida for at least the number of years for
9 which a scholarship loan is received.
10 (5) A student who applies for a scholarship under the
11 Teach Florida Program as a high school senior must have earned
12 a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
13 in high school courses recommended by the State Board of
14 Community Colleges and adopted by the Board of Regents as
15 college-preparatory courses.
16 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 231.62, Florida
17 Statutes, is amended to read:
18 231.62 Identification of critical teacher shortage
19 areas.--
20 (1) As used in ss. 231.621, 240.4063, and 240.4064,
21 the term "critical teacher shortage area" applies to
22 mathematics, science, career education, and high priority
23 location areas. The State Board of Education may identify
24 career education programs having critical teacher shortages.
25 The State Board of Education shall adopt rules pursuant to ss.
26 120.536(1) and 120.54, necessary to annually identify other
27 critical teacher shortage areas and high priority location
28 areas. The state board shall also consider teacher
29 characteristics such as ethnic background, race, and sex in
30 determining critical teacher shortage areas. School grade
31 levels may also be designated critical teacher shortage areas.
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1046
27-645-01
1 Individual district school boards may identify other critical
2 teacher shortage areas. Such shortages must be certified to
3 and approved by the State Board of Education. High priority
4 location areas shall be in high-density, low-economic urban
5 schools and low-density, low-economic rural schools and shall
6 include schools which meet criteria which include, but are not
7 limited to, the percentage of free lunches, the percentage of
8 students under Chapter I of the Education Consolidation and
9 Improvement Act of 1981, and the faculty attrition rate.
10 Section 3. Section 240.4065, Florida Statutes, is
11 amended to read:
12 240.4065 Critical Teacher Shortage Program.--There is
13 created the Critical Teacher Shortage Program. Funds
14 appropriated by the Legislature for the program shall be
15 deposited in the State Student Financial Assistance Trust
16 Fund. The Comptroller shall authorize expenditures from the
17 trust fund upon receipt of vouchers approved by the Department
18 of Education for the critical teacher shortage programs
19 established in s. 231.621, s. 240.4063, or s. 240.4064. The
20 Comptroller shall also authorize expenditures from the trust
21 fund for the "Chappie" James Most Promising Teacher
22 Scholarship Loan Program and the Critical Teacher Shortage
23 Scholarship Loan Program recipients who participated in these
24 programs prior to July 1, 1993, provided that such students
25 continue to meet the renewal eligibility requirements that
26 were in effect at the time that their original awards were
27 made. Students who participated in the "Chappie" James Most
28 Promising Teacher Scholarship Loan Program prior to July 1,
29 1993, shall not have their awards reduced as a result of the
30 addition of new students to the program. All scholarship loan
31 repayments pursuant to s. 240.4063 shall be deposited into the
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1046
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1 State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund. Any remaining
2 balance at the end of any fiscal year that has been allocated
3 to the program shall remain in the trust fund and be available
4 for the individual programs in future years.
5 Section 4. Section 240.4063, Florida Statutes, is
6 repealed.
7 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.
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10 SENATE SUMMARY
11 Creates the Teach Florida Program for the purpose of
attracting high school students to the teaching
12 profession. Provides scholarships for students who attend
state community colleges and universities and who are
13 enrolled in state-certified teacher education programs.
Provides for the scholarship to annually fund a student's
14 tuition and fees, plus $3,000. Requires that the student
earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in
15 college-preparatory courses. Abolishes the Florida
Teacher Scholarship and Forgivable Loan Program. (See
16 bill for details.)
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