House Bill hb1697

    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1697

        By Representative Weissman






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to students in community

  3         college aviation programs; creating a financial

  4         aid program for such students; providing for

  5         loans and grants; providing eligibility

  6         criteria; prescribing duties of community

  7         colleges and of the Division of Community

  8         Colleges; providing an appropriation; providing

  9         an effective date.

10

11         WHEREAS, vocational programs offered through community

12  colleges are intended to be cost-effective preparations for

13  participants to receive training that will enable them to

14  become productive members of the workforce, and

15         WHEREAS, students in aviation programs such as pilot

16  training and aviation maintenance incur high expenses not

17  customarily experienced by students in other programs, and

18         WHEREAS, the high cost of aviation programs denies

19  access to these programs to qualified individuals who are

20  economically disadvantaged, and

21         WHEREAS, minorities and women are underrepresented in

22  community college aviation programs, and

23         WHEREAS, low-interest-rate loans would provide equal

24  opportunities for participants, and

25         WHEREAS, there is a great need for additional workers

26  trained in aviation programs and it is a benefit to the

27  aviation industry to have a qualified workforce representing

28  the people of Florida, NOW, THEREFORE,

29

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

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1697

    739-109-01






  1         Section 1.  There is created a financial aid program

  2  for students enrolled in aviation programs in community

  3  colleges. Funds shall be made available to such students

  4  according to the following criteria:

  5         (1)  A student is eligible for a loan during the

  6  student's first term in an aviation program in an amount equal

  7  to 30 percent of tuition, fees, and costs. The loan must be

  8  repaid beginning no later than 6 months after the student

  9  leaves the program, and interest on the loan will be at the

10  rate of 3 percent. A student in his or her second and

11  subsequent terms in a program is eligible for grants in

12  addition to any loan for which the student is eligible. Grants

13  shall be in an amount of up to 30 percent of tuition, fees,

14  and costs for the second term; up to 40 percent of tuition,

15  fees, and costs for the third term; and up to 50 percent of

16  tuition, fees, and costs for the fourth and any subsequent

17  term. Grants are subject to availability of funds. If funds

18  are insufficient to make grants available to students in the

19  full amount authorized by this act, the community college

20  shall make grants to all eligible students pro rata.

21         (2)  In order to maintain eligibility for financial aid

22  following the first term in an aviation program:

23         (a)  Pilot training program students must be able to

24  hold a second-class medical certificate issued by an aviation

25  medical examiner; and

26         (b)  All aviation students must:

27         1.  Maintain a grade point average of no less than 3.0

28  in aviation classes, including flight classes;

29         2.  Be enrolled for at least 6 semester credit hours,

30  or the equivalent in quarter hours; and

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1697

    739-109-01






  1         3.  Be making satisfactory progress, as determined by

  2  standards of the respective community college, toward

  3  successful completion of the aviation program.

  4         Section 2.  One-half of the moneys initially made

  5  available under this act to each community college with an

  6  aviation program shall be deposited into a fund from which

  7  loans are made available to students. Participating community

  8  colleges are encouraged to supplant these funds with grants

  9  and donations from private individuals, nonprofit entities,

10  and corporate sources. It is the legislative intent that each

11  loan fund become self-sustaining, with loan repayments

12  providing a sufficient corpus that future loans can be made in

13  amounts that account for increases in tuition, fees, and costs

14  as well as increases in the number of enrolled students

15  eligible for loans. The balance of the moneys initially made

16  available under this act shall be disbursed to eligible

17  students in the form of grants.

18         Section 3.  The sum of $750,000 is appropriated from

19  the General Revenue Fund to the Division of Community Colleges

20  of the Department of Education for distribution to eligible

21  institutions in the State Community College System having

22  aviation programs.

23         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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26                          SENATE SUMMARY

27    Creates a financial aid program of loans and grants for
      aviation students in community colleges. Prescribes
28    maximum grant amounts and interest rates on loans.
      Requires certain academic and other criteria to be met
29    for continued aid eligibility.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.