Senate Bill sb2200

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2200

    By Senator Sullivan





    22-1410-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the William L. Boyd, IV,

  3         Florida Resident Access Grant Program;

  4         reenacting and amending s. 240.605, F.S.;

  5         revising criteria for institutional

  6         participation in the grant program; providing

  7         an effective date.

  8

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

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11         Section 1.  Notwithstanding section 3(7) of chapter

12  2000-321, Laws of Florida, section 240.605, Florida Statutes,

13  shall not stand repealed on January 7, 2003, but that section

14  is reenacted and amended to read:

15         240.605  The William L. Boyd, IV, Florida resident

16  access grants.--

17         (1)  The Legislature finds and declares that

18  independent nonprofit colleges and universities eligible to

19  participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident

20  Access Grant Program are an integral part of the higher

21  education system in this state and that a significant number

22  of state residents choose this form of higher education.  The

23  Legislature further finds that a strong and viable system of

24  independent nonprofit colleges and universities reduces the

25  tax burden on the citizens of the state.  Because the William

26  L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant Program is not

27  related to a student's financial need or other criteria upon

28  which financial aid programs are based, it is the intent of

29  the Legislature that the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident

30  Access Grant Program not be considered a financial aid program

31  but rather a tuition assistance program for its citizens.

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2200
    22-1410-02




  1         (2)  The William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access

  2  Grant Program shall be administered by the Department of

  3  Education.  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for

  4  the administration of the program.

  5         (3)  The department shall issue through the program a

  6  William L. Boyd, IV, Florida resident access grant to any

  7  full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student registered at

  8  an independent nonprofit college or university which is

  9  located in and chartered by the state; which is accredited by

10  the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of

11  Colleges and Schools; which grants baccalaureate degrees;

12  which is not a state university or state community college;

13  and which has a secular purpose, so long as the receipt of

14  state aid by students at the institution would not have the

15  primary effect of advancing or impeding religion or result in

16  an excessive entanglement between the state and any religious

17  sect. Any independent college or university that was eligible

18  to receive tuition vouchers on January 1, 1989, and which

19  continues to meet the criteria under which its eligibility was

20  established, shall remain eligible to receive William L. Boyd,

21  IV, Florida resident access grant payments.

22         (4)  A person is eligible to receive such William L.

23  Boyd, IV, Florida resident access grant if:

24         (a)  He or she meets the general requirements,

25  including residency, for student eligibility as provided in s.

26  240.404, except as otherwise provided in this section; and

27         (b)1.  He or she is enrolled as a full-time

28  undergraduate student at an eligible college or university;

29         2.  He or she is not enrolled in a program of study

30  leading to a degree in theology or divinity; and

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2200
    22-1410-02




  1         3.  He or she is making satisfactory academic progress

  2  as defined by the college or university in which he or she is

  3  enrolled.

  4         (5)(a)  Funding for the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida

  5  Resident Access Grant Program shall be based on a formula

  6  composed of planned enrollment and the state cost of funding

  7  undergraduate enrollment at public institutions pursuant to s.

  8  240.271. The amount of the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida

  9  resident access grant issued to a full-time student shall be

10  an amount as specified in the General Appropriations Act. The

11  William L. Boyd, IV, Florida resident access grant may be paid

12  on a prorated basis in advance of the registration period. The

13  department shall make such payments to the college or

14  university in which the student is enrolled for credit to the

15  student's account for payment of tuition and fees.

16  Institutions shall certify to the department the amount of

17  funds disbursed to each student and shall remit to the

18  department any undisbursed advances or refunds within 60 days

19  of the end of regular registration. Students are ineligible

20  shall not be eligible to receive the award for more than 9

21  semesters or 14 quarters, except as otherwise provided in s.

22  240.404(3).

23         (b)  If the combined amount of the William L. Boyd, IV,

24  Florida resident access grant issued pursuant to this act and

25  all other scholarships and grants for tuition or fees exceeds

26  the amount charged to the student for tuition and fees, the

27  department shall reduce the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida

28  resident access grant issued pursuant to this act by an amount

29  equal to such excess.

30         (6)  Funds appropriated by the Legislature for the

31  William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant Program

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2200
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  1  shall be deposited in the State Student Financial Assistance

  2  Trust Fund. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301 and

  3  pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund at the

  4  end of any fiscal year which has been allocated to the William

  5  L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant Program shall

  6  remain therein and shall be available for carrying out the

  7  purposes of this section. If the number of eligible students

  8  exceeds the total authorized in the General Appropriations

  9  Act, an institution may use its own resources to assure that

10  each eligible student receives the full benefit of the grant

11  amount authorized.

12         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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15                          SENATE SUMMARY

16    Expands eligibility for participation in the William L.
      Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant Program to
17    include certain independent colleges and universities
      other than nonprofit entities.
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