HB 1195 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to student financial assistance; creating
3	s. 1009.892, F.S.; creating the Innovation Florida
4	Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs Program;
5	authorizing need-based scholarships for students enrolled
6	in certified degree programs in targeted employment areas
7	at Florida postsecondary educational institutions;
8	providing for administration and funding of the program;
9	providing student eligibility requirements for initial and
10	renewal awards; providing an appropriation; providing an
11	effective date.
12
13	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15	Section 1. Section 1009.892, Florida Statutes, is created
16	to read:
17	1009.892 Innovation Florida Scholarships for Developing
18	High-Tech Jobs Program.--
19	(1) This section shall be known by the popular name
20	"Innovation Florida Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs
21	Act."
22	(2) The Innovation Florida Scholarships for Developing
23	High-Tech Jobs Program is created to provide need-based financial
24	assistance to any Florida high school graduate who merits
25	recognition of high academic achievement and who enrolls in a
26	certified degree program at an eligible Florida postsecondary
27	educational institution within 3 years after graduation from high
28	school.
29	(3) As used in this section:
30	(a) “Certified degree program” means a degree program that:
31	1. Is certified by the Department of Education.
32	2. Addresses the need for support of degree programs in
33	targeted employment areas.
34	3. Includes an internship component as described in this
35	section.
36	(b) “Targeted employment” means employment in any of the
37	following business areas:
38	1. Advanced manufacturing, including the following:
39	a. Automotive and electronics.
40	b. Aerospace technology.
41	c. Robotics.
42	d. Engineering design technology.
43	2. Life sciences, including the following:
44	a. Orthopedics or medical devices.
45	b. Biomedical research or development.
46	c. Pharmaceutical manufacturing.
47	d. Agribusiness.
48	e. Nanotechnology or molecular manufacturing.
49	3. Information technology, including the following:
50	a. Informatics.
51	b. Certified network administration.
52	c. Software development.
53	d. Fiber optics.
54	4. High-technology logistics, including the following:
55	a. High-technology distribution.
56	b. Efficient and effective flow and storage of goods,
57	services, or information.
58	c. Intermodal ports.
59	(4) The Department of Education shall administer the
60	Innovation Florida Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs
61	Program according to rules and procedures established by the
62	State Board of Education. The department must advertise the
63	availability of the scholarship program and must notify students,
64	teachers, parents, guidance counselors, and principals or other
65	relevant school administrators of the criteria and application
66	procedures. The department must begin this process of
67	notification no later than January 1 of each year.
68	(5) Funds for the Innovation Florida Scholarships for
69	Developing High-Tech Jobs Program shall be appropriated annually
70	in the General Appropriations Act.
71	(a) If funds appropriated are not adequate to provide the
72	maximum allowable award to each eligible applicant, awards must
73	be prorated to each eligible applicant using the same percentage
74	reduction.
75	(b) Notwithstanding s. 216.301, if all funds allocated to
76	the Innovative Florida Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs
77	Program are not used in any fiscal year, up to 20 percent of the
78	total allocation may be carried forward and used for awards in
79	the following year.
80	(6) The department shall issue awards from the scholarship
81	program annually. Annual awards may be for up to 45 semester
82	credit hours or the equivalent for the amount of demonstrated
83	unmet need not to exceed an amount equal to the average prior
84	academic year cost of tuition, fees, and assigned books and
85	supplies at state universities or such other amount as specified
86	in the General Appropriations Act. A demonstrated unmet need of
87	less than $100 shall render the applicant ineligible for a
88	scholarship. Before the registration period each semester, the
89	department shall transmit payment for each award to the president
90	or director of the postsecondary educational institution, or his
91	or her representative, except that the department may withhold
92	payment if the receiving institution fails to report or to make
93	refunds to the department as required in this section.
94	(a) Within 30 days after the end of regular registration
95	each semester, the educational institution shall certify to the
96	department the eligibility status of each student who receives an
97	award. After the end of the drop and add period, an institution
98	is not required to reevaluate or revise a student's eligibility
99	status, but must make a refund to the department if a student who
100	receives an award disbursement terminates enrollment for any
101	reason during an academic term and a refund is permitted by the
102	institution's refund policy.
103	(b) An institution that receives funds from the program
104	shall certify to the department the amount of funds disbursed to
105	each student and shall remit to the department any undisbursed
106	advances within 60 days after the end of regular registration.
107	(c) Each institution that receives moneys through this
108	program shall prepare an annual report that includes an annual
109	financial audit conducted by an independent certified public
110	accountant or the Auditor General. The report shall include an
111	audit of the institution's administration of the program and a
112	complete accounting of the moneys for the program. This report
113	must be submitted to the department annually by March 1. The
114	department may conduct its own annual audit of an institution's
115	administration of the program. The department may request a
116	refund of any moneys overpaid to the institution for the program.
117	The department may suspend or revoke an institution's eligibility
118	to receive future moneys for the program if the department finds
119	that an institution has not complied with this section. The
120	institution must remit within 60 days any refund requested in
121	accordance with this subsection.
122	(7)(a) A student enrolled in 6 to 8 semester credit hours
123	may receive up to one-half of the maximum award; a student
124	enrolled in 9 to 11 credit hours may receive up to three-fourths
125	of the maximum award; and a student enrolled in 12 or more credit
126	hours may receive up to the full award.
127	(b) If a recipient transfers from one eligible institution
128	to another and continues to meet eligibility requirements, the
129	award must be transferred with the student.
130	(c) A student may use an award for summer term enrollment
131	if funds are available.
132	(d) Funds from a scholarship may not be used to pay for
133	remedial or college-preparatory coursework.
134	(8) To be eligible for an initial award, a student must:
135	(a) Be a Florida resident as defined in s. 1009.40 and
136	rules of the State Board of Education.
137	(b) Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its
138	equivalent as described in s. %_%2%_% or s. %_%3%_% unless:
139	1. The student is enrolled full-time in the early admission
140	program of an eligible postsecondary educational institution or
141	completes a home education program according to s. %_%4%_%; or
142	2. The student earns a high school diploma from a non-
143	Florida school while living with a parent who is on military or
144	public service assignment away from Florida.
145	(c) Have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0
146	on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent in high school courses
147	designated by the Department of Education.
148	(d) Be accepted by and enroll in a Florida public or
149	independent postsecondary educational institution identified by
150	the Department of Education.
151	(e) Be enrolled for at least 6 semester credit hours or the
152	equivalent in quarter hours or clock hours.
153	(f) Not have been found guilty of, or plead nolo contendere
154	to, a felony charge, unless the student has been granted clemency
155	by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Executive Office of
156	Clemency.
157	(g) Apply for a scholarship from the program by high school
158	graduation.
159	(9) A student is eligible to accept an initial award for 3
160	years following high school graduation and to accept a renewal
161	award for 7 years following high school graduation. A student who
162	applies for an award by high school graduation and who meets all
163	other eligibility requirements, but who does not accept his or
164	her award, may reapply during subsequent application periods up
165	to 3 years after high school graduation.
166	(10) Eligibility for renewal awards shall be based on
167	continued academic achievement of a cumulative grade point
168	average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent by the student
169	at the eligible institution, continued eligibility for financial
170	assistance pursuant to this section, and participation of the
171	student for at least one summer during the course of the
172	student's postsecondary education in an internship program that
173	is relevant to at least one of the targeted employment areas as
174	defined in this section. A student must work a minimum of 160
175	hours during the summer internship.
176	(11) Employers must pay students in an internship program a
177	wage at least 20 percent above the federal minimum wage.
178	Employers with whom interns are placed may receive $500 per
179	student per summer.
180	Section 2. There is hereby appropriated from the General
181	Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2003-
182	2004 the sum of $30 million to implement the provisions of this
183	act.
184	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.