Senate Bill sb2884
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2884
By Senator Carlton
23-1838-04
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to state universities; creating
3 s. 1011.901, F.S.; awarding incentive funds to
4 state universities; requiring the Board of
5 Governors to establish awards based on student
6 enrollment and identify occupations having the
7 largest growth rates and wage potential;
8 requiring an annual report to the Governor and
9 the Legislature; amending s. 1009.24, F.S.;
10 requiring university boards of trustees to
11 provide students with a billing statement that
12 reflects the true costs of the student's
13 education, to establish a block tuition and fee
14 policy, and to charge certain students the full
15 cost of education per credit hour; providing
16 certain exceptions; providing an effective
17 date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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21 Section 1. Section 1011.901, Florida Statutes, is
22 created to read:
23 1011.901 Incentive funding for targeted degree
24 programs at state universities.--
25 (1) INCENTIVE FUNDING FOR DEGREES IN CRITICAL
26 AREAS.--Subject to legislative appropriation, the Board of
27 Governors shall annually allocate an amount specified in the
28 General Appropriations Act as incentive awards to individual
29 university boards of trustees for establishing programs,
30 policies, and procedures that lead to an increase in the
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2884
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1 number of degrees awarded in academic areas deemed critical to
2 the state's future job growth.
3 (2) TARGETED CRITICAL AREAS DURING FISCAL YEAR
4 2004-2005.--The academic areas deemed critical to the state's
5 future job growth for the 2004-2005 fiscal year are:
6 (a) Teaching;
7 (b) Nursing;
8 (c) Engineering; and
9 (d) Information technology.
10 (3) ALLOCATION OF INCENTIVE AWARDS FOR FISCAL YEAR
11 2004-2005.--Before allocating any appropriated incentive
12 awards, the Board of Governors must establish the number of
13 full-time equivalent students enrolled during 2003-2004 in the
14 upper-division and graduate-level courses taken by students
15 who are officially seeking an undergraduate or graduate degree
16 in the academic areas deemed critical. By August 1, 2004, the
17 Board of Governors shall develop a proposal for providing any
18 appropriated incentive awards for the 2004-2005 fiscal year
19 based on a prorated share of the actual increase in the number
20 of full-time equivalent students enrolled in those courses.
21 Any funds appropriated for incentives which are not awarded by
22 the end of the fiscal year shall revert to the General Revenue
23 Fund unallocated.
24 (4) TARGETED CRITICAL AREAS DURING FISCAL YEAR
25 2005-2006 AND THEREAFTER.--
26 (a) By October 1, 2004, the Board of Governors, in
27 consultation with the Agency for Workforce Innovation,
28 Workforce Florida, Inc., and Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall
29 develop a multiyear forecasting mechanism for identifying
30 occupations in areas that may require an increase in the
31 number of undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded. By
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2884
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1 October 1 of each year, such forecasting must identify
2 occupations with the largest unmet growth rates or highest
3 wage potential, or both, for subsequent years.
4 (b) By December 1 of each year, the Board of Governors
5 shall report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
6 the Speaker of the House of Representatives the details
7 regarding occupations that meet the guidelines of the forecast
8 and any university successes in or barriers to implementing
9 the incentive award proposal.
10 (5) ALLOCATION OF INCENTIVE AWARDS FOR FISCAL YEAR
11 2005-2006 AND THEREAFTER.--By November 1, 2004, the Board of
12 Governors shall develop a proposal for providing any
13 appropriated incentive awards beginning with the 2005-2006
14 fiscal year based on increasing undergraduate and graduate
15 student enrollment in academic disciplines linked to
16 occupations identified by the forecast specified in paragraph
17 (4)(a). Any funds appropriated for incentives which are not
18 awarded by the end of the fiscal year shall revert to the
19 General Revenue Fund unallocated.
20 (6) DESIGNATING ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES WITH TARGETED
21 CRITICAL AREAS.--By July 1 of each year, the Board of
22 Governors, in conjunction with the individual university
23 boards of trustees, shall identify the specific academic
24 disciplines and the appropriate upper-division and
25 graduate-level academic courses that articulate to the career
26 areas deemed critical to the state's future job growth.
27 Section 2. Subsections (15), (16), and (17) are added
28 to section 1009.24, Florida Statutes, to read:
29 1009.24 State university student fees.--
30 (15) Each university board of trustees shall, at the
31 beginning of each semester, provide every student who is
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2884
23-1838-04
1 charged tuition and fees with a billing statement that clearly
2 identifies the amount of funding the state and the respective
3 university are paying on behalf of the student, to reflect the
4 true costs of the student's education. State funding to the
5 university and state-supported financial assistance must be
6 itemized and included in the billing statement. A sample of
7 the billing-statement format must be submitted to the Board of
8 Governors for its review and approval before August 15 of each
9 year.
10 (16) Each university board of trustees shall establish
11 a block tuition and fee policy for undergraduate full-time
12 students based on a course load of 15 credit hours per
13 semester, beginning with the 2004-2005 academic year. The
14 policy must require undergraduate full-time students to pay
15 tuition and fees at a rate equal to 15 credit hours per
16 semester but allow undergraduate full-time students to enroll
17 in any number of credit hours per semester. The policy must
18 not increase costs to students or the state for the Florida
19 Bright Futures Scholarship Program or the Florida Prepaid
20 College Program. Before its implementation, the policy must be
21 reviewed and approved by the Board of Governors.
22 (17) Each university board of trustees shall establish
23 a policy, beginning with the 2004-2005 academic year, which
24 requires students who have earned in excess of the number of
25 credit hours needed to graduate by more than 10 percent or who
26 are not enrolled as degree-seeking students to pay the full
27 cost of their education per credit hour. The policy must
28 exempt students not seeking a degree who provide documentation
29 that the courses they enroll in are required for professional
30 licensure, certification, or recertification. Credit hours
31 generated by students who have earned in excess of the number
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2884
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1 needed to graduate by more than 10 percent or who are not
2 enrolled as degree-seeking students must be identified
3 separately in reporting full-time equivalent student
4 enrollments. Before its implementation, the policy must be
5 reviewed and approved by the Board of Governors.
6 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
7 law.
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9 *****************************************
10 SENATE SUMMARY
11 Awards incentive funds to state universities. Requires
university boards of trustees to provide students with a
12 billing statement that reflects the true costs of the
student's education, to establish a block tuition and fee
13 policy, and to charge certain students the full cost of
education per credit hour.
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