HB 0693 2004
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 rules; providing for administration and
9	funding of the program; providing student eligibility
10	requirements for initial and renewal awards; providing an
11	appropriation; providing an 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 pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54.
63	The department must advertise the availability of the scholarship
64	program and must notify students, teachers, parents, guidance
65	counselors, and principals or other relevant school
66	administrators of the criteria and application procedures. The
67	department must begin this process of notification no later than
68	January 1 of each year.
69	(5) Funds for the Innovation Florida Scholarships for
70	Developing High-Tech Jobs Program shall be appropriated annually
71	in the General Appropriations Act.
72	(a) If funds appropriated are not adequate to provide the
73	maximum allowable award to each eligible applicant, awards must
74	be prorated to each eligible applicant using the same percentage
75	reduction.
76	(b) Notwithstanding s. 216.301, if all funds allocated to
77	the Innovative Florida Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs
78	Program are not used in any fiscal year, up to 20 percent of the
79	total allocation may be carried forward and used for awards in
80	the following year.
81	(6) The department shall issue awards from the scholarship
82	program annually. Annual awards may be for up to 45 semester
83	credit hours or the equivalent for the amount of demonstrated
84	unmet need not to exceed an amount equal to the average prior
85	academic year cost of tuition, fees, and assigned books and
86	supplies at state universities or such other amount as specified
87	in the General Appropriations Act. A demonstrated unmet need of
88	less than $100 shall render the applicant ineligible for a
89	scholarship. Before the registration period each semester, the
90	department shall transmit payment for each award to the president
91	or director of the postsecondary educational institution, or his
92	or her representative, except that the department may withhold
93	payment if the receiving institution fails to report or to make
94	refunds to the department as required in this section.
95	(a) Within 30 days after the end of regular registration
96	each semester, the educational institution shall certify to the
97	department the eligibility status of each student who receives an
98	award. After the end of the drop and add period, an institution
99	is not required to reevaluate or revise a student's eligibility
100	status, but must make a refund to the department if a student who
101	receives an award disbursement terminates enrollment for any
102	reason during an academic term and a refund is permitted by the
103	institution's refund policy.
104	(b) An institution that receives funds from the program
105	shall certify to the department the amount of funds disbursed to
106	each student and shall remit to the department any undisbursed
107	advances within 60 days after the end of regular registration.
108	(c) Each institution that receives moneys through this
109	program shall prepare an annual report that includes an annual
110	financial audit conducted by an independent certified public
111	accountant or the Auditor General. The report shall include an
112	audit of the institution's administration of the program and a
113	complete accounting of the moneys for the program. This report
114	must be submitted to the department annually by March 1. The
115	department may conduct its own annual audit of an institution's
116	administration of the program. The department may request a
117	refund of any moneys overpaid to the institution for the program.
118	The department may suspend or revoke an institution's eligibility
119	to receive future moneys for the program if the department finds
120	that an institution has not complied with this section. The
121	institution must remit within 60 days any refund requested in
122	accordance with this subsection.
123	(7)(a) A student enrolled in 6 to 8 semester credit hours
124	may receive up to one-half of the maximum award; a student
125	enrolled in 9 to 11 credit hours may receive up to three-fourths
126	of the maximum award; and a student enrolled in 12 or more credit
127	hours may receive up to the full award.
128	(b) If a recipient transfers from one eligible institution
129	to another and continues to meet eligibility requirements, the
130	award must be transferred with the student.
131	(c) A student may use an award for summer term enrollment
132	if funds are available.
133	(d) Funds from a scholarship may not be used to pay for
134	remedial or college-preparatory coursework.
135	(8) To be eligible for an initial award, a student must:
136	(a) Be a Florida resident as defined in s. 1009.40 and
137	rules of the State Board of Education.
138	(b) Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its
139	equivalent as described in s. 1003.429, s. 1003.43, or s.
140	1003.435 unless:
141	1. The student is enrolled full-time in the early admission
142	program of an eligible postsecondary educational institution or
143	completes a home education program according to s. 1002.41; or
144	2. The student earns a high school diploma from a non-
145	Florida school while living with a parent who is on military or
146	public service assignment away from Florida.
147	(c) Have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0
148	on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent in high school courses
149	designated by the Department of Education.
150	(d) Be accepted by and enroll in a Florida public or
151	independent postsecondary educational institution identified by
152	the Department of Education.
153	(e) Be enrolled for at least 6 semester credit hours or the
154	equivalent in quarter hours or clock hours.
155	(f) Not have been found guilty of, or plead nolo contendere
156	to, a felony charge, unless the student has been granted clemency
157	by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Executive Office of
158	Clemency.
159	(g) Apply for a scholarship from the program by high school
160	graduation.
161	(9) A student is eligible to accept an initial award for 3
162	years following high school graduation and to accept a renewal
163	award for 7 years following high school graduation. A student who
164	applies for an award by high school graduation and who meets all
165	other eligibility requirements, but who does not accept his or
166	her award, may reapply during subsequent application periods up
167	to 3 years after high school graduation.
168	(10) Eligibility for renewal awards shall be based on
169	continued academic achievement of a cumulative grade point
170	average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent by the student
171	at the eligible institution, continued eligibility for financial
172	assistance pursuant to this section, and participation of the
173	student for at least one summer during the course of the
174	student's postsecondary education in an internship program that
175	is relevant to at least one of the targeted employment areas as
176	defined in this section. A student must work a minimum of 160
177	hours during the summer internship.
178	(11) Employers must pay students in an internship program a
179	wage at least 20 percent above the federal minimum wage.
180	Employers with whom interns are placed may receive $500 per
181	student per summer.
182	Section 2. There is hereby appropriated from the General
183	Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2004-
184	2005 the sum of $30 million to implement the provisions of this
185	act.
186	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.