Senate Bill sb1256

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1256

    By Senator Wise





    5-1044-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to student financial

  3         assistance; providing legislative intent;

  4         creating the Florida Independent Collegiate

  5         Assistance (FICA) Grant Program, for the

  6         purpose of providing grants to certain students

  7         who attend certain nonpublic institutions of

  8         higher education and are enrolled in programs

  9         leading to specified occupations; requiring the

10         Department of Education to administer the

11         program; providing for eligibility; defining

12         the term "eligible nonpublic institution of

13         higher education"; providing for rulemaking by

14         the State Board of Education; providing an

15         effective date.

16  

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

18  

19         Section 1.  Florida Independent Collegiate Assistance

20  Grant Program; legislative intent; creation; administration;

21  eligibility; definitions; rulemaking.--

22         (1)  INTENT.--The Legislature finds and declares that

23  residents of this state who seek higher education in the state

24  through nonpublic institutions licensed by the Commission for

25  Independent Education are an integral part of the higher

26  education system in this state. The Legislature finds that a

27  significant number of state residents choose to pursue higher

28  education at these institutions and that these institutions

29  and the students they educate and train make a substantial

30  contribution to the development of the state's economy. The

31  Legislature intends to create a grant program that is not

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1256
    5-1044-05




 1  based upon a student's financial need or other criteria upon

 2  which most financial-aid programs are based, but to create a

 3  tuition-assistance program for state residents.

 4         (2)  CREATION.--There is created the Florida

 5  Independent Collegiate Assistance Grant Program, or FICA Grant

 6  Program.

 7         (3)  ADMINISTRATION.--The Department of Education shall

 8  administer the FICA Grant Program.

 9         (4)  ELIGIBILITY.--The Department of Education shall

10  issue an access grant under the FICA Grant Program to any

11  full-time student who:

12         (a)  Meets the requirements for residency for student

13  eligibility as provided in section 1009.40(1)(a)2., Florida

14  Statutes, except as otherwise provided in this section;

15         (b)  Is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student

16  at an eligible nonpublic institution of higher education as

17  defined in this section and is seeking an associate's degree

18  or higher;

19         (c)  Is making satisfactory academic progress as

20  defined by the nonpublic institution of higher education in

21  which the student is enrolled; and

22         (d)  Is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program

23  that leads to employment in an occupation listed on the

24  Regional Targeted Occupations Lists of the Florida Workforce

25  Board at the time of the student's initial enrollment.

26         (5)  DEFINITION.--As used in this section, the term

27  "eligible nonpublic institution of higher education" means an

28  institution:

29         (a)  That is licensed by the Commission for Independent

30  Education under chapter 1005, Florida Statutes, and is

31  accredited by an accrediting agency that is recognized by the

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1256
    5-1044-05




 1  United States Secretary of Education as a reliable authority

 2  as to the quality of education or training offered at its

 3  accredited institutions;

 4         (b)  That has established performance requirements for

 5  student achievement which include minimum objective

 6  quantitative standards, including, but not limited to,

 7  completion rates and placement rates; and

 8         (c)  Whose students are ineligible to participate in

 9  the Access to Better Learning and Education Grant Program

10  (ABLE) or the Florida Resident Access Grant Program (FRAG).

11         (6)  RULEMAKING.--The State Board of Education shall

12  adopt rules to administer the Florida Independent Collegiate

13  Assistance Grant Program.

14         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

15  

16            *****************************************

17                          SENATE SUMMARY

18    Creates the Florida Independent Collegiate Assistance
      (FICA) Grant Program, for the purpose of providing grants
19    to certain students who attend nonpublic institutions of
      higher education and are enrolled in programs leading to
20    occupations listed on the Regional Targeted Occupations
      Lists of the Florida Workforce Board. Provides for the
21    Department of Education to administer the program.
      Provides for eligibility. Defines the term "eligible
22    nonpublic institution of higher education." Provides for
      rulemaking by the State Board of Education.
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