Senate Bill sb0866c1

    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 866

    By the Committee on Education; and Senators Haridopolos and
    Wise




    581-2163-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to student financial

  3         assistance; providing legislative intent to

  4         expand access to postsecondary education and

  5         reduce student indebtedness; requiring each

  6         state university and community college to

  7         report information relating to certain funds

  8         used to provide financial assistance to certain

  9         students; prohibiting the use of such funds to

10         provide financial assistance to specified

11         foreign students; defining the term "eligible

12         Florida resident"; providing for the

13         redirection of funds to provide additional

14         need-based financial assistance to eligible

15         Florida residents; requiring a report by state

16         universities and community colleges; providing

17         an effective date.

18  

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

20  

21         Section 1.  (1)  It is the intent of the Legislature to

22  use a portion of the state's limited resources to expand

23  access to postsecondary education and to reduce student

24  indebtedness by increasing need-based financial assistance for

25  Florida residents. Expanding access and increasing financial

26  assistance will encourage Florida residents to pursue

27  postsecondary education, which will produce economic benefits

28  for the state by increasing the levels of higher educational

29  attainment and earning potential of Florida's citizenry.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 866
    581-2163-05




 1         (2)  By December 31, 2005, each state university and

 2  community college shall report to the President of the Senate

 3  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives:

 4         (a)  The total amount of state funds appropriated

 5  directly or indirectly to the institution and tuition and fee

 6  revenues generated by Florida residents which were used to

 7  provide financial assistance during the 2003-2004 academic

 8  year to students holding F-1 or M-1 visas.

 9         (b)  The total amount of state funds appropriated

10  directly or indirectly to the institution and tuition and fee

11  revenues generated by Florida residents which were used to

12  provide need-based financial assistance during the 2003-2004

13  academic year to students classified as residents for tuition

14  purposes pursuant to section 1009.21, Florida Statutes.

15         (3)  Effective for the 2006-2007 academic year and each

16  year thereafter:

17         (a)  A state university or community college shall not

18  use state funds appropriated directly or indirectly to the

19  institution or tuition or fee revenues generated by Florida

20  residents to provide financial assistance to any student

21  holding an F-1 or M-1 visa.

22         (b)  The amount of funds reported pursuant to paragraph

23  (2)(a) shall be used by an institution to provide additional

24  need-based financial assistance to eligible Florida residents.

25  If the unmet need for eligible Florida residents is fully

26  satisfied without reliance on loans, any remaining funds shall

27  be used to provide merit-based financial assistance to

28  eligible Florida residents.

29         (4)  For purposes of this section, the term "eligible

30  Florida resident" means a student classified at the time of

31  initial enrollment at a state university or community college

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 866
    581-2163-05




 1  as a resident for tuition purposes pursuant to section

 2  1009.21, Florida Statutes.

 3         (5)  Funds redirected pursuant to this section shall be

 4  additional funds for need-based financial assistance for

 5  eligible Florida residents and shall not be used to reduce or

 6  supplant the level of funding for need-based financial

 7  assistance for such students.

 8         (6)  For purposes of this section, financial assistance

 9  does not include compensation paid to students for

10  assistantships or participation in work-study programs.

11         (7)  Each state university and community college shall

12  report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the

13  House of Representatives by July 1, 2007, the number of

14  Florida residents benefiting from the use of financial

15  assistance provided from the funds redirected pursuant to this

16  section.

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

18  

19          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
20                         Senate Bill 866

21                                 

22  The committee substitute defines an eligible Florida resident
    for purposes of the section as a resident that qualified for
23  tuition purposes at the time of initial enrollment at a state
    university or community college.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.