| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to student financial assistance; creating |
| 3 | s. 1009.893, F.S.; providing legislative intent; creating |
| 4 | the Florida Independent Collegiate Assistance Grant |
| 5 | Program to provide grants to certain students who attend |
| 6 | nonpublic institutions of higher education and are |
| 7 | enrolled in programs leading to specified occupations; |
| 8 | requiring the Department of Education to administer the |
| 9 | program; providing eligibility requirements; providing |
| 10 | requirements for the criteria and priorities for funding; |
| 11 | defining the term "eligible nonpublic institution of |
| 12 | higher education"; requiring the adoption of rules; |
| 13 | providing an effective date. |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Section 1. Section 1009.893, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 18 | to read: |
| 19 | 1009.893 Florida Independent Collegiate Assistance Grant |
| 20 | Program.-- |
| 21 | (1) The Legislature finds and declares that nonpublic |
| 22 | institutions eligible to participate in the Florida Independent |
| 23 | Collegiate Assistance Grant Program are an integral part of the |
| 24 | higher education system in this state. The Legislature finds |
| 25 | that a significant number of state residents choose to pursue |
| 26 | higher education at these institutions and that these |
| 27 | institutions and the students they educate and train make a |
| 28 | substantial contribution to the development of the state's |
| 29 | economy. The Legislature intends to create a grant program that |
| 30 | is not based on a student's financial need or other criteria |
| 31 | upon which most financial aid programs are based, but to create |
| 32 | a tuition assistance program for state residents. |
| 33 | (2) There is created the Florida Independent Collegiate |
| 34 | Assistance Grant Program, or FICA Grant Program, to be |
| 35 | administered by the Department of Education. |
| 36 | (3) Subject to legislative appropriation, the department |
| 37 | shall issue an access grant under the FICA Grant Program to any |
| 38 | full-time student who: |
| 39 | (a) Meets the residency requirement as provided in s. |
| 40 | 1009.40. |
| 41 | (b) Is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in a |
| 42 | Florida campus-based program at an eligible nonpublic |
| 43 | institution of higher education and is seeking an associate or |
| 44 | higher degree. |
| 45 | (c) Is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program that |
| 46 | leads to employment in one of the top 15 occupations, in numbers |
| 47 | of annual openings, as listed on the Agency for Workforce |
| 48 | Innovation's Florida Statewide Targeted Occupations List at the |
| 49 | time of initial enrollment. |
| 50 | (d) Is making satisfactory academic progress as defined by |
| 51 | the nonpublic institution of higher education in which the |
| 52 | student is enrolled. |
| 53 | (4) The criteria and priorities for funding shall be |
| 54 | adopted annually by State Board of Education rule for the top 15 |
| 55 | occupations listed and shall match standard occupational |
| 56 | classification titles on the Agency for Workforce Innovation's |
| 57 | lists with Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes |
| 58 | for licensed training programs. |
| 59 | (5) As used in this section, the term "eligible nonpublic |
| 60 | institution of higher education" means an institution: |
| 61 | (a) That is licensed by the Commission for Independent |
| 62 | Education under chapter 1005, is accredited by an accrediting |
| 63 | agency that is recognized by the United States Secretary of |
| 64 | Education as a reliable authority as to the quality of education |
| 65 | or training offered at its accredited institutions, and has |
| 66 | established performance requirements for student achievement |
| 67 | that include minimum objective quantitative standards, including |
| 68 | completion rates and placement rates as determined by its |
| 69 | accrediting agency. |
| 70 | (b) Whose students are ineligible to participate in the |
| 71 | Access to Better Learning and Education Grant Program and the |
| 72 | William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant Program. |
| 73 | (6) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules |
| 74 | pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 for implementation of the |
| 75 | FICA Grant Program. |
| 76 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |