| 1 | The Community Colleges & Workforce Committee recommends the |
| 2 | following: |
| 3 |
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| 4 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 5 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 6 | A bill to be entitled |
| 7 | An act relating to student financial assistance; creating |
| 8 | s. 1009.893, F.S.; providing legislative intent; creating |
| 9 | the Florida Independent Collegiate Assistance Grant |
| 10 | Program to provide grants to certain students who attend |
| 11 | nonpublic institutions of higher education and are |
| 12 | enrolled in programs leading to specified occupations; |
| 13 | requiring the Department of Education to administer the |
| 14 | program; providing eligibility requirements; providing a |
| 15 | percentage cap on the number of required credit hours for |
| 16 | which a grant may be received; providing requirements for |
| 17 | the criteria and priorities for funding; defining the term |
| 18 | "eligible nonpublic institution of higher education"; |
| 19 | requiring the adoption of rules; providing an effective |
| 20 | date. |
| 21 |
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| 22 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Section 1. Section 1009.893, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 25 | to read: |
| 26 | 1009.893 Florida Independent Collegiate Assistance Grant |
| 27 | Program.-- |
| 28 | (1) The Legislature finds and declares that nonpublic |
| 29 | institutions eligible to participate in the Florida Independent |
| 30 | Collegiate Assistance Grant Program are an integral part of the |
| 31 | higher education system in this state. The Legislature finds |
| 32 | that a significant number of state residents choose to pursue |
| 33 | higher education at these institutions and that these |
| 34 | institutions and the students they educate and train make a |
| 35 | substantial contribution to the development of the state's |
| 36 | economy. The Legislature intends to create a grant program that |
| 37 | is not based on a student's financial need or other criteria |
| 38 | upon which most financial aid programs are based, but to create |
| 39 | a tuition assistance program for state residents. |
| 40 | (2) There is created the Florida Independent Collegiate |
| 41 | Assistance Grant Program, or FICA Grant Program, to be |
| 42 | administered by the Department of Education. |
| 43 | (3) Subject to legislative appropriation, the department |
| 44 | shall issue a grant under the FICA Grant Program to any full- |
| 45 | time student who: |
| 46 | (a) Meets the residency requirement as provided in s. |
| 47 | 1009.40. |
| 48 | (b) Is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in a |
| 49 | Florida campus-based program at an eligible nonpublic |
| 50 | institution of higher education and is seeking an associate or |
| 51 | higher degree. |
| 52 | (c) Is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program that |
| 53 | leads to employment in an occupation that meets the following |
| 54 | requirements: |
| 55 | 1. The occupation is one of the top 15 occupations in |
| 56 | number of annual openings as listed on the Agency for Workforce |
| 57 | Innovation's Florida Statewide Targeted Occupations List at the |
| 58 | time of the student's initial enrollment. |
| 59 | 2. The occupation requires a minimum of an associate |
| 60 | degree as indicated on the Florida Statewide Targeted |
| 61 | Occupations List. |
| 62 | (d) Is making satisfactory academic progress as defined by |
| 63 | the nonpublic institution of higher education in which the |
| 64 | student is enrolled. |
| 65 | (4) A student who is enrolled in a program that terminates |
| 66 | in an associate degree or a baccalaureate degree may receive a |
| 67 | Florida Independent Collegiate Assistance grant for 110 percent |
| 68 | of the number of required credit hours. |
| 69 | (5) The criteria and priorities for funding shall be |
| 70 | adopted annually by State Board of Education rule for the top 15 |
| 71 | occupations listed and shall match standard occupational |
| 72 | classification titles on the Agency for Workforce Innovation's |
| 73 | lists with Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes |
| 74 | for licensed training programs. |
| 75 | (6) As used in this section, the term "eligible nonpublic |
| 76 | institution of higher education" means an institution: |
| 77 | (a) That is licensed by the Commission for Independent |
| 78 | Education under chapter 1005 and is accredited by an accrediting |
| 79 | agency: |
| 80 | 1. That is recognized by the United States Secretary of |
| 81 | Education as a reliable authority as to the quality of education |
| 82 | or training offered at its accredited institutions. |
| 83 | 2. That has established performance requirements for |
| 84 | student achievement that include minimum objective quantitative |
| 85 | standards, including completion rates and placement rates as |
| 86 | determined by its accrediting agency. |
| 87 | (b) Whose students are ineligible to participate in the |
| 88 | Access to Better Learning and Education Grant Program and the |
| 89 | William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant Program. |
| 90 | (7) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules |
| 91 | pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 for implementation of the |
| 92 | FICA Grant Program. |
| 93 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |