Senate Bill sb2006c1

    Florida Senate - 2007                           CS for SB 2006

    By the Committee on Higher Education; and Senator Crist





    589-2383-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to tuition waivers; providing a

  3         short title; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.;

  4         requiring state universities and community

  5         colleges to waive a percentage of the in-state

  6         tuition rate for veterans who meet specified

  7         criteria; providing a percentage cap on the

  8         number of required credit hours for which a

  9         tuition waiver may be received; providing an

10         effective date.

11  

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

13  

14         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Veterans'

15  Tuition Assistance Act."

16         Section 2.  Subsection (10) is added to section

17  1009.26, Florida Statutes, to read:

18         1009.26  Fee waivers.--

19         (10)  A state university or community college shall

20  waive 50 percent of the in-state tuition rate for a person

21  who:

22         (a)  Is a wartime veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14);

23         (b)  Received an honorable discharge;

24         (c)  Is enrolled as a full-time, part-time, or

25  summer-school student in any vocational or career education

26  course or undergraduate program that terminates in a degree or

27  certificate;

28         (d)  Is a resident of this state at the time he or she

29  applies for the waiver and was a resident of this state for 1

30  year prior to such application; and

31  

                                  1

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






    Florida Senate - 2007                           CS for SB 2006
    589-2383-07




 1         (e)  Submits to the state university or the community

 2  college the DD-214 form issued at the time of separation from

 3  service or military orders or other documentation issued

 4  regarding return from active duty as defined in s. 250.01(1).

 5  

 6  Such a waiver shall be applicable for 110 percent of the

 7  number of required credit hours of the degree or certificate

 8  program for which the student is enrolled.

 9         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

10  

11          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
12                         Senate Bill 2006

13                                 

14  The committee substitute:

15  Defines a wartime veteran in accordance with s. 1.01(14), F.S;

16  Requires the wartime veteran to be honorably discharged to be
    eligible for the waiver;
17  
    Requires that the postsecondary course or program enrollment
18  must terminate in a degree or certificate;

19  Requires applicants to have established state residency at
    least one year prior to applying for the waiver; and
20  
    Requires applicants to submit formal discharge documentation
21  to the postsecondary institution upon application.

22  

23  

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  2

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