Senate Bill sb0918c1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 918
By the Committee on Higher Education; and Senator Wise
589-2247-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public postsecondary
3 need-based student financial assistance;
4 amending s. 1009.50, F.S.; providing that the
5 Florida Public Student Assistance Grant Program
6 is available to specified students in
7 postsecondary career certificate programs;
8 providing eligibility criteria for career
9 certificate students; providing for transmittal
10 of grant payments to the district school
11 superintendent; amending s. 1009.77, F.S.;
12 providing that the Florida Work Experience
13 Program is available to students in specified
14 career education programs and educator
15 preparation institutes; lowering the percentage
16 of student wages that must be reimbursed to
17 employers; providing that participating
18 postsecondary educational institutions must pay
19 for specified preemployment expenses for
20 students employed with public schools;
21 prescribing student eligibility requirements;
22 providing an appropriation; providing an
23 effective date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Subsection (2) and paragraph (b) of
28 subsection (4) of section 1009.50, Florida Statutes, are
29 amended to read:
30 1009.50 Florida Public Student Assistance Grant
31 Program; eligibility for grants.--
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 918
589-2247-07
1 (2)(a)1. State student assistance grants through the
2 program may be made only to:
3 a. Degree-seeking students who enroll in at least 6
4 semester hours, or the equivalent per term, and who meet the
5 general requirements for student eligibility as provided in s.
6 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this section.
7 b. Students enrolled in a public postsecondary career
8 certificate program of 450 or more clock hours who meet the
9 general requirements for student eligibility as provided in s.
10 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this section.
11 2. The grants shall be awarded annually for the amount
12 of demonstrated unmet need for the cost of education and may
13 not exceed an amount equal to the average prior academic year
14 cost of tuition fees and other registration fees for 30 credit
15 hours at state universities or such other amount as specified
16 in the General Appropriations Act, to any recipient. A
17 demonstrated unmet need of less than $200 renders shall render
18 the applicant ineligible for a state student assistance grant.
19 Recipients of the grants must have been accepted at a state
20 university or community college authorized by Florida law or a
21 career center operated by a district school board under s.
22 1001.44. A student is eligible for the award for 110 percent
23 of the number of credit hours required to complete the program
24 in which enrolled, except as otherwise provided in s.
25 1009.40(3).
26 (b) Except as provided in paragraph (c), a student
27 applying for a Florida public student assistance grant is
28 shall be required to apply for the Pell Grant. The Pell Grant
29 entitlement shall be considered when conducting an assessment
30 of the financial resources available to each student.
31
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 918
589-2247-07
1 (c) A student under sub-subparagraph (a)1.b. applying
2 for a Florida public student assistance grant is required to
3 apply for the Pell Grant. A Pell Grant entitlement shall be
4 considered when conducting an assessment of the financial
5 resources available to the student; however, a Pell Grant
6 entitlement is not required as a condition of receiving a
7 grant under this section.
8 (d)(c) Priority in the distribution of grant moneys
9 shall be given to students with the lowest total family
10 resources, in accordance with a nationally recognized system
11 of need analysis. Using the system of need analysis, the
12 department shall establish a maximum expected family
13 contribution. An institution may not make a grant from this
14 program to a student whose expected family contribution
15 exceeds the level established by the department. An
16 institution may not impose additional criteria to determine a
17 student's eligibility to receive a grant award.
18 (e)(d) Each participating institution shall report, to
19 the department by the established date, the eligible students
20 to whom grant moneys are disbursed each academic term. Each
21 institution shall also report to the department necessary
22 demographic and eligibility data for such students.
23 (4)
24 (b) Payment of Florida public student assistance
25 grants shall be transmitted to the president of the state
26 university or community college or to the district school
27 superintendent, or to the designee thereof his or her
28 representative, in advance of the registration period.
29 Institutions shall notify students of the amount of their
30 awards.
31
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 918
589-2247-07
1 Section 2. Section 1009.77, Florida Statutes, is
2 amended to read:
3 1009.77 Florida Work Experience Program.--
4 (1) There is established the Florida Work Experience
5 Program to be administered by the Department of Education. The
6 purpose of the program is to introduce eligible students to
7 work experience that will complement and reinforce their
8 educational program and career goals and provide a self-help
9 student aid program. The Such program shall be available to:
10 (a) Any student attending a state university or
11 community college authorized by Florida law; or
12 (b) Any student attending a nonprofit Florida
13 postsecondary education institution that is eligible to
14 participate in either of the student assistance grant programs
15 established in ss. 1009.51 and 1009.52;.
16 (c) Any postsecondary student attending a career
17 center operated by a district school board under s. 1001.44;
18 or
19 (d) Any student attending an educator preparation
20 institute established under s. 1004.85. The student may
21 participate in this program despite having previously earned a
22 baccalaureate degree.
23 (2)(a) A participating institution may use up to 25
24 percent of its program allocation for student employment
25 within the institution.
26 (b) A participating institution may use up to 10
27 percent of its program allocation for program administration.
28 (3) Each participating institution is authorized to
29 enter into contractual agreements with private or public
30 employers for the purpose of establishing a Florida work
31 experience program.
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 918
589-2247-07
1 (4) The participating postsecondary educational
2 institution shall be responsible for reimbursing employers for
3 student wages from moneys it receives from the trust fund
4 under pursuant to subsection (9) (8). Public elementary or
5 secondary school employers shall be reimbursed for 100 percent
6 of the student's wages by the participating institution. All
7 other employers shall be reimbursed for up to 70 percent of
8 the student's wages. When a college or university employs a
9 student on campus through this program, other student
10 financial aid funds may not be used to fund the institution's
11 30-percent portion of the student's wages.
12 (5) The employer is responsible for furnishing the
13 full cost of any mandatory benefits. Such benefits may not be
14 considered part of the 30-percent wage requirement total for
15 matching purposes.
16 (6) Each participating postsecondary educational
17 institution is responsible for furnishing the full cost of all
18 preemployment requirements, including, but not limited to,
19 background screenings and tuberculosis testing, which are
20 necessary for a student to be employed by a public elementary
21 or secondary school employer. Expenditures under this
22 subsection shall be paid from the funds received by the
23 participating postsecondary educational institution from the
24 trust fund under subsection (9).
25 (7)(6) A student is eligible to participate in the
26 Florida Work Experience Program if the student:
27 (a) Is enrolled:
28 1. At an eligible college or university as no less
29 than a half-time undergraduate student in good standing;.
30 2. In an eligible postsecondary career education
31 program as no less than a half-time student in good standing.
5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 918
589-2247-07
1 Eligible programs must be approved by the Department of
2 Education and must consist of no less than 450 clock hours of
3 instruction. Such programs must be offered by a career center
4 operated by a district school board under s. 1001.44 or a
5 community college; or
6 3. At an educator preparation institute established
7 under s. 1004.85 as no less than a half-time student in good
8 standing.
9
10 However, a student may be employed during the break between
11 two consecutive terms or employed, although not enrolled,
12 during a term if the student was enrolled at least half time
13 during the preceding term and preregisters as no less than a
14 half-time student for the subsequent academic term. A student
15 who attends an institution that does not provide
16 preregistration shall provide documentation of intent to
17 enroll as no less than a half-time student for the subsequent
18 academic term.
19 (b) Meets the general requirements for student
20 eligibility as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise
21 provided in this section.
22 (c) Demonstrates financial need.
23 (d) Maintains a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on
24 a 4.0 scale for all postsecondary college work.
25 (8)(7) The State Board of Education shall adopt
26 prescribe such rules for the program as are necessary for its
27 administration, for the determination of eligibility and
28 selection of institutions to receive funds for students, to
29 ensure the proper expenditure of funds, and to provide an
30 equitable distribution of funds between students at public and
31 independent colleges and universities.
6
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 918
589-2247-07
1 (9)(8) Funds appropriated by the Legislature for the
2 Florida Work Experience Program must shall be deposited in the
3 State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund. The Chief
4 Financial Officer shall authorize expenditures from the trust
5 fund upon receipt of vouchers approved by the Department of
6 Education. Any balance remaining therein at the end of any
7 fiscal year that has been allocated to the program shall
8 remain therein and shall be available for carrying out the
9 purposes of the program.
10 Section 3. For the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the sum of
11 $500,000 in recurring funds is appropriated from the General
12 Revenue Fund to the Florida Work Experience Program to fund
13 participation by postsecondary career education students
14 enrolled at a community college or career center operated by a
15 district school board under s. 1001.44, Florida Statutes, and
16 by students enrolled in an educator preparation institute
17 under s. 1004.85, Florida Statutes.
18 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
7
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 918
589-2247-07
1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Bill 918
3
4 The Committee Substitute:
5 Amends the eligibility criteria for the Florida Public Student
Assistance Grant Program to include students enrolled in a
6 public postsecondary career certificate program of 450 or more
clock hours at a community college or a career center operated
7 by a district school board;
8 Requires students participating in the public postsecondary
career certificate program who apply for the Florida Public
9 Student Assistance Grant Program to apply for a Pell grant;
and
10
Requires each participating postsecondary educational
11 institution in the Florida Work Experience Program to furnish
the full cost of all pre-employment requirements such as
12 background screening and tuberculosis testing and specifies
that the funds for these services will come from the State
13 Student Financial Aid Trust Fund.
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
8
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.