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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to postsecondary tuition rates; creating

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s. 1009.286, F.S.; providing legislative intent; requiring

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that freshmen entering a secondary institution after a

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specified date who exceed 150 percent of the number of

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credit hours required to receive a degree must pay an

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increase of 50 percent per credit hour above the normal

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in-state tuition rate; requiring that the institution

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provide counseling and advisement to a student under

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certain circumstances; requiring the Department of

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Education to develop a performance-based methodology for

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community colleges to help students meet their academic

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goals; providing that a student may be granted an

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exemption from the increased tuition rate; providing an

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effective date.

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

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     Section 1.  Section 1009.286, Florida Statutes, is created

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to read:

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     1009.286 Additional payment for credit hours exceeding

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graduation requirements.--

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     (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage each

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undergraduate student in postsecondary education to complete the

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student's respective degree program in the most efficient way

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possible while, at the same time, providing for access to

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additional college coursework. The Legislature therefore intends

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to enact a policy that provides incentives for efficient degree

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completion and requires a student to pay 50 percent more than the

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in-state tuition rate for each credit hour in excess of 150

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percent of the number of credit hours required to complete the

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degree program in which he or she is enrolled.

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     (2) This section applies to each freshman entering

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postsecondary education as a first-time college student in the

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2008 fall semester and to all first-time college freshmen

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thereafter.

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     (3) For purposes of this section, the term "first-time

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college student" means a student attending a state postsecondary

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institution for the first time who has no prior credit toward a

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degree or formal award from any other postsecondary institution

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and who is enrolled in college-level courses pursuing completion

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of a degree.

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     (4) Each community college district board of trustees may

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enact policies requiring counseling and advising for any student

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subject to this section prior to completion of 24 earned credit

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hours to ensure that the student is making efficient and

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appropriate progress toward a degree.

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     (5) Any student subject to this section who has earned

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credits in excess of 120 percent of the required credit hours

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toward completion of his or her degree program shall meet with an

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advisor in order to prepare an educational plan outlining

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efficient completion of his or her degree prior to registering

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for further classes.

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     (6) The Department of Education shall develop a

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performance-based budgeting methodology to encourage community

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colleges to support students in progressing quickly toward their

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academic goal. Specifically, the methodology should measure and

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reward the following policy goals:

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     (a) Increase the percentage of students graduating with

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fewer than 120 percent of the credit hours needed to complete a

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degree;

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     (b) Decrease the number of unqualified withdrawals; and

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(c) Decrease the number of students persisting towards

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their academic goal with more than 120 percent of the credit

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hours required for a degree.

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     (7) Any student subject to this section who has earned in

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excess of 150 percent of the credit hours required for completion

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of his or her degree shall pay an increase of 50 percent per

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credit hour above the normal in-state tuition rate. A student may

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be granted an exemption from the additional fee only if an appeal

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has been granted by the postsecondary institution based upon

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documented extenuating circumstances.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.