1

A bill to be entitled

2

An act relating to postsecondary education; amending s.

3

1009.24, F.S.; modifying the criteria for establishing a

4

uniform maximum undergraduate tuition differential;

5

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

6

requiring that freshmen entering a secondary institution

7

after a specified date who exceed 150 percent of the

8

number of credit hours required to receive a degree must

9

pay an increase of 50 percent per credit hour above the

10

normal in-state tuition rate; requiring that the

11

institution provide counseling and advisement to a student

12

under certain circumstances; requiring the Department of

13

Education to develop a performance-based methodology for

14

community colleges to help students meet their academic

15

goals; providing that a student may be granted an

16

exemption from the increased tuition rate; providing an

17

effective date.

18

19

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

20

21

     Section 1.  Subsection (16) of section 1009.24, Florida

22

Statutes, is amended to read:

23

     1009.24  State university student fees.--

24

     (16)  The Board of Governors may establish a uniform maximum

25

undergraduate tuition differential that does not exceed 40

26

percent of tuition for all universities that meet the criteria

27

for Funding Level 1 under s. 1004.635(3), and may establish a

28

uniform maximum undergraduate tuition differential that does not

29

exceed 30 percent of tuition for all universities that have

30

research awards or expenditures from externally awarded contracts

31

and grants of at least $100 million per year, as reported by the

32

National Science Foundation Survey of Research and Development

33

Expenditures at Universities and Colleges meet the criteria for

34

Funding Level 2 under s. 1004.635(3). However, the board shall

35

ensure that the maximum tuition differential it establishes for

36

universities meeting the Funding Level 1 criteria is at least 30

37

percent greater than the maximum tuition differential the board

38

establishes for universities that meet the required Funding Level

39

2 criteria for research contracts. The tuition differential is

40

subject to the following conditions:

41

     (a)  The sum of tuition and the tuition differential may not

42

be increased by more than 15 percent of the total charged for

43

these fees in the preceding fiscal year.

44

     (b)  The tuition differential may not be calculated as a

45

part of the scholarship programs established in ss. 1009.53-

46

1009.537.

47

     (c)  Beneficiaries having prepaid tuition contracts pursuant

48

to s. 1009.98(2)(b) which were in effect on July 1, 2007, and

49

which remain in effect, are exempt from the payment of the

50

tuition differential.

51

     (d)  The tuition differential may not be charged to any

52

student who was in attendance at the university before July 1,

53

2007, and who maintains continuous enrollment.

54

     (e)  The tuition differential may be waived by the

55

university for students who meet the eligibility requirements for

56

the Florida public student assistance grant established in s.

57

1009.50.

58

     (f)  A university board of trustees that has been authorized

59

by the Board of Governors to establish a tuition differential

60

pursuant to this subsection may establish the tuition

61

differential at a rate lower than the maximum tuition

62

differential established by the board, but may not exceed the

63

maximum tuition differential established by the board.

64

     (g)  The revenue generated from the tuition differential

65

must be spent solely for improving the quality of direct

66

undergraduate instruction and support services.

67

     (h)  Information relating to the annual receipt and

68

expenditure of the proceeds from the assessment of the tuition

69

differential shall be reported by the university in accordance

70

with guidelines established by the Board of Governors.

71

     Section 2.  Section 1009.286, Florida Statutes, is created

72

to read:

73

     1009.286 Additional payment for credit hours exceeding

74

graduation requirements.--

75

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

76

undergraduate student in postsecondary education to complete the

77

student's respective degree program in the most efficient way

78

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

79

additional college coursework. The Legislature therefore intends

80

to enact a policy that provides incentives for efficient degree

81

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

82

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

83

percent of the number of credit hours required to complete the

84

degree program in which he or she is enrolled.

85

     (2) This section applies to each freshman entering

86

postsecondary education as a first-time college student in the

87

2008 fall semester and to all first-time college freshmen

88

thereafter.

89

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

90

college student" means a student attending a state postsecondary

91

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

92

degree or formal award from any other postsecondary institution

93

and who is enrolled in college-level courses pursuing completion

94

of a degree.

95

     (4) Each community college district board of trustees may

96

enact policies requiring counseling and advising for any student

97

subject to this section prior to completion of 24 earned credit

98

hours to ensure that the student is making efficient and

99

appropriate progress toward a degree.

100

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

101

credits in excess of 120 percent of the required credit hours

102

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

103

advisor in order to prepare an educational plan outlining

104

efficient completion of his or her degree prior to registering

105

for further classes.

106

     (6) The Department of Education shall develop a

107

performance-based budgeting methodology to encourage community

108

colleges to support students in progressing quickly toward their

109

academic goal. Specifically, the methodology should measure and

110

reward the following policy goals:

111

     (a) Increase the percentage of students graduating with

112

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

113

degree;

114

     (b) Decrease the number of unqualified withdrawals; and

115

(c) Decrease the number of students persisting towards

116

their academic goal with more than 120 percent of the credit

117

hours required for a degree.

118

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

119

excess of 150 percent of the credit hours required for completion

120

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

121

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

122

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

123

has been granted by the postsecondary institution based upon

124

documented extenuating circumstances.

125

     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.