| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to state university student fees; amending |
| 3 | s. 1009.24, F.S.; modifying the criteria for establishing |
| 4 | a uniform maximum undergraduate tuition differential; |
| 5 | providing an effective date. |
| 6 |
|
| 7 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 8 |
|
| 9 | Section 1. Subsection (16) of section 1009.24, Florida |
| 10 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 11 | 1009.24 State university student fees.-- |
| 12 | (16) The Board of Governors may establish a uniform |
| 13 | maximum undergraduate tuition differential that does not exceed |
| 14 | 40 percent of tuition for all universities that meet the |
| 15 | criteria for Funding Level 1 under s. 1004.635(3), and may |
| 16 | establish a uniform maximum undergraduate tuition differential |
| 17 | that does not exceed 30 percent of tuition for all universities |
| 18 | that have research expenditures from externally awarded |
| 19 | contracts and grants of at least $100 million per year meet the |
| 20 | criteria for Funding Level 2 under s. 1004.635(3). However, the |
| 21 | board shall ensure that the maximum tuition differential it |
| 22 | establishes for universities meeting the Funding Level 1 |
| 23 | criteria is at least 30 percent greater than the maximum tuition |
| 24 | differential the board establishes for universities that meet |
| 25 | the required Funding Level 2 criteria for research contracts. |
| 26 | The tuition differential is subject to the following conditions: |
| 27 | (a) The sum of tuition and the tuition differential may |
| 28 | not be increased by more than 15 percent of the total charged |
| 29 | for these fees in the preceding fiscal year. |
| 30 | (b) The tuition differential may not be calculated as a |
| 31 | part of the scholarship programs established in ss. 1009.53- |
| 32 | 1009.537. |
| 33 | (c) Beneficiaries having prepaid tuition contracts |
| 34 | pursuant to s. 1009.98(2)(b) which were in effect on July 1, |
| 35 | 2007, and which remain in effect, are exempt from the payment of |
| 36 | the tuition differential. |
| 37 | (d) The tuition differential may not be charged to any |
| 38 | student who was in attendance at the university before July 1, |
| 39 | 2007, and who maintains continuous enrollment. |
| 40 | (e) The tuition differential may be waived by the |
| 41 | university for students who meet the eligibility requirements |
| 42 | for the Florida public student assistance grant established in |
| 43 | s. 1009.50. |
| 44 | (f) A university board of trustees that has been |
| 45 | authorized by the Board of Governors to establish a tuition |
| 46 | differential pursuant to this subsection may establish the |
| 47 | tuition differential at a rate lower than the maximum tuition |
| 48 | differential established by the board, but may not exceed the |
| 49 | maximum tuition differential established by the board. |
| 50 | (g) The revenue generated from the tuition differential |
| 51 | must be spent solely for improving the quality of direct |
| 52 | undergraduate instruction and support services. |
| 53 | (h) Information relating to the annual receipt and |
| 54 | expenditure of the proceeds from the assessment of the tuition |
| 55 | differential shall be reported by the university in accordance |
| 56 | with guidelines established by the Board of Governors. |
| 57 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |