| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship |
| 3 | Program; amending ss. 1009.534, 1009.535, and 1009.536, |
| 4 | F.S.; revising the amounts of the awards available to a |
| 5 | student qualifying as a Florida Academic Scholar, a |
| 6 | Florida Medallion Scholar, or a Florida Gold Seal |
| 7 | Vocational Scholar; increasing the amounts available to a |
| 8 | qualifying student who pursues a major in the field of |
| 9 | science, technology, engineering, mathematics, education, |
| 10 | or nursing or another health profession; decreasing the |
| 11 | amounts available to a qualifying student who pursues a |
| 12 | major in another field; providing an effective date. |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Section 1. Subsections (2) and (4) of section 1009.534, |
| 17 | Florida Statutes, as amended by chapter 2007-330, Laws of |
| 18 | Florida, are amended to read: |
| 19 | 1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.-- |
| 20 | (2) Effective January 1, 2008, a Florida Academic Scholar |
| 21 | who is enrolled in a public postsecondary education institution |
| 22 | is eligible for an award equal to the amount required to pay 80 |
| 23 | percent of tuition and, fees, and $475 an additional amount for |
| 24 | college-related expenses annually, or, if the student is |
| 25 | pursuing a major in the field of science, technology, |
| 26 | engineering, mathematics, education, or nursing or another |
| 27 | health profession, he or she is eligible for an award equal to |
| 28 | the amount required to pay 110 percent of tuition and fees and |
| 29 | $660 for college-related expenses annually as specified in law |
| 30 | or the General Appropriations Act. A student who is enrolled in |
| 31 | a nonpublic postsecondary education institution is eligible for |
| 32 | an award equal to the amount that would be required to pay 80 |
| 33 | percent of for the average tuition and fees of a public |
| 34 | postsecondary education institution at the comparable level, |
| 35 | plus $475 for college-related expenses annually, or, if the |
| 36 | student is pursuing a major in the field of science, technology, |
| 37 | engineering, mathematics, education, or nursing or another |
| 38 | health profession, he or she is eligible for an award equal to |
| 39 | the amount required to pay 110 percent of the average tuition |
| 40 | and fees of a public postsecondary education institution at the |
| 41 | comparable level plus $660 for college-related expenses annually |
| 42 | the annual amount specified in law or the General Appropriations |
| 43 | Act for college-related expenses. |
| 44 | (4) In each school district, the Florida Academic Scholar |
| 45 | who has with the highest academic ranking shall receive an |
| 46 | additional award of $1,200 $1,500 for college-related expenses, |
| 47 | or, if the student is pursuing a major in the field of science, |
| 48 | technology, engineering, mathematics, education, or nursing or |
| 49 | another health profession, he or she shall receive an additional |
| 50 | award of $1,650 for college-related expenses. This award must be |
| 51 | funded from the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program. |
| 52 | Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 1009.535, Florida |
| 53 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 54 | 1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.-- |
| 55 | (2) A Florida Medallion Scholar is eligible for an award |
| 56 | equal to the amount required to pay 55 75 percent of tuition and |
| 57 | fees if the student is enrolled in a state university or a |
| 58 | baccalaureate degree program authorized pursuant to s. 1007.33, |
| 59 | or, if while so enrolled the student is pursuing a major in the |
| 60 | field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, |
| 61 | education, or nursing or another health profession, he or she is |
| 62 | eligible for an award equal to the amount required to pay 85 |
| 63 | percent of tuition and fees. A Florida Medallion Scholar is |
| 64 | eligible for an award equal to the amount required to pay 80 100 |
| 65 | percent of tuition and fees for college credit courses leading |
| 66 | to an associate degree if the student is enrolled in a community |
| 67 | college, or, if while so enrolled the student is pursuing a |
| 68 | major in the field of science, technology, engineering, |
| 69 | mathematics, education, or nursing or another health profession, |
| 70 | he or she is eligible for an award equal to the amount required |
| 71 | to pay 110 percent of tuition and fees for college credit |
| 72 | courses leading to an associate degree. A student who is |
| 73 | enrolled in a nonpublic postsecondary education institution is |
| 74 | eligible for an award equal to the amount that would be required |
| 75 | to pay 55 75 percent of the tuition and fees of a public |
| 76 | postsecondary education institution at the comparable level, or, |
| 77 | if the student is pursuing a major in the field of science, |
| 78 | technology, engineering, mathematics, education, or nursing or |
| 79 | another health profession, he or she is eligible for an award |
| 80 | equal to the amount that would be required to pay 85 percent of |
| 81 | the tuition and fees of a public postsecondary education |
| 82 | institution at the comparable level. |
| 83 | Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 1009.536, Florida |
| 84 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 85 | 1009.536 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award.--The |
| 86 | Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is created within |
| 87 | the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to recognize and |
| 88 | reward academic achievement and career preparation by high |
| 89 | school students who wish to continue their education. |
| 90 | (2) A Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholar is eligible for |
| 91 | an award equal to the amount required to pay 55 75 percent of |
| 92 | tuition and fees, if the student is enrolled in a public |
| 93 | postsecondary education institution, or, if while so enrolled |
| 94 | the student is pursuing a major in the field of science, |
| 95 | technology, engineering, mathematics, education, or nursing or |
| 96 | another health profession, he or she is eligible for an award |
| 97 | equal to the amount required to pay 85 percent of tuition and |
| 98 | fees. A student who is enrolled in a nonpublic postsecondary |
| 99 | education institution is eligible for an award equal to the |
| 100 | amount that would be required to pay 55 75 percent of the |
| 101 | tuition and mandatory fees of a public postsecondary education |
| 102 | institution at the comparable level, or, if the student is |
| 103 | pursuing a major in the field of science, technology, |
| 104 | engineering, mathematics, education, or nursing or another |
| 105 | health profession, he or she is eligible for an award equal to |
| 106 | the amount that would be required to pay 85 percent of the |
| 107 | tuition and mandatory fees of a public postsecondary education |
| 108 | institution at the comparable level. |
| 109 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |