HR 9073

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution acknowledging the 30th anniversary of the
3	Florida Resident Access Grant.
4
5	WHEREAS, the 28 independent, nonprofit educational
6	institutions that comprise the Independent Colleges and
7	Universities of Florida (ICUF) have long provided educational,
8	cultural, scholarly, and scientific enrichment for Florida, and
9	WHEREAS, independent colleges and universities are an
10	integral component of the state's higher education system and
11	tens of thousands of residents annually choose this form of
12	education, and
13	WHEREAS, 30 years ago the Legislature created a tuition
14	equalization grant, renamed the Florida Resident Access Grant
15	(FRAG) in 1994, for Florida residents attending independent
16	institutions, and
17	WHEREAS, the FRAG has enabled hundreds of thousands of
18	Floridians to earn college degrees, with almost one-half of the
19	recipients of the FRAG being the first in their families to
20	attend college and more than one-third being from families with
21	incomes under $60,000 annually, and
22	WHEREAS, more than one-half of the current recipients of
23	the FRAG are pursuing degrees in nursing and allied health
24	fields, teacher education, engineering, computer science, and
25	biomedical professions, all critical needs for the Florida
26	workforce, and
27	WHEREAS, with an enrollment of over 50 percent minority
28	students in 7 of the 28 institutions and an enrollment of 43
29	percent minority students systemwide, ICUF institutions are
30	expanding opportunity for generations of Florida residents, and
31	WHEREAS, a stable and significant FRAG is a primary
32	catalyst for the creation of additional student capacity in
33	independent colleges and universities, a critical component for
34	expanding opportunity for Florida residents, and
35	WHEREAS, it is in the public interest for Florida residents
36	to receive degrees at ICUF institutions, which produce one-third
37	of all baccalaureate and higher degrees awarded in the state,
38	thereby adding to the economic vitality of Florida, and
39	WHEREAS, a strong and viable independent educational system
40	reduces the tax burden on the citizens of the state and is vital
41	to the economic well-being of the state, and
42	WHEREAS, the FRAG has demonstrated a high-yield return on
43	the investment of state revenue, NOW, THEREFORE,
44
45	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
46	Florida:
47
48	That the House of Representatives recognizes the 30th
49	anniversary of the Florida Resident Access Grant and
50	wholeheartedly commends and supports the Independent Colleges
51	and Universities of Florida and its institutions for their
52	significant contributions to the State of Florida and its
53	citizens and economy.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.