Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 688
       
       
        
       By Senator Montford
       
       3-00712B-17                                            2017688__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Teacher Scholarship Program;
    3         creating s. 1009.897, F.S.; establishing the Teacher
    4         Scholarship Program within the Department of
    5         Education; providing a purpose of the scholarship
    6         program; specifying student eligibility requirements
    7         for undergraduate and graduate scholarships under the
    8         program; requiring each postsecondary institution to
    9         annually certify to the department by a specified date
   10         the names of students who are eligible for the
   11         program; requiring each postsecondary institution to
   12         notify the department throughout the academic year of
   13         whose scholarship should be rescinded due to
   14         disenrollment from an eligible teacher program;
   15         providing for disbursement of the scholarship awards;
   16         providing for stipends; specifying funding and the
   17         department’s authority to prorate awards under a
   18         certain circumstance; providing for rulemaking;
   19         providing an effective date.
   20          
   21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   22  
   23         Section 1. Section 1009.897, Florida Statutes, is created
   24  to read:
   25         1009.897 The Teacher Scholarship Program.—
   26         (1) The Teacher Scholarship Program is established within
   27  the Department of Education to encourage students who exhibit
   28  academic excellence to pursue a career in education. The program
   29  shall provide scholarships to eligible students for upper
   30  division undergraduate and graduate study. The program shall
   31  also provide a one-time stipend to students who complete their
   32  program of study and their first year of employment as a
   33  classroom teacher at a public school in this state.
   34         (2) To be eligible for an undergraduate scholarship under
   35  this program, a student must meet all of the following
   36  requirements:
   37         (a) Be a full-time, upper-division undergraduate student in
   38  a teacher preparation program approved by the department
   39  pursuant to s. 1004.04.
   40         (b) The general student eligibility requirements for state
   41  financial aid as specified in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise
   42  provided in this section.
   43         (c) The following academic requirements:
   44         1. Earn an SAT score that corresponds to the 80th SAT
   45  percentile rank or a concordant ACT score; and
   46         2. Maintain a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point
   47  average of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.
   48         (3)To be eligible for a graduate scholarship under this
   49  program, a student must meet all of the following requirements:
   50         (a) The criteria specified in paragraphs (2)(b) and (c).
   51         (b) Hold a bachelor’s degree from any college or university
   52  accredited by a regional accrediting association as defined by
   53  State Board of Education rule.
   54         (c) Be a full-time graduate student in an eligible
   55  postsecondary graduate teacher education program leading to a
   56  master’s, specialist, or doctoral degree.
   57         (d) Not have already received a teaching certificate
   58  resulting from an undergraduate degree in education.
   59         (e) Not have received an undergraduate scholarship pursuant
   60  to this section.
   61         (4) Each postsecondary institution shall do all of the
   62  following:
   63         (a) Annually certify to the department by September 1 the
   64  names of students eligible for the program.
   65         (b) Throughout the academic year, notify the department of
   66  any scholarship recipient whose scholarship should be rescinded
   67  due to disenrollment from the teacher education program.
   68         (5)(a) An eligible undergraduate student may be awarded a
   69  scholarship of up to $5,000 per semester, not to exceed $10,000
   70  per year, for 2 undergraduate years or for a maximum of 3 years
   71  for programs that require a 5th year of instruction to obtain an
   72  initial teaching certification.
   73         (b) An eligible graduate student may be awarded a
   74  scholarship of up to $5,000 per semester, not to exceed $10,000
   75  per year, for up to 2 years.
   76         (6)(a) A scholarship recipient may receive a one-time
   77  stipend of $10,000 after:
   78         1. Completing the teacher education program required under
   79  this section and earning a bachelor’s or graduate degree, as
   80  applicable;
   81         2. Notifying the department, in a manner prescribed by
   82  department rule, that he or she has been employed by a school
   83  district in this state as a classroom teacher as defined in s.
   84  1012.01(2)(a); and
   85         3. Completing his or her first year of employment as a
   86  classroom teacher at a public school in this state.
   87         (b) No later than June 1 of each year, the department shall
   88  disburse the stipend to each school district for an eligible
   89  candidate whose employment is confirmed as of May 1. A candidate
   90  who is hired after the first quarter of the academic year is
   91  eligible for a prorated stipend as determined by the department.
   92  A candidate may not receive the stipend and an award under s.
   93  1012.731.
   94         (7) This section shall be implemented only to the extent
   95  specifically funded and authorized by law. The department may
   96  prorate the scholarships and stipends authorized by this section
   97  if the appropriation is insufficient to fully fund each eligible
   98  student.
   99         (8) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
  100  administer this program.
  101         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.