Florida Senate - 2018 SB 1752
By Senator Torres
15-01647-18 20181752__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
3 Scholarship Program; providing a short title; amending
4 s. 1009.53, F.S.; removing a condition under which a
5 student is authorized to use a Florida Bright Futures
6 Scholarship Program award for summer term enrollment
7 if funds are available; requiring that the Legislature
8 appropriate additional funds necessary for use of an
9 award for summer term enrollment as provided in the
10 General Appropriations Act; amending s. 1009.531,
11 F.S.; revising the initial eligibility criteria
12 relating to test scores and corresponding percentile
13 ranks for certain Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
14 Program awards; amending ss. 1009.534 and 1009.535,
15 F.S.; specifying the amounts of the Florida Academic
16 Scholars and Florida Medallion Scholars awards
17 eligible to cover tuition, fees, textbooks, and other
18 college-related expenses; amending ss. 1009.22,
19 1009.23, and 1009.24, F.S.; conforming provisions to
20 changes made by the act; providing an effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Restore Our Bright
25 Futures Act.”
26 Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 1009.22, Florida
27 Statutes, is amended to read:
28 1009.22 Workforce education postsecondary student fees.—
29 (7) Each district school board and Florida College System
30 institution board of trustees is authorized to establish a
31 separate fee for technology, not to exceed 5 percent of tuition
32 per credit hour or credit-hour equivalent for resident students
33 and not to exceed 5 percent of tuition and the out-of-state fee
34 per credit hour or credit-hour equivalent for nonresident
35 students. Revenues generated from the technology fee shall be
36 used to enhance instructional technology resources for students
37 and faculty and may shall not be included in an any award under
38 the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, except as
39 authorized for the Florida Academic Scholars award or the
40 Florida Medallion Scholars award under ss. 1009.534 and
41 1009.535, respectively. Fifty percent of technology fee revenues
42 may be pledged by a Florida College System institution board of
43 trustees as a dedicated revenue source for the repayment of
44 debt, including lease-purchase agreements, not to exceed the
45 useful life of the asset being financed. Revenues generated from
46 the technology fee may not be bonded.
47 Section 3. Subsection (10) of section 1009.23, Florida
48 Statutes, is amended to read:
49 1009.23 Florida College System institution student fees.—
50 (10) Each Florida College System institution board of
51 trustees is authorized to establish a separate fee for
52 technology, which may not exceed 5 percent of tuition per credit
53 hour or credit-hour equivalent for resident students and may not
54 exceed 5 percent of tuition and the out-of-state fee per credit
55 hour or credit-hour equivalent for nonresident students.
56 Revenues generated from the technology fee shall be used to
57 enhance instructional technology resources for students and
58 faculty. The technology fee may apply to both college credit and
59 developmental education and may shall not be included in an any
60 award under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program,
61 except as authorized for the Florida Academic Scholars award or
62 the Florida Medallion Scholars award under ss. 1009.534 and
63 1009.535, respectively. Fifty percent of technology fee revenues
64 may be pledged by a Florida College System institution board of
65 trustees as a dedicated revenue source for the repayment of
66 debt, including lease-purchase agreements, not to exceed the
67 useful life of the asset being financed. Revenues generated from
68 the technology fee may not be bonded.
69 Section 4. Subsection (13) and paragraph (b) of subsection
70 (16) of section 1009.24, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
71 1009.24 State university student fees.—
72 (13) Each university board of trustees may establish a
73 technology fee of up to 5 percent of the tuition per credit
74 hour. The revenue from this fee shall be used to enhance
75 instructional technology resources for students and faculty. The
76 technology fee may not be included in an any award under the
77 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program established pursuant
78 to ss. 1009.53-1009.538, except as authorized for the Florida
79 Academic Scholars award or the Florida Medallion Scholars award
80 under ss. 1009.534 and 1009.535, respectively.
81 (16) Each university board of trustees may establish a
82 tuition differential for undergraduate courses upon receipt of
83 approval from the Board of Governors. However, beginning July 1,
84 2014, the Board of Governors may only approve the establishment
85 of or an increase in tuition differential for a state research
86 university designated as a preeminent state research university
87 pursuant to s. 1001.7065(3). The tuition differential shall
88 promote improvements in the quality of undergraduate education
89 and shall provide financial aid to undergraduate students who
90 exhibit financial need.
91 (b) Each tuition differential is subject to the following
92 conditions:
93 1. The tuition differential may be assessed on one or more
94 undergraduate courses or on all undergraduate courses at a state
95 university.
96 2. The tuition differential may vary by course or courses,
97 by campus or center location, and by institution. Each
98 university board of trustees shall strive to maintain and
99 increase enrollment in degree programs related to math, science,
100 high technology, and other state or regional high-need fields
101 when establishing tuition differentials by course.
102 3. For each state university that is designated as a
103 preeminent state research university by the Board of Governors,
104 pursuant to s. 1001.7065, the aggregate sum of tuition and the
105 tuition differential may be increased by no more than 6 percent
106 of the total charged for the aggregate sum of these fees in the
107 preceding fiscal year. The tuition differential may be increased
108 if the university meets or exceeds performance standard targets
109 for that university established annually by the Board of
110 Governors for the following performance standards, amounting to
111 no more than a 2-percent increase in the tuition differential
112 for each performance standard:
113 a. An increase in the 6-year graduation rate for full-time,
114 first-time-in-college students, as reported annually to the
115 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
116 b. An increase in the total annual research expenditures.
117 c. An increase in the total patents awarded by the United
118 States Patent and Trademark Office for the most recent years.
119 4. The aggregate sum of undergraduate tuition and fees per
120 credit hour, including the tuition differential, may not exceed
121 the national average of undergraduate tuition and fees at 4-year
122 degree-granting public postsecondary educational institutions.
123 5. The tuition differential shall not be included in an any
124 award under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
125 established pursuant to ss. 1009.53-1009.538, except as
126 authorized for the Florida Academic Scholars award or the
127 Florida Medallion Scholars award under ss. 1009.534 and
128 1009.535, respectively.
129 6. Beneficiaries having prepaid tuition contracts pursuant
130 to s. 1009.98(2)(b) which were in effect on July 1, 2007, and
131 which remain in effect, are exempt from the payment of the
132 tuition differential.
133 7. The tuition differential may not be charged to any
134 student who was in attendance at the university before July 1,
135 2007, and who maintains continuous enrollment.
136 8. The tuition differential may be waived by the university
137 for students who meet the eligibility requirements for the
138 Florida public student assistance grant established in s.
139 1009.50.
140 9. Subject to approval by the Board of Governors, the
141 tuition differential authorized pursuant to this subsection may
142 take effect with the 2009 fall term.
143 Section 5. Subsection (9) of section 1009.53, Florida
144 Statutes, is amended to read:
145 1009.53 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.—
146 (9) A student may use an award for summer term enrollment.
147 The Legislature shall appropriate additional funds necessary for
148 use of an award for summer term enrollment as provided in the
149 General Appropriations Act if funds are available.
150 Section 6. Subsection (6) of section 1009.531, Florida
151 Statutes, is amended to read:
152 1009.531 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
153 student eligibility requirements for initial awards.—
154 (6)(a) The State Board of Education shall publicize the
155 examination score required for a student to be eligible for a
156 Florida Academic Scholars award, pursuant to s. 1009.534(1)(a)
157 or (b), as follows:.
158 1. For high school students graduating in the 2018-2019
159 academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1280 1290
160 which corresponds to the 89th SAT percentile rank or a
161 concordant ACT score of 27 29.
162 2. For high school students graduating in the 2019-2020
163 academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1275 which
164 corresponds to the 89th SAT percentile rank or a concordant ACT
165 score of 27.
166 3. For high school students graduating in the 2020-2021
167 academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1270 which
168 corresponds to the 88th percentile rank or a concordant ACT
169 score of 26.
170 (b) The State Board of Education shall publicize the
171 examination score required for a student to be eligible for a
172 Florida Medallion Scholars award, pursuant to s. 1009.535(1)(a)
173 or (b), as follows:.
174 1. For high school students graduating in the 2018-2019
175 academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1100 1170
176 which corresponds to the 67th 75th SAT percentile rank or a
177 concordant ACT score of 22 26.
178 2. For high school students graduating in the 2019-2020
179 academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1020 which
180 corresponds to the 52nd SAT percentile rank or a concordant ACT
181 score of 20.
182 3. For high school students graduating in the 2020-2021
183 academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 970 which
184 corresponds to the 42nd SAT percentile rank or a concordant ACT
185 score of 18.
186 (c) The SAT percentile ranks and corresponding SAT scores
187 specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) are based on the SAT
188 percentile ranks for 2016 2010 college-bound seniors in critical
189 reading and mathematics as reported by the College Board. The
190 next highest SAT score is used when the percentile ranks do not
191 directly correspond.
192 Section 7. Subsection (2) of section 1009.534, Florida
193 Statutes, is amended to read:
194 1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
195 (2) A Florida Academic Scholar who is enrolled in a
196 certificate, diploma, associate, or baccalaureate degree program
197 at a public or nonpublic postsecondary education institution is
198 eligible, beginning in the fall 2018 academic semester, for an
199 award equal to the amount required to pay 100 percent of tuition
200 and fees established under ss. 1009.22(3), (5), (6), and (7);
201 1009.23(3), (4), (7), (8), (10), and (11); and 1009.24(4), (7)
202 (13), (14)(r), and (16), as applicable, and is eligible for an
203 additional $300 each fall and spring academic semester or the
204 equivalent for textbooks and college-related specified in the
205 General Appropriations Act to assist with the payment of
206 educational expenses.
207 Section 8. Subsection (2) of section 1009.535, Florida
208 Statutes, is amended to read:
209 1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
210 (2) A Florida Medallion Scholar who is enrolled in a
211 certificate, diploma, associate, or baccalaureate degree program
212 at a public or nonpublic postsecondary education institution is
213 eligible, beginning in the fall 2018 academic semester, for an
214 award equal to the amount required to pay 75 percent of tuition
215 and fees established under ss. 1009.22(3), (5), (6), and (7);
216 1009.23(3), (4), (7), (8), (10), and (11); and 1009.24(4), (7)
217 (13), (14)(r), and (16), as applicable, and is eligible for an
218 additional $200 each fall and spring academic semester or the
219 equivalent for textbooks and college-related specified in the
220 General Appropriations Act to assist with the payment of
221 educational expenses.
222 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.