Florida Senate - 2019                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1308
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/11/2019           .                                
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       Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (Perry) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Between lines 145 and 146
    4  insert:
    5         Section 5. Section 1009.75, Florida Statutes, is created to
    6  read:
    7         1009.75 Last Mile Scholarship program.—
    8         (1) Beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year, the Last
    9  Mile Scholarship program is established within the Department of
   10  Education to annually award the cost of in-state tuition and
   11  required fees to students classified as residents pursuant to s.
   12  1009.21 who are in good standing at Florida College System
   13  institutions and state universities and who are within 12 or
   14  fewer credit hours of completing their first associate degree or
   15  baccalaureate degree. Any student who has earned college credit
   16  from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution within a
   17  period of 8 academic years before the year in which the student
   18  submits an application pursuant to subsection (2) is eligible to
   19  participate in the program.
   20         (2)(a) The Department of Education shall create a simple,
   21  web-based, application to allow any eligible student to identify
   22  his or her intent to enroll and complete his or her associate
   23  degree or baccalaureate degree within 3 academic terms at one or
   24  more Florida College System institutions or state universities
   25  or through an online competency-based program at a regionally
   26  accredited, not-for-profit university.
   27         (b) The department shall refer the student to the intended
   28  institution or university for continued processing of
   29  eligibility, feasibility of reverse transfer, award status, and
   30  enrollment. The participating Florida College System institution
   31  or state university must determine the eligibility of each
   32  referred student and must report that information to the
   33  department on behalf of the student in a format prescribed by
   34  the department.
   35         (c) Once an eligible student has successfully passed the
   36  course or courses for each term in which the student is enrolled
   37  during the program period, the department shall disburse the
   38  award funds to the participating institution or university. The
   39  award amount may not exceed the difference between the student’s
   40  full cost of attendance and his or her total financial aid,
   41  excluding loans.
   42         (3) Funding for the program specified under this section is
   43  contingent upon legislative appropriation.
   44         (4) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
   45  shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
   46  this section, including, but not limited to, application
   47  processes, priority degree fields for award recipients,
   48  reporting processes, and fees.
   49  
   50  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   51  And the title is amended as follows:
   52         Delete line 21
   53  and insert:
   54         requirements; creating s. 1009.75, F.S.; establishing
   55         a scholarship program within the Department of
   56         Education beginning with a specified academic year;
   57         providing the purpose of the program; providing
   58         student eligibility requirements relating to the
   59         program; requiring the department to create a web
   60         based application; providing program requirements;
   61         providing for disbursal of award funds; providing that
   62         funding for the program is contingent upon legislative
   63         appropriation; requiring the State Board of Education
   64         and the Board of Governors to adopt rules and
   65         regulations, respectively; providing an effective
   66         date.