Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1484
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       23-01451A-21                                          20211484__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Private Student
    3         Assistance Grant Program; amending s. 1009.51, F.S.;
    4         expanding eligibility for the program to full-time
    5         degree-seeking students accepted at a competency-based
    6         nonprofit virtual postsecondary institution that meets
    7         specified criteria; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
   12  1009.51, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         1009.51 Florida Private Student Assistance Grant Program;
   14  eligibility for grants.—
   15         (2)(a) Florida private student assistance grants may be
   16  made only to full-time degree-seeking students who meet the
   17  general requirements for student eligibility as provided in s.
   18  1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this section. Such
   19  grants shall be awarded for the amount of demonstrated unmet
   20  need for tuition and fees and may not exceed the maximum annual
   21  award amount specified in the General Appropriations Act. A
   22  demonstrated unmet need of less than $200 shall render the
   23  applicant ineligible for a Florida private student assistance
   24  grant. Recipients of such grants must have been accepted at a
   25  baccalaureate-degree-granting independent nonprofit college or
   26  university, which is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of
   27  the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and which is
   28  located in and chartered as a domestic corporation by the state,
   29  or at a competency-based nonprofit virtual postsecondary
   30  institution that is accredited by a member of the Council of
   31  Regional Accrediting Commissions and is created by the governors
   32  of several states, has established and continually maintains a
   33  location of operation in this state, and maintains a governing
   34  body or advisory board in this state. If funds are available, a
   35  student who received an award in the fall or spring term may
   36  receive an award in the summer term. Priority in the
   37  distribution of summer awards shall be given to students who are
   38  within one semester of completing a degree or certificate
   39  program. No student may receive an award for more than the
   40  equivalent of 9 semesters or 14 quarters of full-time
   41  enrollment, except as otherwise provided in s. 1009.40(3).
   42         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.