Florida Senate - 2014                             CS for SB 1400
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education; and Senator Latvala
       
       
       
       
       
       581-02749-14                                          20141400c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to postsecondary student tuition;
    3         amending ss. 1009.22 and 1009.23, F.S.; revising the
    4         standard tuition and out-of-state fees for workforce
    5         education postsecondary programs leading to certain
    6         certificates and diplomas and certain other programs
    7         at Florida College System institutions; deleting a
    8         provision relating to an increase in tuition and out
    9         of-state fees at a rate equal to inflation; deleting a
   10         requirement that the Office of Economic and
   11         Demographic Research annually report the rate of
   12         inflation to the Governor, the Legislature, and the
   13         State Board of Education; deleting the definition of
   14         the term “rate of inflation”; amending s. 1009.24,
   15         F.S.; deleting a provision related to an increase of
   16         the resident undergraduate tuition at state
   17         universities at a rate equal to inflation; deleting
   18         the requirement of the Office of Economic and
   19         Demographic Research to annually report the rate of
   20         inflation to the Governor, the Legislature, and the
   21         Board of Governors; deleting the definition of the
   22         term “rate of inflation”; conforming provisions to
   23         changes made by the act; prohibiting a state
   24         university board of trustees from establishing or
   25         increasing the tuition differential for undergraduate
   26         courses; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; requiring a state
   27         university, a Florida College System institution, a
   28         career center operated by a school district, or a
   29         charter technical career center to waive undergraduate
   30         tuition for a recipient of a Purple Heart or another
   31         combat decoration superior in precedence under certain
   32         conditions; requiring a state university, a Florida
   33         College System institution, a career center operated
   34         by a school district, and a charter technical career
   35         center to waive out-of-state fees for certain students
   36         who attended a secondary school in this state;
   37         requiring a state university, a Florida College System
   38         institution, a career center operated by a school
   39         district, and a charter technical career center to
   40         report to the Board of Governors and the State Board
   41         of Education, respectively, the number and value of
   42         all fee waivers; requiring a state university, a
   43         Florida College System institution, a career center
   44         operated by a school district, and a charter technical
   45         career center to annually certify within its
   46         legislative budget request that the percentage of
   47         resident students enrolled systemwide is at least the
   48         same as the resident student enrollment systemwide in
   49         a specified academic year; providing that a student
   50         who is undocumented for federal immigration purposes
   51         is not eligible for state financial aid; amending s.
   52         1009.98, F.S.; redefining the term “tuition
   53         differential”; revising the purchase date of an
   54         advance payment contract as it relates to the amount
   55         paid by the Florida Prepaid College Board to a state
   56         university on behalf of a qualified beneficiary;
   57         prohibiting the amount of the aggregate sum of
   58         registration fees, the tuition differential fee, and
   59         local fees paid by the board to a state university on
   60         behalf of a qualified beneficiary of an advance
   61         payment contract from exceeding a certain percentage
   62         of the amount charged by the state university for the
   63         aggregate sum of those fees; prohibiting the amount of
   64         the dormitory fees paid for by the board to a state
   65         university on behalf of a qualified beneficiary of an
   66         advance payment contract from exceeding a certain
   67         percentage of the amount charged by the state
   68         university for those fees; conforming provisions to
   69         changes made by the act; prohibiting certain dependent
   70         children from being denied residency classification
   71         for tuition purposes based solely on a parent’s
   72         undocumented immigration status; providing an
   73         effective date.
   74          
   75  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   76  
   77         Section 1. Paragraphs (c) through (g) of subsection (3) of
   78  section 1009.22, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   79         1009.22 Workforce education postsecondary student fees.—
   80         (3)
   81         (c) Effective July 1, 2014 2011, for programs leading to a
   82  career certificate or an applied technology diploma, the
   83  standard tuition shall be $2.33 $2.22 per contact hour for
   84  residents and nonresidents and the out-of-state fee shall be
   85  $6.99 $6.66 per contact hour. For adult general education
   86  programs, a block tuition of $45 per half year or $30 per term
   87  shall be assessed for residents and nonresidents, and the out
   88  of-state fee shall be $135 per half year or $90 per term. Each
   89  district school board and Florida College System institution
   90  board of trustees shall adopt policies and procedures for the
   91  collection of and accounting for the expenditure of the block
   92  tuition. All funds received from the block tuition shall be used
   93  only for adult general education programs. Students enrolled in
   94  adult general education programs may not be assessed the fees
   95  authorized in subsection (5), subsection (6), or subsection (7).
   96         (d) Beginning with the 2008-2009 fiscal year and each year
   97  thereafter, the tuition and the out-of-state fee per contact
   98  hour shall increase at the beginning of each fall semester at a
   99  rate equal to inflation, unless otherwise provided in the
  100  General Appropriations Act. The Office of Economic and
  101  Demographic Research shall report the rate of inflation to the
  102  President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
  103  Representatives, the Governor, and the State Board of Education
  104  each year prior to March 1. For purposes of this paragraph, the
  105  rate of inflation shall be defined as the rate of the 12-month
  106  percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban
  107  Consumers, U.S. City Average, All Items, or successor reports as
  108  reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of
  109  Labor Statistics, or its successor for December of the previous
  110  year. In the event the percentage change is negative, the
  111  tuition and out-of-state fee shall remain at the same level as
  112  the prior fiscal year.
  113         (d)(e) Each district school board and each Florida College
  114  System institution board of trustees may adopt tuition and out
  115  of-state fees that may vary no more than 5 percent below and 5
  116  percent above the combined total of the standard tuition and
  117  out-of-state fees established in paragraph (c).
  118         (e)(f) The maximum increase in resident tuition for any
  119  school district or Florida College System institution during the
  120  2007-2008 fiscal year shall be 5 percent over the tuition
  121  charged during the 2006-2007 fiscal year.
  122         (f)(g) The State Board of Education may adopt, by rule, the
  123  definitions and procedures that district school boards and
  124  Florida College System institution boards of trustees shall use
  125  in the calculation of cost borne by students.
  126         Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 1009.23, Florida
  127  Statutes, is amended to read:
  128         1009.23 Florida College System institution student fees.—
  129         (3)(a) Effective July 1, 2014 2011, for advanced and
  130  professional, postsecondary vocational, developmental education,
  131  and educator preparation institute programs, the standard
  132  tuition shall be $71.98 $68.56 per credit hour for residents and
  133  nonresidents, and the out-of-state fee shall be $215.94 $205.82
  134  per credit hour.
  135         (b) Effective July 1, 2014 2011, for baccalaureate degree
  136  programs, the following tuition and fee rates shall apply:
  137         1. The tuition shall be $91.79 $87.42 per credit hour for
  138  students who are residents for tuition purposes.
  139         2. The sum of the tuition and the out-of-state fee per
  140  credit hour for students who are nonresidents for tuition
  141  purposes shall be no more than 85 percent of the sum of the
  142  tuition and the out-of-state fee at the state university nearest
  143  the Florida College System institution.
  144         (c) Beginning with the 2008-2009 fiscal year and each year
  145  thereafter, the tuition and the out-of-state fee shall increase
  146  at the beginning of each fall semester at a rate equal to
  147  inflation, unless otherwise provided in the General
  148  Appropriations Act. The Office of Economic and Demographic
  149  Research shall report the rate of inflation to the President of
  150  the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
  151  Governor, and the State Board of Education each year prior to
  152  March 1. For purposes of this paragraph, the rate of inflation
  153  shall be defined as the rate of the 12-month percentage change
  154  in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, U.S. City
  155  Average, All Items, or successor reports as reported by the
  156  United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
  157  or its successor for December of the previous year. In the event
  158  the percentage change is negative, the tuition and the out-of
  159  state fee per credit hour shall remain at the same levels as the
  160  prior fiscal year.
  161         Section 3. Paragraphs (a), (b), and (e) of subsection (4)
  162  of section 1009.24, Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph
  163  (g) is added to subsection (16) of that section, to read:
  164         1009.24 State university student fees.—
  165         (4)(a) Effective July 1, 2014 2011, the resident
  166  undergraduate tuition for lower-level and upper-level coursework
  167  shall be $103.32 per credit hour.
  168         (b) Beginning with the 2008-2009 fiscal year and each year
  169  thereafter, the resident undergraduate tuition per credit hour
  170  shall increase at the beginning of each fall semester at a rate
  171  equal to inflation, unless otherwise provided in the General
  172  Appropriations Act. The Office of Economic and Demographic
  173  Research shall report the rate of inflation to the President of
  174  the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
  175  Governor, and the Board of Governors each year prior to March 1.
  176  For purposes of this paragraph, the rate of inflation shall be
  177  defined as the rate of the 12-month percentage change in the
  178  Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, U.S. City Average,
  179  All Items, or successor reports as reported by the United States
  180  Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or its
  181  successor for December of the previous year. In the event the
  182  percentage change is negative, the resident undergraduate
  183  tuition shall remain at the same level as the prior fiscal year.
  184         (d)(e) The sum of the activity and service, health, and
  185  athletic fees a student is required to pay to register for a
  186  course may shall not exceed 40 percent of the tuition
  187  established in law or in the General Appropriations Act. No
  188  university shall be required to lower any fee in effect on the
  189  effective date of this act in order to comply with this
  190  subsection. Within the 40 percent cap, universities may not
  191  increase the aggregate sum of activity and service, health, and
  192  athletic fees more than 5 percent per year, or the same
  193  percentage increase in tuition authorized under paragraph (b),
  194  whichever is greater, unless specifically authorized in law or
  195  in the General Appropriations Act. A university may increase its
  196  athletic fee to defray the costs associated with changing
  197  National Collegiate Athletic Association divisions. Any such
  198  increase in the athletic fee may exceed both the 40 percent cap
  199  and the 5 percent cap imposed by this subsection. Any such
  200  increase must be approved by the athletic fee committee in the
  201  process outlined in subsection (12) and may not cannot exceed $2
  202  per credit hour. Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 1009.534,
  203  1009.535, and 1009.536, that portion of any increase in an
  204  athletic fee pursuant to this subsection which that causes the
  205  sum of the activity and service, health, and athletic fees to
  206  exceed the 40 percent cap or the annual increase in such fees to
  207  exceed the 5 percent cap may shall not be included in
  208  calculating the amount a student receives for a Florida Academic
  209  Scholars award, a Florida Medallion Scholars award, or a Florida
  210  Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award. Notwithstanding this
  211  paragraph and subject to approval by the board of trustees, each
  212  state university may is authorized to exceed the 5 percent 5
  213  percent cap on the annual increase to the aggregate sum of
  214  activity and service, health, and athletic fees for the 2010
  215  2011 fiscal year. Any such increase may shall not exceed 15
  216  percent or the amount required to reach the 2009-2010 fiscal
  217  year statewide average for the aggregate sum of activity and
  218  service, health, and athletic fees at the main campuses,
  219  whichever is greater. The aggregate sum of the activity and
  220  service, health, and athletic fees may shall not exceed 40
  221  percent of tuition. Any increase in the activity and service
  222  fee, health fee, or athletic fee must be approved by the
  223  appropriate fee committee pursuant to subsection (10),
  224  subsection (11), or subsection (12).
  225         (16) Each university board of trustees may establish a
  226  tuition differential for undergraduate courses upon receipt of
  227  approval from the Board of Governors. The tuition differential
  228  shall promote improvements in the quality of undergraduate
  229  education and shall provide financial aid to undergraduate
  230  students who exhibit financial need.
  231         (g) Notwithstanding this subsection, effective July 1,
  232  2014, a state university board of trustees may not establish or
  233  increase a tuition differential for undergraduate courses as
  234  provided in this subsection.
  235         Section 4. Subsection (8) of section 1009.26, Florida
  236  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (12) is added to that
  237  section, to read:
  238         1009.26 Fee waivers.—
  239         (8) A state university or Florida College System
  240  institution, a career center operated by a school district under
  241  s. 1001.44, or a charter technical career center shall waive
  242  undergraduate tuition for each recipient of a Purple Heart or
  243  another combat decoration superior in precedence who:
  244         (a) Is enrolled as a full-time, part-time, or summer-school
  245  student in an undergraduate program that terminates in a degree
  246  or certificate;
  247         (b) Is currently, and was at the time of the military
  248  action that resulted in the awarding of the Purple Heart or
  249  other combat decoration superior in precedence, a resident of
  250  this state; and
  251         (c) Submits to the state university or the Florida College
  252  System institution the DD-214 form issued at the time of
  253  separation from service as documentation that the student has
  254  received a Purple Heart or another combat decoration superior in
  255  precedence. If the DD-214 is not available, other documentation
  256  may be acceptable if recognized by the United States Department
  257  of Defense or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
  258  as documenting the award.
  259  
  260  Such a waiver for a Purple Heart recipient or recipient of
  261  another combat decoration superior in precedence shall be
  262  applicable for 110 percent of the number of required credit
  263  hours of the degree or certificate program for which the student
  264  is enrolled.
  265         (12)(a) A state university or a Florida College System
  266  institution, a career center operated by a school district under
  267  s. 1001.44, or a charter technical career center shall waive
  268  out-of-state fees for a student who attended a secondary school
  269  in this state for 3 consecutive years immediately before
  270  graduating from a high school in this state, enrolled in an
  271  institution of higher education within 24 months after high
  272  school graduation, submitted an official Florida high school
  273  transcript as documentary evidence of attendance and graduation,
  274  and who is undocumented for federal immigration purposes.
  275         (b) Tuition and fees charged to a student who qualifies for
  276  the out-of-state fee waiver under this subsection may not exceed
  277  the tuition and fees charged to a resident student. The waiver
  278  is applicable for 110 percent of the required credit hours of
  279  the degree or certificate program for which the student is
  280  enrolled. Each state university, Florida College System
  281  institution, career center operated by a school district under
  282  s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center shall report to
  283  the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education,
  284  respectively, the number and value of all fee waivers granted
  285  annually under this subsection. The Board of Governors for the
  286  state universities and the State Board of Education for Florida
  287  College System institutions, career centers operated by a school
  288  district under s. 1001.44, and charter technical career centers
  289  shall annually certify within its legislative budget request
  290  that the percentage of resident students enrolled systemwide is
  291  at least the same as the 2013-2014 resident student enrollment
  292  systemwide. A student who is undocumented for federal
  293  immigration purposes is not eligible for state financial aid
  294  provided pursuant to part III of chapter 1009.
  295         Section 5. Subsection (10) of section 1009.98, Florida
  296  Statutes, is amended to read:
  297         1009.98 Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program.—
  298         (10) PAYMENTS ON BEHALF OF QUALIFIED BENEFICIARIES.—
  299         (a) As used in this subsection, the term:
  300         1. “Actuarial reserve” means the amount by which the
  301  expected value of the assets exceeds exceed the expected value
  302  of the liabilities of the trust fund.
  303         2. “Dormitory fees” means the fees included under advance
  304  payment contracts pursuant to paragraph (2)(d).
  305         3. “Fiscal year” means the fiscal year of the state
  306  pursuant to s. 215.01.
  307         4. “Local fees” means the fees covered by an advance
  308  payment contract provided pursuant to subparagraph (2)(b)2.
  309         5. “Tuition differential” means the fee covered by advance
  310  payment contracts sold pursuant to subparagraph (2)(b)3. The
  311  base rate for the tuition differential fee for the 2012-2013
  312  fiscal year is established at $37.03 per credit hour. The base
  313  rate for the tuition differential in subsequent years is the
  314  amount assessed paid by the board for the tuition differential
  315  for the preceding year adjusted pursuant to subparagraph (b)2.
  316         (b) Effective with the 2009-2010 academic year and
  317  thereafter, and notwithstanding the provisions of s. 1009.24,
  318  the amount paid by the board to any state university on behalf
  319  of a qualified beneficiary of an advance payment contract whose
  320  contract was purchased before July 1, 2024 2009, shall be:
  321         1. As to registration fees, if the actuarial reserve is
  322  less than 5 percent of the expected liabilities of the trust
  323  fund, the board shall pay the state universities 5.5 percent
  324  above the amount assessed for registration fees in the preceding
  325  fiscal year. If the actuarial reserve is between 5 percent and 6
  326  percent of the expected liabilities of the trust fund, the board
  327  shall pay the state universities 6 percent above the amount
  328  assessed for registration fees in the preceding fiscal year. If
  329  the actuarial reserve is between 6 percent and 7.5 percent of
  330  the expected liabilities of the trust fund, the board shall pay
  331  the state universities 6.5 percent above the amount assessed for
  332  registration fees in the preceding fiscal year. If the actuarial
  333  reserve is equal to or greater than 7.5 percent of the expected
  334  liabilities of the trust fund, the board shall pay the state
  335  universities 7 percent above the amount assessed for
  336  registration fees in the preceding fiscal year, whichever is
  337  greater.
  338         2. As to the tuition differential, if the actuarial reserve
  339  is less than 5 percent of the expected liabilities of the trust
  340  fund, the board shall pay the state universities 5.5 percent
  341  above the base rate for the tuition differential fee in the
  342  preceding fiscal year. If the actuarial reserve is between 5
  343  percent and 6 percent of the expected liabilities of the trust
  344  fund, the board shall pay the state universities 6 percent above
  345  the base rate for the tuition differential fee in the preceding
  346  fiscal year. If the actuarial reserve is between 6 percent and
  347  7.5 percent of the expected liabilities of the trust fund, the
  348  board shall pay the state universities 6.5 percent above the
  349  base rate for the tuition differential fee in the preceding
  350  fiscal year. If the actuarial reserve is equal to or greater
  351  than 7.5 percent of the expected liabilities of the trust fund,
  352  the board shall pay the state universities 7 percent above the
  353  base rate for the tuition differential fee in the preceding
  354  fiscal year.
  355         3. As to local fees, the board shall pay the state
  356  universities 5 percent above the amount assessed for local fees
  357  in the preceding fiscal year.
  358         4. As to dormitory fees, the board shall pay the state
  359  universities 6 percent above the amount assessed for dormitory
  360  fees in the preceding fiscal year.
  361         5. Qualified beneficiaries of advance payment contracts
  362  purchased before July 1, 2007, are exempt from paying any
  363  tuition differential fee.
  364         (c)Notwithstanding the amount assessed for registration
  365  fees, the tuition differential fee, or local fees, the amount
  366  paid by the board to any state university on behalf of a
  367  qualified beneficiary of an advance payment contract purchased
  368  before July 1, 2024, may not exceed 100 percent of the amount
  369  charged by the state university for the aggregate sum of those
  370  fees.
  371         (d) Notwithstanding the amount assessed for dormitory fees,
  372  the amount paid by the board to any state university on behalf
  373  of a qualified beneficiary of an advance payment contract
  374  purchased before July 1, 2024, may not exceed 100 percent of the
  375  amount charged by the state university for dormitory fees.
  376         (e)(c) The board shall pay state universities the actual
  377  amount assessed in accordance with law for registration fees,
  378  the tuition differential, local fees, and dormitory fees for
  379  advance payment contracts purchased on or after July 1, 2024
  380  2009.
  381         (f)(d) The board shall annually evaluate or cause to be
  382  evaluated the actuarial soundness of the trust fund.
  383         Section 6. A dependent child who is a citizen of the United
  384  States of America may not be denied residency classification for
  385  tuition purposes based solely on the parent’s undocumented
  386  immigration status. All applicable laws apply.
  387         Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.