Florida Senate - 2016 SB 216
By Senator Detert
28-00309-16 2016216__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to tuition and fee exemptions;
3 amending s. 1009.25, F.S.; exempting certain students
4 who were adopted from the Department of Children and
5 Families or who are or were in the custody of the
6 department under specified circumstances from paying
7 tuition and fees to workforce education programs,
8 Florida College System institutions, and state
9 universities; requiring Florida College System
10 institutions and state universities to adopt certain
11 rules and regulations regarding the exemptions;
12 providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 1009.25, Florida Statutes, is amended to
17 read:
18 1009.25 Fee exemptions.—
19 (1) The following students are exempt from the payment of
20 tuition and fees, including lab fees, at a school district that
21 provides workforce education programs, Florida College System
22 institution, or state university:
23 (a) A student enrolled in a dual enrollment or early
24 admission program pursuant to s. 1007.271.
25 (b) A student enrolled in an approved apprenticeship
26 program, as defined in s. 446.021.
27 (c) A student who is or was at the time he or she reached
28 18 years of age in the custody of the Department of Children and
29 Families or who, after spending at least 6 months in the custody
30 of the department after reaching 16 years of age, was placed in
31 a guardianship by the court. Such exemption includes fees
32 associated with enrollment in applied academics for adult
33 education instruction. The exemption remains valid until the
34 student reaches 28 years of age.
35 (d) A student who is or was at the time he or she reached
36 18 years of age in the custody of a relative or nonrelative
37 under s. 39.5085 or who was adopted from the Department of
38 Children and Families after May 5, 1997. The Such exemption
39 includes fees associated with enrollment in applied academics
40 for adult education instruction. The exemption remains valid
41 until the student reaches 28 years of age.
42 (e) A student who was adopted from the Department of
43 Children and Families and has not reached 28 years of age. The
44 exemption includes fees associated with enrollment in applied
45 academics for adult education instruction.
46 (f) A student who is or was at the time he or she reached
47 18 years of age in the custody of the Department of Children and
48 Families and who:
49 1. Is or was placed with a nonrelative pursuant to s.
50 39.402. The exemption remains valid until the student reaches 28
51 years of age.
52 2. Is or was placed with a relative who is not or was not a
53 participant in the Relative Caregiver Program under s. 39.5085.
54 The exemption remains valid until the student reaches 28 years
55 of age.
56 (g)(e) A student enrolled in an employment and training
57 program under the welfare transition program. The regional
58 workforce board shall pay the state university, Florida College
59 System institution, or school district for costs incurred for
60 welfare transition program participants.
61 (h)(f) A student who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate
62 nighttime residence or whose primary nighttime residence is a
63 public or private shelter designed to provide temporary
64 residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or a
65 public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as,
66 a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
67 (i)(g) A student who is a proprietor, owner, or worker of a
68 company whose business has been at least 50 percent negatively
69 financially impacted by the buyout of property around Lake
70 Apopka by the State of Florida. Such student may receive a fee
71 exemption only if the student has not received compensation
72 because of the buyout, the student is designated a Florida
73 resident for tuition purposes, pursuant to s. 1009.21, and the
74 student has applied for and been denied financial aid, pursuant
75 to s. 1009.40, which would have provided, at a minimum, payment
76 of all student fees. The student is responsible for providing
77 evidence to the postsecondary education institution verifying
78 that the conditions of this paragraph have been met, including
79 supporting documentation provided by the Department of Revenue.
80 The student must be currently enrolled in, or begin coursework
81 within, a program area by fall semester 2000. The exemption is
82 valid for a period of 4 years after the date that the
83 postsecondary education institution confirms that the conditions
84 of this paragraph have been met.
85 (j)(h) Pursuant to s. 402.403, child protection and child
86 welfare personnel as defined in s. 402.402 who are enrolled in
87 an accredited bachelor’s degree or master’s degree program in
88 social work program, provided that the student attains at least
89 a grade of “B” in all courses for which tuition and fees are
90 exempted.
91 (2) Each Florida College System institution may is
92 authorized to grant student fee exemptions from all fees adopted
93 by the State Board of Education and the Florida College System
94 institution board of trustees for up to 54 full-time equivalent
95 students or 1 percent of its the institution’s total full-time
96 equivalent enrollment, whichever is greater, at each
97 institution.
98 (3) Each Florida College System institution shall adopt
99 rules and each state university shall adopt regulations to
100 administer this section. Such rules and regulations must:
101 (a) Prohibit a restriction on the number of credit hours
102 which may be earned by a student who is exempt from paying
103 tuition.
104 (b) Specify that a student who is exempt from paying
105 tuition and fees may enroll in remedial courses and college
106 preparatory courses.
107 (c) Eliminate limitations on the type of courses in which a
108 student who is exempt from paying tuition and fees may enroll.
109 (d) Eliminate limitations on the number of times that a
110 student who is exempt from paying tuition and fees may enroll in
111 a course.
112 (e) Require the Department of Education, each Florida
113 College System institution, and each state university to include
114 information on their respective websites about the tuition and
115 fees exemption under this section.
116 (f) Require financial aid officers at Florida College
117 System institutions and state universities to contact and
118 provide advice and information to each student who indicates on
119 a financial aid form that the student may be eligible for a
120 tuition and fees exemption under this section.
121 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.