Senate Bill sb0538
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 538
By Senator Sullivan
22-566-02 See HB 69
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to student financial
3 assistance; creating s. 240.4061, F.S.;
4 creating the Jumping on the Educational
5 Bandwagon Scholarship Loan Program; providing a
6 purpose; defining eligible institutions and
7 programs of study; authorizing summer term
8 receipt of funds; authorizing part-time
9 enrollment; specifying summer institutes to be
10 developed by the Department of Education;
11 providing eligibility criteria; providing for
12 repayment of a scholarship loan; providing a
13 definition; providing renewal and restoration
14 requirements; setting a limit upon repayment
15 authority; providing for an annual
16 appropriation; authorizing the Department of
17 Education to adopt rules; providing an
18 effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Section 240.4061, Florida Statutes, is
23 created to read:
24 240.4061 Jumping on the Educational Bandwagon
25 Scholarship Loan Program.--The Jumping on the Educational
26 Bandwagon (JEB) Scholarship Loan Program is created to be
27 administered by the Department of Education. The primary
28 purpose of the program is to attract capable and promising
29 high school and college students to the teaching profession by
30 offering scholarship loans and to provide an academically and
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 538
22-566-02 See HB 69
1 culturally enriched program that extends beyond the regular
2 college program.
3 (1) To the extent that funds are provided annually by
4 the Legislature in the General Appropriations Act specifically
5 for the purposes of this section, the Department of Education
6 shall:
7 (a) Provide JEB Scholarship Loan Program participants
8 with a scholarship loan to be used at a state postsecondary
9 education institution or an independent postsecondary
10 education institution as defined by s. 240.605 for enrollment
11 in a course of study leading to a degree from a state-approved
12 teacher preparation program.
13 1. A recipient of a scholarship loan under the JEB
14 Scholarship Loan Program who enrolls in an eligible program of
15 study at a state university or eligible independent
16 postsecondary education institution is eligible for an annual
17 award equal to the amount required to pay the average cost of
18 full-time tuition and fees at a state university, plus an
19 education allowance.
20 2. A recipient of a scholarship loan under the JEB
21 Scholarship Loan Program who enrolls in an associate in arts
22 degree program at a community college which is transferable to
23 a state-approved teacher preparation program is eligible for
24 an annual award equal to the amount required to pay the
25 average cost of full-time tuition and fees at a community
26 college, plus an education allowance.
27 3. A student may use an award for summer-term
28 enrollment if funds are available.
29 4. An award recipient who is enrolled less than
30 full-time shall be awarded a prorated amount.
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 538
22-566-02 See HB 69
1 5. A student may participate in the program for up to
2 110 percent of the number of college credit hours required for
3 completion of the teacher preparation program.
4 (b) Conduct the following summer institutes, developed
5 and coordinated by the Department of Education, to enhance the
6 campus program and give insights into the challenges facing
7 these students when they enter the classroom:
8 1. Rising sophomore participants shall participate in
9 a "discovery trip" across Florida, with seminars that focus on
10 multicultural education and diversity.
11 2. Rising junior participants shall participate in a
12 seminar on classroom management and teacher leadership which
13 shall be staffed by outstanding teachers, identified by the
14 Department of Education, who shall work with small groups of
15 JEB Scholarship Loan Program participants.
16 3. Rising senior participants shall participate in an
17 orientation week designed to give participants an introduction
18 to the school system community and an understanding of the
19 overall operation of a school district. The orientation week
20 may be followed by a paid internship provided by the school
21 district.
22 4. The department may compensate school district staff
23 who serve as staff in summer institute programs.
24 (2) To be eligible to receive an award from the JEB
25 Scholarship Loan Program, an applicant must:
26 (a) Meet the general requirements for student
27 eligibility for state financial aid pursuant to s. 240.404,
28 except as otherwise provided in this section.
29 (b) Be enrolled in an associate in arts degree program
30 that is transferable to a state-approved teacher preparation
31 program or be enrolled in a state-approved teacher preparation
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 538
22-566-02 See HB 69
1 program for a minimum of 6 semester hours or the equivalent
2 per term.
3 (c) If applying as a high school senior:
4 1. Have earned a minimum cumulative grade point
5 average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or the equivalent, in high
6 school courses recommended by the State Board of Community
7 Colleges and adopted by the Board of Regents as
8 college-preparatory courses.
9 2. Have received a score of at least 970 on the
10 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
11 Assessment Test or an equivalent score on the American College
12 Test.
13 (d) If applying as a college student, have earned the
14 equivalent of a grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for
15 all postsecondary education work attempted.
16 (e) Declare the intent to complete one-half year of
17 teaching service in a publicly funded school for each
18 semester, or its equivalent, for which a scholarship loan is
19 received pursuant to this section. For purposes of this
20 section, the term "publicly funded school" means a school that
21 receives at least 75 percent of its operating costs from
22 governmental agencies, including schools that operate
23 educational programs under contract with a public school
24 district or the Department of Education.
25 (f) Declare the intent to repay the scholarship loan
26 with teaching service within 7 years after completion of an
27 approved teacher preparation program.
28 (g) To receive a renewal award:
29 1. Have earned the equivalent of a grade point average
30 of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for all postsecondary education work
31 attempted.
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 538
22-566-02 See HB 69
1 2. Have completed annually, during the terms for which
2 a scholarship loan was received, a minimum of 12 credits per
3 term for full-time assistance or a minimum of 6 credits per
4 term for part-time assistance, or the equivalent.
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6 If, at any time during the eligibility period, a student's
7 grades are insufficient to renew the scholarship, the student
8 may restore eligibility by improving the grade point average
9 to the required level. A student is eligible for such a
10 restoration only once.
11 (3) A scholarship loan recipient may receive loan
12 repayment credit for teaching service rendered at any time
13 during the scheduled repayment period. However, such repayment
14 credit applies only to the current principal and accrued
15 interest balance that remains at the time the repayment credit
16 is earned. A scholarship loan recipient shall not be
17 reimbursed for previous cash payments of principal and
18 interest. Any scholarship loan recipient who fails to teach in
19 a Florida publicly funded school as specified in paragraph
20 (2)(e) is responsible for repaying the loan plus accrued
21 interest.
22 (a) A scholarship loan must be repaid within 10 years
23 after completion of a program of study.
24 (b) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules
25 regarding repayment schedules and applicable interest rates
26 under ss. 240.451 and 240.465.
27 (c) An award recipient who is unable to fulfill the
28 teaching requirement due to his or her death or permanent
29 disability is not required to repay the funds awarded pursuant
30 to this section.
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 538
22-566-02 See HB 69
1 (d) Funds repaid according to this section shall be
2 deposited in the State Student Financial Assistance Trust
3 Fund.
4 (4) The Legislature shall annually appropriate an
5 amount sufficient to carry out the provisions of this section
6 which shall include funds for the participation of 500
7 students annually. Funds appropriated specifically for the JEB
8 Scholarship Loan Program shall be deposited in the State
9 Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund.
10 (5) The Department of Education may adopt rules
11 pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 necessary to administer
12 this section.
13 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.
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16 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
17 Creates the Jumping on the Educational Bandwagon (JEB)
Scholarship Loan Program to attract high school and
18 college students to the teaching profession by offering
scholarship loans. Provides for summer institutes to
19 enhance teacher preparation programs. Provides for
administration of the program by the Department of
20 Education. Provides student eligibility and scholarship
loan repayment criteria. Provides for an annual
21 appropriation.
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