House Bill hb0069

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.




    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                  HB 69

        By Representative Fiorentino






  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

31  

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                  HB 69

    730-115E-02






  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  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.

31  

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                  HB 69

    730-115E-02






  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

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                  HB 69

    730-115E-02






  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.

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                  HB 69

    730-115E-02






  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.

  5  

  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.

31  

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                  HB 69

    730-115E-02






  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.

14  

15            *****************************************

16                          HOUSE SUMMARY

17  
      Creates the Jumping on the Educational Bandwagon (JEB)
18    Scholarship Loan Program to attract high school and
      college students to the teaching profession by offering
19    scholarship loans. Provides for summer institutes to
      enhance teacher preparation programs. Provides for
20    administration of the program by the Department of
      Education. Provides student eligibility and scholarship
21    loan repayment criteria. Provides for an annual
      appropriation.
22  

23  

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.