Senate Bill sb1538

    Florida Senate - 2003        (Corrected Copy)          SB 1538

    By Senator Miller





    43-1445A-03

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Florida Public Student

  3         Assistance Grant Program; amending s. 1009.50,

  4         F.S.; amending criteria for receiving a grant;

  5         amending criteria for determining the minimum

  6         and maximum amounts that may be awarded;

  7         providing an appropriation; providing an

  8         effective date.

  9

10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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12         Section 1.  Subsections (2) and (3) of section 1009.50,

13  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

14         1009.50  Florida Public Student Assistance Grant

15  Program; eligibility for grants.--

16         (2)(a)  State student assistance grants through the

17  program may be made only to degree-seeking students who enroll

18  in at least 3 6 semester hours, or the equivalent per term,

19  and who meet the general requirements for student eligibility

20  as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in

21  this section. The grants shall be awarded annually for the

22  amount of demonstrated unmet need for the cost of education

23  and may not exceed an amount equal to the average prior

24  academic year cost of tuition fees, and other registration

25  fees, and assigned books and supplies for 40 30 credit hours

26  at state universities or such other amount as specified in the

27  General Appropriations Act, to any recipient. A demonstrated

28  unmet need of less than $100 $200 shall render the applicant

29  ineligible for a state student assistance grant. Recipients of

30  the grants must have been accepted at a state university or

31  community college authorized by Florida law. A student is

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    Florida Senate - 2003        (Corrected Copy)          SB 1538
    43-1445A-03




  1  eligible for the award for 125 110 percent of the number of

  2  credit hours required to complete the program in which

  3  enrolled, except as otherwise provided in s. 1009.40(3).

  4         (b)  A student applying for a Florida public student

  5  assistance grant shall be required to apply for the Pell

  6  Grant. The Pell Grant entitlement shall be considered when

  7  conducting an assessment of the financial resources available

  8  to each student.

  9         (c)  Priority in the distribution of grant moneys shall

10  be given to students with the lowest total family resources,

11  in accordance with a nationally recognized system of need

12  analysis. Using the system of need analysis, the department

13  shall establish a maximum expected family contribution. An

14  institution may not make a grant from this program to a

15  student whose expected family contribution exceeds the level

16  established by the department.  An institution may not impose

17  additional criteria to determine a student's eligibility to

18  receive a grant award.

19         (d)  Each participating institution shall report, to

20  the department by the established date, the eligible students

21  to whom grant moneys are disbursed each academic term. Each

22  institution shall also report to the department necessary

23  demographic and eligibility data for such students.

24         (3)  Based on the unmet financial need of an eligible

25  applicant, the amount of a Florida public student assistance

26  grant must be between $100 $200 and the weighted average of

27  the cost of tuition and other registration fees for 40 30

28  credit hours at state universities per academic year or the

29  amount specified in the General Appropriations Act.

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    Florida Senate - 2003        (Corrected Copy)          SB 1538
    43-1445A-03




  1         Section 2.  The sum of $30 million is appropriated from

  2  the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for

  3  the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act.

  4         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

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  7                          SENATE SUMMARY

  8    Amends the eligibility criteria for receiving a grant
      under the Florida Public Student Assistance Grant
  9    Program. Amends criteria for determining the minimum and
      maximum amounts that may be awarded. Provides an
10    appropriation.

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