HB 0693 2004
   
1 A bill to be entitled
2          An act relating to student financial assistance; creating
3    s. 1009.892, F.S.; creating the Innovation Florida
4    Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs Program;
5    authorizing need-based scholarships for students enrolled
6    in certified degree programs in targeted employment areas
7    at Florida postsecondary educational institutions;
8    providing for rules; providing for administration and
9    funding of the program; providing student eligibility
10    requirements for initial and renewal awards; providing an
11    appropriation; providing an effective date.
12         
13          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14         
15          Section 1. Section 1009.892, Florida Statutes, is created
16    to read:
17          1009.892 Innovation Florida Scholarships for Developing
18    High-Tech Jobs Program.--
19          (1) This section shall be known by the popular name
20    "Innovation Florida Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs
21    Act."
22          (2) The Innovation Florida Scholarships for Developing
23    High-Tech Jobs Program is created to provide need-based financial
24    assistance to any Florida high school graduate who merits
25    recognition of high academic achievement and who enrolls in a
26    certified degree program at an eligible Florida postsecondary
27    educational institution within 3 years after graduation from high
28    school.
29          (3) As used in this section:
30          (a) “Certified degree program” means a degree program that:
31          1. Is certified by the Department of Education.
32          2. Addresses the need for support of degree programs in
33    targeted employment areas.
34          3. Includes an internship component as described in this
35    section.
36          (b) “Targeted employment” means employment in any of the
37    following business areas:
38          1. Advanced manufacturing, including the following:
39          a. Automotive and electronics.
40          b. Aerospace technology.
41          c. Robotics.
42          d. Engineering design technology.
43          2. Life sciences, including the following:
44          a. Orthopedics or medical devices.
45          b. Biomedical research or development.
46          c. Pharmaceutical manufacturing.
47          d. Agribusiness.
48          e. Nanotechnology or molecular manufacturing.
49          3. Information technology, including the following:
50          a. Informatics.
51          b. Certified network administration.
52          c. Software development.
53          d. Fiber optics.
54          4. High-technology logistics, including the following:
55          a. High-technology distribution.
56          b. Efficient and effective flow and storage of goods,
57    services, or information.
58          c. Intermodal ports.
59          (4) The Department of Education shall administer the
60    Innovation Florida Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs
61    Program according to rules and procedures established by the
62    State Board of Education pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54.
63    The department must advertise the availability of the scholarship
64    program and must notify students, teachers, parents, guidance
65    counselors, and principals or other relevant school
66    administrators of the criteria and application procedures. The
67    department must begin this process of notification no later than
68    January 1 of each year.
69          (5) Funds for the Innovation Florida Scholarships for
70    Developing High-Tech Jobs Program shall be appropriated annually
71    in the General Appropriations Act.
72          (a) If funds appropriated are not adequate to provide the
73    maximum allowable award to each eligible applicant, awards must
74    be prorated to each eligible applicant using the same percentage
75    reduction.
76          (b) Notwithstanding s. 216.301, if all funds allocated to
77    the Innovative Florida Scholarships for Developing High-Tech Jobs
78    Program are not used in any fiscal year, up to 20 percent of the
79    total allocation may be carried forward and used for awards in
80    the following year.
81          (6) The department shall issue awards from the scholarship
82    program annually. Annual awards may be for up to 45 semester
83    credit hours or the equivalent for the amount of demonstrated
84    unmet need not to exceed an amount equal to the average prior
85    academic year cost of tuition, fees, and assigned books and
86    supplies at state universities or such other amount as specified
87    in the General Appropriations Act. A demonstrated unmet need of
88    less than $100 shall render the applicant ineligible for a
89    scholarship. Before the registration period each semester, the
90    department shall transmit payment for each award to the president
91    or director of the postsecondary educational institution, or his
92    or her representative, except that the department may withhold
93    payment if the receiving institution fails to report or to make
94    refunds to the department as required in this section.
95          (a) Within 30 days after the end of regular registration
96    each semester, the educational institution shall certify to the
97    department the eligibility status of each student who receives an
98    award. After the end of the drop and add period, an institution
99    is not required to reevaluate or revise a student's eligibility
100    status, but must make a refund to the department if a student who
101    receives an award disbursement terminates enrollment for any
102    reason during an academic term and a refund is permitted by the
103    institution's refund policy.
104          (b) An institution that receives funds from the program
105    shall certify to the department the amount of funds disbursed to
106    each student and shall remit to the department any undisbursed
107    advances within 60 days after the end of regular registration.
108          (c) Each institution that receives moneys through this
109    program shall prepare an annual report that includes an annual
110    financial audit conducted by an independent certified public
111    accountant or the Auditor General. The report shall include an
112    audit of the institution's administration of the program and a
113    complete accounting of the moneys for the program. This report
114    must be submitted to the department annually by March 1. The
115    department may conduct its own annual audit of an institution's
116    administration of the program. The department may request a
117    refund of any moneys overpaid to the institution for the program.
118    The department may suspend or revoke an institution's eligibility
119    to receive future moneys for the program if the department finds
120    that an institution has not complied with this section. The
121    institution must remit within 60 days any refund requested in
122    accordance with this subsection.
123          (7)(a) A student enrolled in 6 to 8 semester credit hours
124    may receive up to one-half of the maximum award; a student
125    enrolled in 9 to 11 credit hours may receive up to three-fourths
126    of the maximum award; and a student enrolled in 12 or more credit
127    hours may receive up to the full award.
128          (b) If a recipient transfers from one eligible institution
129    to another and continues to meet eligibility requirements, the
130    award must be transferred with the student.
131          (c) A student may use an award for summer term enrollment
132    if funds are available.
133          (d) Funds from a scholarship may not be used to pay for
134    remedial or college-preparatory coursework.
135          (8) To be eligible for an initial award, a student must:
136          (a) Be a Florida resident as defined in s. 1009.40 and
137    rules of the State Board of Education.
138          (b) Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its
139    equivalent as described in s. 1003.429, s. 1003.43, or s.
140    1003.435 unless:
141          1. The student is enrolled full-time in the early admission
142    program of an eligible postsecondary educational institution or
143    completes a home education program according to s. 1002.41; or
144          2. The student earns a high school diploma from a non-
145    Florida school while living with a parent who is on military or
146    public service assignment away from Florida.
147          (c) Have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0
148    on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent in high school courses
149    designated by the Department of Education.
150          (d) Be accepted by and enroll in a Florida public or
151    independent postsecondary educational institution identified by
152    the Department of Education.
153          (e) Be enrolled for at least 6 semester credit hours or the
154    equivalent in quarter hours or clock hours.
155          (f) Not have been found guilty of, or plead nolo contendere
156    to, a felony charge, unless the student has been granted clemency
157    by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Executive Office of
158    Clemency.
159          (g) Apply for a scholarship from the program by high school
160    graduation.
161          (9) A student is eligible to accept an initial award for 3
162    years following high school graduation and to accept a renewal
163    award for 7 years following high school graduation. A student who
164    applies for an award by high school graduation and who meets all
165    other eligibility requirements, but who does not accept his or
166    her award, may reapply during subsequent application periods up
167    to 3 years after high school graduation.
168          (10) Eligibility for renewal awards shall be based on
169    continued academic achievement of a cumulative grade point
170    average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent by the student
171    at the eligible institution, continued eligibility for financial
172    assistance pursuant to this section, and participation of the
173    student for at least one summer during the course of the
174    student's postsecondary education in an internship program that
175    is relevant to at least one of the targeted employment areas as
176    defined in this section. A student must work a minimum of 160
177    hours during the summer internship.
178          (11) Employers must pay students in an internship program a
179    wage at least 20 percent above the federal minimum wage.
180    Employers with whom interns are placed may receive $500 per
181    student per summer.
182          Section 2. There is hereby appropriated from the General
183    Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2004-
184    2005 the sum of $30 million to implement the provisions of this
185    act.
186          Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.