| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to financial assistance for postsecondary |
| 3 | students; creating s. 1009.892, F.S.; creating the Florida |
| 4 | Reimbursement Grant Program to Provide Postsecondary |
| 5 | Psycho-Academic Testing to Students with Disabilities; |
| 6 | providing for rulemaking by the State Board of Education; |
| 7 | providing that the Department of Education shall |
| 8 | administer the program; providing legislative intent; |
| 9 | providing eligibility requirements; prescribing a limit on |
| 10 | testing costs; providing that the cost of psycho-academic |
| 11 | testing is part of the student's attendance cost; |
| 12 | requiring a student who applies for such a grant to apply |
| 13 | for a Pell Grant; providing that Pell Grant entitlement |
| 14 | must be considered in determining a student's monetary |
| 15 | need for a grant under this section; requiring |
| 16 | participating institutions to report specified information |
| 17 | to the department; requiring that the amount of such |
| 18 | grants be specified in the General Appropriations Act; |
| 19 | providing procedures; requiring participating institutions |
| 20 | to return undisbursed grant moneys to the department; |
| 21 | providing that the act be implemented only to the extent |
| 22 | that it is funded and authorized; providing an effective |
| 23 | date. |
| 24 |
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| 25 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 26 |
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| 27 | Section 1. Section 1009.892, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 28 | to read: |
| 29 | 1009.892 Florida Reimbursement Grant Program to Provide |
| 30 | Postsecondary Psycho-Academic Testing to Students with |
| 31 | Disabilities.-- |
| 32 | (1) There is created the Florida Reimbursement Grant |
| 33 | Program to Provide Postsecondary Psycho-Academic Testing for |
| 34 | Students with Disabilities. The State Board of Education shall |
| 35 | adopt rules for administering the program, and the department |
| 36 | shall administer the program. It is the intent of the |
| 37 | Legislature that this program provide to eligible students with |
| 38 | disabilities reimbursement for postsecondary psycho-academic |
| 39 | testing conducted by postsecondary institutions, or conducted by |
| 40 | private providers under contract with postsecondary |
| 41 | institutions, to assist in providing the appropriate |
| 42 | accommodations and services for students who have specified |
| 43 | learning and cognitive disabilities. |
| 44 | (2)(a) A grant may be made under this section only to an |
| 45 | eligible student with disabilities who: |
| 46 | 1. Is enrolled in a degree, certificate, or diploma |
| 47 | program; |
| 48 | 2. Is enrolled in at least 6 semester hours per term, or |
| 49 | the equivalent thereof, at a state university, community |
| 50 | college, or private postsecondary institution in this state |
| 51 | which requires documentation for accommodations for |
| 52 | disabilities; |
| 53 | 3. Meets the general requirements for student eligibility |
| 54 | as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this |
| 55 | section; and |
| 56 | 4. Has a disability or disabilities as documented under |
| 57 | the Americans with Disabilities Act. |
| 58 | (b) The grants shall be awarded annually for the cost of |
| 59 | psycho-academic testing required by participating institutions, |
| 60 | and the postsecondary institution shall determine the cost in an |
| 61 | amount not to exceed $1,000. |
| 62 | (c) Any required psycho-academic testing for students with |
| 63 | disabilities must be considered a part of the student's cost of |
| 64 | attendance. An eligible student with a disability who applies |
| 65 | for a Florida Reimbursement Grant to Provide Postsecondary |
| 66 | Psycho-Academic Testing for Students with Disabilities must also |
| 67 | apply for the Pell Grant. A student's entitlement to a Pell |
| 68 | Grant must be considered in determining need when conducting an |
| 69 | assessment of the financial resources available to the student. |
| 70 | The participating institution shall defer the cost of required |
| 71 | psycho-academic testing for eligible students. |
| 72 | (3) Each participating institution shall report to the |
| 73 | department, by a date stipulated by the department, the number |
| 74 | of eligible students to whom grant moneys are disbursed each |
| 75 | academic term and the necessary demographic and eligibility data |
| 76 | concerning such students. |
| 77 | (4)(a) The amount that may be awarded for each grant under |
| 78 | this section must be specified in the General Appropriations |
| 79 | Act. The funds appropriated for such grants must be transmitted |
| 80 | to the president of an eligible institution, or to his or her |
| 81 | designated representative, in advance of the registration |
| 82 | period. |
| 83 | (b) A student's eligibility to receive a disbursement |
| 84 | under this section shall be determined by each institution as of |
| 85 | the end of its regular registration period, inclusive of a drop- |
| 86 | add period. The institution need not reevaluate a student's |
| 87 | eligibility status after that date for purposes of changing |
| 88 | eligibility determinations previously made. The institution in |
| 89 | which an eligible student is enrolled shall notify the student |
| 90 | of the amount of his or her award. |
| 91 | (c) Each participating institution shall certify to the |
| 92 | department the amount of funds disbursed to each eligible |
| 93 | student under this section and shall remit to the department any |
| 94 | undisbursed advances or refunds within 60 days after the end of |
| 95 | regular registration. |
| 96 | (5) This section shall be implemented only to the extent |
| 97 | specifically funded and authorized by law. |
| 98 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |