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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to postsecondary education fee waivers;

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amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; requiring the Department of

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Education to repay student loans outstanding after a

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waiver has been granted to a decorated combat veteran;

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requiring certain conditions be met; providing an

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appropriation; providing an effective date.

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

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     Section 1.  Subsection (9) of section 1009.26, Florida

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Statutes, is amended to read:

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     1009.26  Fee waivers.--

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     (9)  A state university or community college shall waive

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undergraduate tuition for each recipient of a Purple Heart or

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another combat decoration superior in precedence who:

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     (a)  Is enrolled as a full-time, part-time, or summer-school

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student in an undergraduate program that terminates in a degree

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or certificate;

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     (b)  Is currently, and was at the time of the military

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action that resulted in the awarding of the Purple Heart or other

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combat decoration superior in precedence, a resident of this

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state; and

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     (c)  Submits to the state university or the community

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college the DD-214 form issued at the time of separation from

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service as documentation that the student has received a Purple

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Heart or another combat decoration superior in precedence.

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Such a waiver for a Purple Heart recipient or recipient of

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another combat decoration superior in precedence shall be

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applicable for 110 percent of the number of required credit hours

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of the degree or certificate program for which the student is

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enrolled. If such a student has an outstanding undergraduate

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student education loan that was certified by a postsecondary

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institution and that was awarded before receipt of the combat

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decoration, the Department of Education shall pay the balance due

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on the student loan as of the date that the tuition waiver was

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first granted once the repayment of the loan is considered to be

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in good standing.

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     Section 2. The sum of _____ is appropriated from the

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General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to be used

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during the 2008-2009 fiscal year for the purpose of repaying

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outstanding undergraduate student loans made to decorated combat

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veterans as provided in this act.

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     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.