Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1752
       
       
        
       By Senator Torres
       
       
       
       
       
       15-01647-18                                           20181752__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
    3         Scholarship Program; providing a short title; amending
    4         s. 1009.53, F.S.; removing a condition under which a
    5         student is authorized to use a Florida Bright Futures
    6         Scholarship Program award for summer term enrollment
    7         if funds are available; requiring that the Legislature
    8         appropriate additional funds necessary for use of an
    9         award for summer term enrollment as provided in the
   10         General Appropriations Act; amending s. 1009.531,
   11         F.S.; revising the initial eligibility criteria
   12         relating to test scores and corresponding percentile
   13         ranks for certain Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
   14         Program awards; amending ss. 1009.534 and 1009.535,
   15         F.S.; specifying the amounts of the Florida Academic
   16         Scholars and Florida Medallion Scholars awards
   17         eligible to cover tuition, fees, textbooks, and other
   18         college-related expenses; amending ss. 1009.22,
   19         1009.23, and 1009.24, F.S.; conforming provisions to
   20         changes made by the act; providing an effective date.
   21          
   22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   23  
   24         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Restore Our Bright
   25  Futures Act.”
   26         Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 1009.22, Florida
   27  Statutes, is amended to read:
   28         1009.22 Workforce education postsecondary student fees.—
   29         (7) Each district school board and Florida College System
   30  institution board of trustees is authorized to establish a
   31  separate fee for technology, not to exceed 5 percent of tuition
   32  per credit hour or credit-hour equivalent for resident students
   33  and not to exceed 5 percent of tuition and the out-of-state fee
   34  per credit hour or credit-hour equivalent for nonresident
   35  students. Revenues generated from the technology fee shall be
   36  used to enhance instructional technology resources for students
   37  and faculty and may shall not be included in an any award under
   38  the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, except as
   39  authorized for the Florida Academic Scholars award or the
   40  Florida Medallion Scholars award under ss. 1009.534 and
   41  1009.535, respectively. Fifty percent of technology fee revenues
   42  may be pledged by a Florida College System institution board of
   43  trustees as a dedicated revenue source for the repayment of
   44  debt, including lease-purchase agreements, not to exceed the
   45  useful life of the asset being financed. Revenues generated from
   46  the technology fee may not be bonded.
   47         Section 3. Subsection (10) of section 1009.23, Florida
   48  Statutes, is amended to read:
   49         1009.23 Florida College System institution student fees.—
   50         (10) Each Florida College System institution board of
   51  trustees is authorized to establish a separate fee for
   52  technology, which may not exceed 5 percent of tuition per credit
   53  hour or credit-hour equivalent for resident students and may not
   54  exceed 5 percent of tuition and the out-of-state fee per credit
   55  hour or credit-hour equivalent for nonresident students.
   56  Revenues generated from the technology fee shall be used to
   57  enhance instructional technology resources for students and
   58  faculty. The technology fee may apply to both college credit and
   59  developmental education and may shall not be included in an any
   60  award under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program,
   61  except as authorized for the Florida Academic Scholars award or
   62  the Florida Medallion Scholars award under ss. 1009.534 and
   63  1009.535, respectively. Fifty percent of technology fee revenues
   64  may be pledged by a Florida College System institution board of
   65  trustees as a dedicated revenue source for the repayment of
   66  debt, including lease-purchase agreements, not to exceed the
   67  useful life of the asset being financed. Revenues generated from
   68  the technology fee may not be bonded.
   69         Section 4. Subsection (13) and paragraph (b) of subsection
   70  (16) of section 1009.24, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   71         1009.24 State university student fees.—
   72         (13) Each university board of trustees may establish a
   73  technology fee of up to 5 percent of the tuition per credit
   74  hour. The revenue from this fee shall be used to enhance
   75  instructional technology resources for students and faculty. The
   76  technology fee may not be included in an any award under the
   77  Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program established pursuant
   78  to ss. 1009.53-1009.538, except as authorized for the Florida
   79  Academic Scholars award or the Florida Medallion Scholars award
   80  under ss. 1009.534 and 1009.535, respectively.
   81         (16) Each university board of trustees may establish a
   82  tuition differential for undergraduate courses upon receipt of
   83  approval from the Board of Governors. However, beginning July 1,
   84  2014, the Board of Governors may only approve the establishment
   85  of or an increase in tuition differential for a state research
   86  university designated as a preeminent state research university
   87  pursuant to s. 1001.7065(3). The tuition differential shall
   88  promote improvements in the quality of undergraduate education
   89  and shall provide financial aid to undergraduate students who
   90  exhibit financial need.
   91         (b) Each tuition differential is subject to the following
   92  conditions:
   93         1. The tuition differential may be assessed on one or more
   94  undergraduate courses or on all undergraduate courses at a state
   95  university.
   96         2. The tuition differential may vary by course or courses,
   97  by campus or center location, and by institution. Each
   98  university board of trustees shall strive to maintain and
   99  increase enrollment in degree programs related to math, science,
  100  high technology, and other state or regional high-need fields
  101  when establishing tuition differentials by course.
  102         3. For each state university that is designated as a
  103  preeminent state research university by the Board of Governors,
  104  pursuant to s. 1001.7065, the aggregate sum of tuition and the
  105  tuition differential may be increased by no more than 6 percent
  106  of the total charged for the aggregate sum of these fees in the
  107  preceding fiscal year. The tuition differential may be increased
  108  if the university meets or exceeds performance standard targets
  109  for that university established annually by the Board of
  110  Governors for the following performance standards, amounting to
  111  no more than a 2-percent increase in the tuition differential
  112  for each performance standard:
  113         a. An increase in the 6-year graduation rate for full-time,
  114  first-time-in-college students, as reported annually to the
  115  Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
  116         b. An increase in the total annual research expenditures.
  117         c. An increase in the total patents awarded by the United
  118  States Patent and Trademark Office for the most recent years.
  119         4. The aggregate sum of undergraduate tuition and fees per
  120  credit hour, including the tuition differential, may not exceed
  121  the national average of undergraduate tuition and fees at 4-year
  122  degree-granting public postsecondary educational institutions.
  123         5. The tuition differential shall not be included in an any
  124  award under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
  125  established pursuant to ss. 1009.53-1009.538, except as
  126  authorized for the Florida Academic Scholars award or the
  127  Florida Medallion Scholars award under ss. 1009.534 and
  128  1009.535, respectively.
  129         6. Beneficiaries having prepaid tuition contracts pursuant
  130  to s. 1009.98(2)(b) which were in effect on July 1, 2007, and
  131  which remain in effect, are exempt from the payment of the
  132  tuition differential.
  133         7. The tuition differential may not be charged to any
  134  student who was in attendance at the university before July 1,
  135  2007, and who maintains continuous enrollment.
  136         8. The tuition differential may be waived by the university
  137  for students who meet the eligibility requirements for the
  138  Florida public student assistance grant established in s.
  139  1009.50.
  140         9. Subject to approval by the Board of Governors, the
  141  tuition differential authorized pursuant to this subsection may
  142  take effect with the 2009 fall term.
  143         Section 5. Subsection (9) of section 1009.53, Florida
  144  Statutes, is amended to read:
  145         1009.53 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.—
  146         (9) A student may use an award for summer term enrollment.
  147  The Legislature shall appropriate additional funds necessary for
  148  use of an award for summer term enrollment as provided in the
  149  General Appropriations Act if funds are available.
  150         Section 6. Subsection (6) of section 1009.531, Florida
  151  Statutes, is amended to read:
  152         1009.531 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
  153  student eligibility requirements for initial awards.—
  154         (6)(a) The State Board of Education shall publicize the
  155  examination score required for a student to be eligible for a
  156  Florida Academic Scholars award, pursuant to s. 1009.534(1)(a)
  157  or (b), as follows:.
  158         1.For high school students graduating in the 2018-2019
  159  academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1280 1290
  160  which corresponds to the 89th SAT percentile rank or a
  161  concordant ACT score of 27 29.
  162         2.For high school students graduating in the 2019-2020
  163  academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1275 which
  164  corresponds to the 89th SAT percentile rank or a concordant ACT
  165  score of 27.
  166         3.For high school students graduating in the 2020-2021
  167  academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1270 which
  168  corresponds to the 88th percentile rank or a concordant ACT
  169  score of 26.
  170         (b) The State Board of Education shall publicize the
  171  examination score required for a student to be eligible for a
  172  Florida Medallion Scholars award, pursuant to s. 1009.535(1)(a)
  173  or (b), as follows:.
  174         1.For high school students graduating in the 2018-2019
  175  academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1100 1170
  176  which corresponds to the 67th 75th SAT percentile rank or a
  177  concordant ACT score of 22 26.
  178         2.For high school students graduating in the 2019-2020
  179  academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 1020 which
  180  corresponds to the 52nd SAT percentile rank or a concordant ACT
  181  score of 20.
  182         3.For high school students graduating in the 2020-2021
  183  academic year, the student must earn an SAT score of 970 which
  184  corresponds to the 42nd SAT percentile rank or a concordant ACT
  185  score of 18.
  186         (c) The SAT percentile ranks and corresponding SAT scores
  187  specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) are based on the SAT
  188  percentile ranks for 2016 2010 college-bound seniors in critical
  189  reading and mathematics as reported by the College Board. The
  190  next highest SAT score is used when the percentile ranks do not
  191  directly correspond.
  192         Section 7. Subsection (2) of section 1009.534, Florida
  193  Statutes, is amended to read:
  194         1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
  195         (2) A Florida Academic Scholar who is enrolled in a
  196  certificate, diploma, associate, or baccalaureate degree program
  197  at a public or nonpublic postsecondary education institution is
  198  eligible, beginning in the fall 2018 academic semester, for an
  199  award equal to the amount required to pay 100 percent of tuition
  200  and fees established under ss. 1009.22(3), (5), (6), and (7);
  201  1009.23(3), (4), (7), (8), (10), and (11); and 1009.24(4), (7)
  202  (13), (14)(r), and (16), as applicable, and is eligible for an
  203  additional $300 each fall and spring academic semester or the
  204  equivalent for textbooks and college-related specified in the
  205  General Appropriations Act to assist with the payment of
  206  educational expenses.
  207         Section 8. Subsection (2) of section 1009.535, Florida
  208  Statutes, is amended to read:
  209         1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
  210         (2) A Florida Medallion Scholar who is enrolled in a
  211  certificate, diploma, associate, or baccalaureate degree program
  212  at a public or nonpublic postsecondary education institution is
  213  eligible, beginning in the fall 2018 academic semester, for an
  214  award equal to the amount required to pay 75 percent of tuition
  215  and fees established under ss. 1009.22(3), (5), (6), and (7);
  216  1009.23(3), (4), (7), (8), (10), and (11); and 1009.24(4), (7)
  217  (13), (14)(r), and (16), as applicable, and is eligible for an
  218  additional $200 each fall and spring academic semester or the
  219  equivalent for textbooks and college-related specified in the
  220  General Appropriations Act to assist with the payment of
  221  educational expenses.
  222         Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.