Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1284
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       23-01243A-22                                          20221284__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Postsecondary Student
    3         Assistance Grant Program; amending s. 1009.52, F.S.;
    4         expanding eligibility for the Florida Postsecondary
    5         Student Assistance Grant Program to certain students
    6         accepted at a competency-based, nonprofit virtual
    7         postsecondary institution that meets specified
    8         criteria; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Present paragraphs (b) through (f) of subsection
   13  (2) of section 1009.52, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   14  paragraphs (c) through (g), respectively, a new paragraph (b) is
   15  added to that subsection, and present paragraph (c) of that
   16  subsection is amended, to read:
   17         1009.52 Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant
   18  Program; eligibility for grants.—
   19         (2) Florida postsecondary student assistance grants may be
   20  made to students who meet the general requirements for student
   21  eligibility as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise
   22  provided in this section. Such grants shall be awarded for the
   23  amount of demonstrated unmet need for tuition and fees and may
   24  not exceed the maximum annual award amount specified in the
   25  General Appropriations Act. A demonstrated unmet need of less
   26  than $200 shall render the applicant ineligible for a Florida
   27  postsecondary student assistance grant.
   28         (b) Awards may be made to full-time degree-seeking students
   29  who have been accepted to a competency-based, nonprofit virtual
   30  postsecondary institution that is accredited by a member of the
   31  Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions and is created by
   32  the governors of several states.
   33         (d)(c) If funds are available, a student who received an
   34  award in the fall or spring term may receive an award in the
   35  summer term. Priority in the distribution of summer awards shall
   36  be given to students who are within one semester, or equivalent,
   37  of completing a degree or certificate program. No student may
   38  receive an award for more than the equivalent of 9 semesters or
   39  14 quarters of full-time enrollment, except as otherwise
   40  provided in s. 1009.40(3). A student specified in paragraph (c)
   41  (b) is eligible for an award of up to 110 percent of the number
   42  of clock hours required to complete the program in which the
   43  student is enrolled.
   44         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.