Florida Senate - 2023 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 1272 Ì590406ÂÎ590406 LEGISLATIVE ACTION Senate . House Comm: RCS . 04/25/2023 . . . . ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Committee on Appropriations (Simon) recommended the following: 1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 2 3 Delete everything after the enacting clause 4 and insert: 5 Section 1. Section 1009.521, Florida Statutes, is created 6 to read: 7 1009.521 Educational grants to former eligible tuition 8 assistance grant students.— 9 (1)(a) The department shall issue a grant pursuant to s. 10 1009.89 to any full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student 11 who meets the requirements of s. 1009.89(4)(a) and (b)1. and is 12 registered at an independent nonprofit university that, as of 13 January 1, 2021, was eligible for the Access to Better Learning 14 and Education Grant Program, as created by former s. 1009.891, 15 if such university has been located in this state for more than 16 20 years; offers nursing programs at its Florida campus which 17 include licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN), 18 including associate of science in nursing (ASN) and bachelor of 19 science in nursing (BSN), accelerated BSN, practical nurse 20 bridge to ASN, and practical nurse bridge to BSN; and is 21 accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. 22 (b) The department shall issue a grant pursuant to s. 23 1009.89 to any full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student 24 who meets the requirements of s. 1009.89(4)(a) and (b)1. and is 25 registered at an independent for-profit college or university 26 located in and chartered by this state, accredited by an 27 accrediting agency or association recognized by the database 28 created and maintained by the United States Department of 29 Education, was licensed by the department on or before October 30 1, 2021, and has Level 6 accreditation from the Commission on 31 Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. 32 (2) An institution that meets the criteria specified in 33 paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph (1)(b) may not be a state 34 university or Florida College System institution. In addition, 35 the institution must have a secular purpose, and the receipt of 36 state aid by students at the institution may not have the 37 primary effect of advancing or impeding religion or result in an 38 excessive entanglement between the state and any religious sect. 39 (3) To qualify for funding under this section, an 40 institution must exercise a one-time option to participate by 41 notifying the department, in writing, of its decision to 42 participate on or before September 1, 2023, and must comply with 43 s. 1009.89(5)(a)-(c). 44 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 45 1009.40, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 46 (1)(a) The general requirements for eligibility of students 47 for state financial aid awards and tuition assistance grants 48 consist of the following: 49 1. Achievement of the academic requirements of and 50 acceptance at a state university or Florida College System 51 institution; a nursing diploma school approved by the Florida 52 Board of Nursing; a Florida college or university which is 53 accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the State 54 Board of Education; a Florida institution the credits of which 55 are acceptable for transfer to state universities; a career 56 center; or a private career institution accredited by an 57 accrediting agency recognized by the State Board of Education. 58 2. Residency in this state for no less than 1 year 59 preceding the award of aid or a tuition assistance grant for a 60 program established pursuant to s. 1009.50, s. 1009.505, s. 61 1009.51, s. 1009.52, s. 1009.521, s. 1009.53, s. 1009.60, s. 62 1009.62, s. 1009.72, s. 1009.73, s. 1009.75, s. 1009.77, s. 63 1009.89, or s. 1009.894. Residency in this state must be for 64 purposes other than to obtain an education. Resident status for 65 purposes of receiving state financial aid awards shall be 66 determined in the same manner as resident status for tuition 67 purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21. 68 3. Submission of certification attesting to the accuracy, 69 completeness, and correctness of information provided to 70 demonstrate a student’s eligibility to receive state financial 71 aid awards or tuition assistance grants. Falsification of such 72 information shall result in the denial of a pending application 73 and revocation of an award or grant currently held to the extent 74 that no further payments shall be made. Additionally, students 75 who knowingly make false statements in order to receive state 76 financial aid awards or tuition assistance grants commit a 77 misdemeanor of the second degree subject to the provisions of s. 78 837.06 and shall be required to return all state financial aid 79 awards or tuition assistance grants wrongfully obtained. 80 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 81 82 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================ 83 And the title is amended as follows: 84 Delete everything before the enacting clause 85 and insert: 86 A bill to be entitled 87 An act relating to educational grants; creating s. 88 1009.521, F.S.; providing education grants under the 89 William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student 90 Education Grant Program to certain students who were 91 eligible as of a specified date to receive grants 92 under the former Access to Better Learning and 93 Education Grant Program; providing education grants to 94 eligible students at for-profit colleges or 95 universities under certain conditions; prescribing 96 criteria for participating institutions; requiring 97 that institutions that wish to participate provide 98 notice to the Department of Education by a certain 99 date; requiring that such institutions comply with 100 specified provision; amending s. 1009.40, F.S.; adding 101 a cross reference to the eligibility requirement for 102 residency; providing an effective date.