Florida Senate - 2023                             CS for SB 1272
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Appropriations; and Senators Simon, Powell,
       Gruters, Garcia, and Perry
       
       
       
       
       576-04239-23                                          20231272c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to educational grants; creating s.
    3         1009.521, F.S.; providing education grants under the
    4         William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student
    5         Education Grant Program to certain students who were
    6         eligible as of a specified date to receive grants
    7         under the former Access to Better Learning and
    8         Education Grant Program; providing education grants to
    9         eligible students at for-profit colleges or
   10         universities under certain conditions; prescribing
   11         criteria for participating institutions; requiring
   12         that institutions that wish to participate provide
   13         notice to the Department of Education by a certain
   14         date; requiring that such institutions comply with
   15         specified provision; amending s. 1009.40, F.S.; adding
   16         a cross reference to the eligibility requirement for
   17         residency; providing an effective date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Section 1009.521, Florida Statutes, is created
   22  to read:
   23         1009.521Educational grants to former eligible tuition
   24  assistance grant students.—
   25         (1)(a) The department shall issue a grant pursuant to s.
   26  1009.89 to any full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student
   27  who meets the requirements of s. 1009.89(4)(a) and (b)1. and is
   28  registered at an independent nonprofit university that, as of
   29  January 1, 2021, was eligible for the Access to Better Learning
   30  and Education Grant Program, as created by former s. 1009.891,
   31  if such university has been located in this state for more than
   32  20 years; offers nursing programs at its Florida campus which
   33  include licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN),
   34  including associate of science in nursing (ASN) and bachelor of
   35  science in nursing (BSN), accelerated BSN, practical nurse
   36  bridge to ASN, and practical nurse bridge to BSN; and is
   37  accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
   38         (b) The department shall issue a grant pursuant to s.
   39  1009.89 to any full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student
   40  who meets the requirements of s. 1009.89(4)(a) and (b)1. and is
   41  registered at an independent for-profit college or university
   42  located in and chartered by this state, accredited by an
   43  accrediting agency or association recognized by the database
   44  created and maintained by the United States Department of
   45  Education, was licensed by the department on or before October
   46  1, 2021, and has Level 6 accreditation from the Commission on
   47  Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
   48         (2) An institution that meets the criteria specified in
   49  paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph (1)(b) may not be a state
   50  university or Florida College System institution. In addition,
   51  the institution must have a secular purpose, and the receipt of
   52  state aid by students at the institution may not have the
   53  primary effect of advancing or impeding religion or result in an
   54  excessive entanglement between the state and any religious sect.
   55         (3) To qualify for funding under this section, an
   56  institution must exercise a one-time option to participate by
   57  notifying the department, in writing, of its decision to
   58  participate on or before September 1, 2023, and must comply with
   59  s. 1009.89(5)(a)-(c).
   60         Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   61  1009.40, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   62         1009.40 General requirements for student eligibility for
   63  state financial aid awards and tuition assistance grants.—
   64         (1)(a) The general requirements for eligibility of students
   65  for state financial aid awards and tuition assistance grants
   66  consist of the following:
   67         1. Achievement of the academic requirements of and
   68  acceptance at a state university or Florida College System
   69  institution; a nursing diploma school approved by the Florida
   70  Board of Nursing; a Florida college or university which is
   71  accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the State
   72  Board of Education; a Florida institution the credits of which
   73  are acceptable for transfer to state universities; a career
   74  center; or a private career institution accredited by an
   75  accrediting agency recognized by the State Board of Education.
   76         2. Residency in this state for no less than 1 year
   77  preceding the award of aid or a tuition assistance grant for a
   78  program established pursuant to s. 1009.50, s. 1009.505, s.
   79  1009.51, s. 1009.52, s. 1009.521, s. 1009.53, s. 1009.60, s.
   80  1009.62, s. 1009.72, s. 1009.73, s. 1009.75, s. 1009.77, s.
   81  1009.89, or s. 1009.894. Residency in this state must be for
   82  purposes other than to obtain an education. Resident status for
   83  purposes of receiving state financial aid awards shall be
   84  determined in the same manner as resident status for tuition
   85  purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21.
   86         3. Submission of certification attesting to the accuracy,
   87  completeness, and correctness of information provided to
   88  demonstrate a student’s eligibility to receive state financial
   89  aid awards or tuition assistance grants. Falsification of such
   90  information shall result in the denial of a pending application
   91  and revocation of an award or grant currently held to the extent
   92  that no further payments shall be made. Additionally, students
   93  who knowingly make false statements in order to receive state
   94  financial aid awards or tuition assistance grants commit a
   95  misdemeanor of the second degree subject to the provisions of s.
   96  837.06 and shall be required to return all state financial aid
   97  awards or tuition assistance grants wrongfully obtained.
   98         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.