The Florida Senate

¹240.4145  African and Afro-Caribbean Scholarship Program.--

(1)  There is hereby created the African and Afro-Caribbean Scholarship Program. The purpose of the program is to provide scholarship support for eligible postsecondary-level students to pursue vocational programs in this state that will enable them to address the infrastructure needs of developing third-world countries. Funds appropriated by the Legislature for the program shall be deposited in the State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund.

(2)  The Department of Education shall administer the program and shall adopt rules that will aid in carrying out the purposes of this section. The Florida Black Caucus, which consists of black members of the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives, shall advise the department as it develops such rules. The Comptroller shall authorize an expenditure from the trust fund for the program upon receipt of a voucher approved by the department.

(3)  The amount of each scholarship shall be $10,000 per year per student, renewable until the student completes his or her educational program, as long as the student continues to be eligible.

(4)  In order to be eligible, a student must:

(a)  Be accepted or enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or vocational student at an eligible institution;

(b)  Be a citizen of a sub-Saharan African country or an Afro-Caribbean country;

(c)  Have declared his or her intention to return to his or her country or region upon completing his or her studies and to remain there the number of years equal to the number of annual awards the student receives under this program;

(d)  Be in financial need; and

(e)  Maintain passing grades.

(5)(a)  An institution is eligible to participate under this section if it is located in this state and is either a state university, a community college, or an independent institution eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant Program.

(b)  A participating institution may seek matching funds from private businesses or individuals.

(c)  No institution may receive more than 25 percent of the funds available for the program in any one year.

(d)  The institution may waive out-of-state tuition fees for students who receive scholarships through the program.

History.--s. 1, ch. 89-146; s. 1, ch. 90-261; s. 31, ch. 94-230; s. 829, ch. 95-148; s. 3, ch. 95-376; s. 22, ch. 99-13; s. 3(7), ch. 2000-321.

¹Note.--Repealed January 7, 2003, by s. 3(7), ch. 2000-321, and shall be reviewed by the Legislature prior to that date.