To establish a State Board of Education rule to set forth requirements surrounding the Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship Program, including student eligibility, school district and postsecondary institution reporting, ....

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

State Board of Education

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

6A-20.0283Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship Program

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: To establish a State Board of Education rule to set forth requirements surrounding the Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship Program, including student eligibility, school district and postsecondary institution reporting, as well as, priority for scholarship awards.

SUMMARY: The proposed rule provides that a farmworker or a child of a farmworker is eligible to apply for a scholarship if the student has a 3.5 GPA, has a 90 percent high school attendance rate, no disciplinary actions while in high school and completed community service hours. The student must file a Financial Aid application and be enrolled a minimum of hours in a postsecondary institution. The rule establishes academic and non-academic requirements for renewal of the scholarship. Priority for scholarships is to student renewals and then initial applicants, with those with the least family contribution having priority. The proposed rule also provides the means for non-public secondary schools to register so that a student attending such an institution can receive the scholarship.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION:

The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: Based upon experience with scholarship programs in the past, the proposed rule is not expected to increase regulatory cost, negatively impact economic growth or any other factor listed in section 120.541(2), F.S. and will not require legislative ratification.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1009.894(1), F.S.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1009.40, 1009.41, 1009.42, 1009.894, F.S.

A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

DATE AND TIME: February 9, 2022, 9:00 a.m.

PLACE: Tallahassee Community College, Student Union Ballroom, 444 Appleyard Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32304.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Parker Campbell, Director, State Scholarships and Grants, Finance and Operations, Office of Student Financial Assistance, [phone].

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

6A-20.0283 Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship Program

(1) General eligibility requirements. To receive an initial or renewing Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship Program award a student shall meet the provisions of sections 1009.40, 1009.41, 1009.42 and 1009.894, F.S., and Rules 6A-20.001, 6A-20.003 and 6A-20.0371, F.A.C., and:

(a) Be enrolled in a public Florida postsecondary institution in an undergraduate degree or career certificate program of study.

(b) Be enrolled in a minimum of twelve (12) semester credit hours, or equivalent quarter or clock credit hours, per term.

(c) Be a farmworker as defined in section 420.503, F.S., or child of a farmworker.

(d) Be a Florida resident as provided in section 1009.40 and Rule 6A-20.003 F.A.C. and a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.

(2) Initial eligibility requirements.

(a) Information about the scholarship program is made available via the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) website (https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org).

(b) For the purposes of initial eligibility, in accordance with section 1009.894, F.S., the student must:

1. File the FFAA-1, Florida Financial Aid Application for Students, as incorporated by reference in Rule 6A-20.019, F.A.C., and meet all Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship Program academic requirements provided in Florida Statutes. A copy of Form FFAA-1 may be obtained online at https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org.

2. Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online in time to be processed error-free by the U.S. Department of Education on or before May 15.

3. Have earned a minimum weighted cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 for all high school courses creditable toward a diploma.

4. Have a minimum ninety (90) percent attendance rate and have no disciplinary action documented on the high school transcript.

5. Have completed a minimum of thirty (30) community service hours.  Service hours may not be hours that benefitted the student financially or materially, or be service to family members defined as: parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and spouses, including aforementioned step relations.

(c) At the end of the regular registration period, inclusive of the drop/add period for each academic term for which aid is received, an eligible student shall:

1. Be enrolled for a minimum of twelve (12) credits for a degree program  or a minimum of three hundred sixty (360) clock hours per term for a certificate program;

2. Not owe a repayment of a federal Title IV grant, or any state grant or scholarship unless satisfactory arrangements have been made to repay; and

3.  Not be in default on any state or federal student loan program unless satisfactory arrangements have been made to repay.

(3) Academic eligibility for renewal awards is determined at the end of the second semester or third quarter of each academic year. To be eligible for a renewal award, a student shallhave earned a minimum cumulative institutional grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for postsecondary work.

(4) Appeals. An applicant may appeal decisions of ineligibility made due to failure to meet academic progress requirements or errors made by the Office of Student Financial Assistance under the provisions of Rule 6A-20.0371, F.A.C.

(5) Award procedures. The department will make awards, not to exceed the number of full awardees set in statute. Priority in the distribution of funds will be as follows:

(a) First priority will be given to renewal applicants.

(b) Second priority for awards will be given to initial applicants. If the number of awards remaining is insufficient to award all such applicants, they will be ranked and selected first by the least family contribution as specified on the FAFSA and second by the earliest postmark or electronic receipt date of the Florida Financial Aid Application. If the number of awards remaining is insufficient to award all equally ranked applicants, the tie will be broken through random selection.

(6) Florida public school districts shall submit transcript, service hours, and eligibility criteria data by deadlines established by the FDOE.

(7) Institutional Responsibilities. Institutions shall meet the provisions of section 1009.46, F.S. and Rule 6A-20.002, F.A.C.

(8) Florida eligible non-public secondary schools must register as a non-public high school via the Private Annual School Survey (http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/private-schools/annual-survey.stml) with the FDOE and submit scholarship required courses, service hours, and other eligibility criteria data as requested to the FDOE, via the Online Transcript Entry and Evaluation System (https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org).

 

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1),(2)(n), 1009.894(1) FS. Law Implemented 1009.40, 1009.894 FS. History–New

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Parker Campbell, Director, State Scholarships and Grants, Finance and Operations.

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Richard Corcoran, Commissioner, Department of Education.

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: December 21, 2021

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: September 13, 2021