Modifications to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program are required due to recent legislation included in Chapter 2023-39, Laws of Florida, that include implementing and providing clarification for section 1009.531, ....

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

State Board of Education

RULE NO.: RULE TITLE:

6A-20.028: Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: Modifications to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program are required due to recent legislation included in Chapter 2023-39, Laws of Florida, that include implementing and providing clarification for section 1009.531, Florida Statutes. The changes include permitting students to combine volunteer service and paid work hours, authorizing students to earn a concordant score on the Classic Learning Test (CLT) to meet the minimum college entrance exam score requirement, and extending the college entrance exam test score deadline to August 31 of the student’s last year in high school.

SUMMARY: Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program initial eligibility requirements including volunteer and paid work hours, in addition to test score requirements.

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 the nature of the changes and experience with similar changes in the past, the proposed rule is not expected to have any adverse impact on economic growth or business competitiveness, increase regulated costs, or any other factor set forth in section 120.541(2), Florida Statutes 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), 1009.53(3), F.S.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1009.40, 1009.42, 1009.43, 1009.53, 1009.531, 1009.532, 1009.533, 1009.534, 1009.5341, 1009.535, 1009.536 and 1009.538, F.S.

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

DATE AND TIME: July 19, 2023, 9:00 a.m.

PLACE: Rosen Shingle Creek, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32819.

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

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

6A-20.028 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

(1) through (2) No change.

(3) Initial eligibility requirements.

(a) through (c) No change.

(d) A home-educated student applying for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program Academic Scholars award under Section 1009.53(2) 1009.534, F.S., must complete volunteer service hours or paid work hours that meet the following requirements during high school and by high school graduation:

1. through 4. No change.

5. Volunteer service hours and paid work hours are separate paths to satisfy the hours requirement; however, they may cannot be combined to achieve a minimum of one hundred (100) total hours satisfy the hours required.

(e) through (f) No change.

(g) Initial Academic Criteria:

1. For the purposes of student eligibility, in accordance with Sections 1009.534(1)(a) and 1009.535(1)(a), F.S., coursework must include a minimum of four (4) credits in English, four (4) credits in mathematics, three (3) credits in science, three (3) credits in social science, and completion of the foreign language component of the scholar designation pursuant to Section 1003.4285, F.S.

a. through c. No change.

d. A student must earn at least the minimum standardized Evidence-Based based Reading and Writing and Math scores on the SAT combined composite, excluding the Essay section, or the minimum standardized scores on the ACT, or the minimum standardized scores on the Classic Learning Test (CLT) either administered by January 31 for the seventh semester evaluation or by August 31 June 30 for the eighth semester evaluation of the student’s last year in high school, as identified for each award level specified in Section 1009.531(6), F.S. ACT scores are rounded up for scores with .5 and higher; SAT and CLT scores do not require rounding. Sections of the SAT, or ACT, or CLT from different test dates may be used to meet the test criteria, but test types cannot be mixed. Scores from CLT test dates prior to July 1, 2023, may not be used.

I. To be eligible for the Florida Academic Scholars award, a student must achieve the required examination score at the 89th SAT User percentile, or the concordant ACT score, or the concordant CLT score.

II. To be eligible for the Florida Medallion Scholars award, a student must achieve the required examination score at the 75th SAT User percentile, or the concordant ACT score, or the concordant CLT score.

III. through IV. No change.

2. No change.

(h) No change.

(4) Academic Top Scholars awards.

(a) No change.

(b) To be designated an Academic Top Scholar, a student must have:

1. through 3. No change.

4. Been the highest-ranked Florida Academic Scholars award recipient in the Florida school district where the student last attended and graduated from high school. For this determination, Florida Academic Scholars award recipients will be ranked by the FDOE on the basis of the product of their Florida Bright Futures cumulative GPA, calculated on the minimum college preparatory academic courses as listed in subparagraph (3)(g)1. of this rule and their best combined SAT, or composite ACT, or combined CLT test score as reported for their Florida Academic Scholars eligibility.

(c) In the event of a tie, the FDOE shall apply the following criteria in the following order to students who are tied in the same school district, until the tie is broken:

1. The product of each student’s weighted Bright Futures GPA and best combined SAT, or equivalent ACT score, or equivalent CLT score at a single administration of the test.

2. The product of each student’s weighted Bright Futures GPA and best combined SAT, or equivalent ACT score, or equivalent CLT score at the earliest single administration of the test.

3. through 4. No change.

(5) through (7) No change.

(8) Institutional responsibilities.

(a) through (d) No change.

(e) Florida eligible non-public secondary schools must, in order to annually maintain eligibility to participate in the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program:

1. No change.

2. Submit scholarship required courses, volunteer service hours or paid work hours, and other eligibility criteria data as requested for all students in ninth through twelfth grades to the FDOE, via the Online Transcript Entry and Evaluation System (https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsgk.org).

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1009.53(3) FS. Law Implemented 1009.40, 1009.42, 1009.43, 1009.53, 1009.531, 1009.532, 1009.533, 1009.534, 1009.5341, 1009.535, 1009.536, 1009.538 FS. History–New 5-10-12, Amended 1-1-14, 11-29-16, 3-15-22, 11-23-22,

 

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

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Manny Diaz Jr., Commissioner, Department of Education.

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: June 12, 2023

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: May 26, 2023