Title: Postsecondary Educational Institution Fee Waivers

Summary: Requiring a state university, a Florida College System institution, a career center operated by a school district, or a charter technical career center to waive out-of-state fees for students who have a current temporary protected status; requiring such institutions to require the student to provide supporting documentation for the status, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to postsecondary educational institution fee waivers; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; requiring a state university, a Florida College System institution, a career center operated by a school district, or a charter technical career center to waive out-of-state fees for students who have a current temporary protected status; requiring such institutions to require the student to provide supporting documentation for the status; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsection (12) of section 1009.26, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1009.26 Fee waivers.  (12)(a) A state university, a Florida College System institution, a career center operated by a school district under s. 1001.44, or a charter technical career center shall waive out-of-state fees for students, including, but not limited to, students who are undocumented for federal immigration purposes or who have a current temporary protected status, as designated by the Department of Homeland Security,who meet the following conditions: 1. Attended a secondary school in this state for consecutive years immediately before graduating from a high school in this state; 2. Apply for enrollment in an institution of higher education within months after high school graduation; and 3. Submit an official Florida high school transcript as evidence of attendance and graduation. (b) Tuition and fees charged to a student who qualifies for the out-of-state fee waiver under this subsection may not exceed the tuition and fees charged to a resident student. The waiver is applicable for percent of the required credit hours of the degree or certificate program for which the student is enrolled. Each state university, Florida College System institution, career center operated by a school district under s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center shall report to the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, respectively, the number and value of all fee waivers granted annually under this subsection. By October of each year, the Board of Governors for the state universities and the State Board of Education for Florida College System institutions, career centers operated by a school district under s. 1001.44, and charter technical career centers shall annually report for the previous academic year the percentage of resident and nonresident students enrolled systemwide. (c) A state university student granted an out-of-state fee waiver under this subsection must be considered a nonresident student for purposes of calculating the systemwide total enrollment of nonresident students as limited by regulation of the Board of Governors. In addition, a student who is granted an out-of-state fee waiver under this subsection is not eligible for state financial aid under part III of this chapter and must not be reported as a resident for tuition purposes. (d) A state university, a Florida College System institution, a career center operated by a school district under s. 1001.44, or a charter technical career center shall, within the nonresident student enrollment systemwide, prioritize the enrollment of a veteran who is granted an out-of-state fee waiver pursuant to the Congressman C.W.  Bill  Young Tuition Waiver Act over a student who is granted an out-of-state fee waiver under this subsection. (e) A state university, a Florida College System institution, a career center operated by a school district under s. 1001.44, or a charter technical career center shall require a student to provide documentation supporting their temporary protected status. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.