Title: Minority Teacher Education Scholars

Summary: Revising eligibility criteria for receipt of a minority teacher education scholarship; revising the scholar awards on which the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc.'s budget projection to the Department of Education must be based, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to minority teacher education scholars; amending s. 1009.60, F.S.; revising eligibility criteria for receipt of a minority teacher education scholarship; amending s. 1009.605, F.S.; revising the scholar awards on which the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc. s budget projection to the Department of Education must be based; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsections (1) and (4) of section 1009.60, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1009.60 Minority teacher education scholars program. There is created the minority teacher education scholars program, which is a collaborative performance-based scholarship program for African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, and Native American students. The participants in the program include Florida s Florida College System institutions and its public and private universities that have teacher education programs. (1) The minority teacher education scholars program shall provide an annual scholarship in an amount that shall be prorated based on available appropriations and may not exceed $4,000 for each approved minority teacher education scholar who is enrolled in one of Florida s public or private colleges or universities,in the junior year and is admitted into a teacher education program,and has not earned more than credit hours of upper-division-level courses in education.(4) A student may receive a scholarship from the program for consecutive years if the student remains enrolled full time in the program and makes satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate degree with a major in education or a graduate degree with a major in education, leading to initial certification.Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 1009.605, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1009.605 Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc.  (2)(a) The corporation shall submit an annual budget projection to the Department of Education to be included in the annual legislative budget request. The projection must be based on the cost to award up to scholarships to new scholars in the junior year and up to renewal scholarships to the rising seniors.Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.