Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 300
       
       
        
       By Senator Taddeo
       
       
       
       
       
       40-00161-21                                            2021300__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to student eligibility requirements
    3         for state financial aid awards and tuition assistance
    4         grants; amending s. 1009.40, F.S.; providing that, for
    5         purposes of receiving state financial aid awards, a
    6         student may not be denied classification as a resident
    7         based on his or her immigration status if certain
    8         criteria are met; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   13  1009.40, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         1009.40 General requirements for student eligibility for
   15  state financial aid awards and tuition assistance grants.—
   16         (1)(a) The general requirements for eligibility of students
   17  for state financial aid awards and tuition assistance grants
   18  consist of the following:
   19         1. Achievement of the academic requirements of and
   20  acceptance at a state university or Florida College System
   21  institution; a nursing diploma school approved by the Florida
   22  Board of Nursing; a Florida college or university that which is
   23  accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the State
   24  Board of Education; a Florida institution the credits of which
   25  are acceptable for transfer to state universities; a career
   26  center; or a private career institution accredited by an
   27  accrediting agency recognized by the State Board of Education.
   28         2. Residency in this state for no less than 1 year
   29  preceding the award of aid or a tuition assistance grant for a
   30  program established pursuant to s. 1009.50, s. 1009.505, s.
   31  1009.51, s. 1009.52, s. 1009.53, s. 1009.60, s. 1009.62, s.
   32  1009.72, s. 1009.73, s. 1009.77, s. 1009.89, or s. 1009.891.
   33  Residency in this state must be for purposes other than to
   34  obtain an education. Resident status for purposes of receiving
   35  state financial aid awards shall be determined in the same
   36  manner as resident status for tuition purposes pursuant to s.
   37  1009.21. However, for purposes of receiving state financial aid
   38  awards, a student may not be denied classification as a resident
   39  based solely upon his or her immigration status if he or she has
   40  been granted:
   41         a. Temporary protected status by the United States
   42  Department of Homeland Security; or
   43         b. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status or another
   44  form of prosecutorial discretion by the United States Department
   45  of Homeland Security.
   46         3. Submission of certification attesting to the accuracy,
   47  completeness, and correctness of information provided to
   48  demonstrate a student’s eligibility to receive state financial
   49  aid awards or tuition assistance grants. Falsification of such
   50  information shall result in the denial of a pending application
   51  and revocation of an award or grant currently held to the extent
   52  that no further payments shall be made. Additionally, students
   53  who knowingly make false statements in order to receive state
   54  financial aid awards or tuition assistance grants commit a
   55  misdemeanor of the second degree subject to the provisions of s.
   56  837.06 and shall be required to return all state financial aid
   57  awards or tuition assistance grants wrongfully obtained.
   58         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.