This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives.
STORAGE NAME: h6067c.HEA
DATE: 2/8/2022
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: HB 6067 William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education Grant Program
SPONSOR(S): Fine & others
TIED BILLS: None IDEN./SIM. BILLS: CS/SB 1034
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning
Subcommittee
15 Y, 0 N Sleap Kiner
2) Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee 13 Y, 0 N Peters Smith
3) Education & Employment Committee
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
The William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) tuition assistance grant program
provides tuition assistance to Florida undergraduate students attending an eligible private, non-profit Florida
college or university. Currently, 34 institutions participate in the grant program.
In Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the Legislature appropriated $114,861,630 million to EASE to support 40,430
eligible students at an award amount per student of $2,841.
A Florida undergraduate student attending an eligible private, for-profit Florida college or university was
previously eligible for tuition assistance under the Access to Better Learning and Education (ABLE) Tuition
Assistance Grant Program until its repeal by the Legislature in 2021.
The bill revises the institutional eligibility requirements to participate in EASE, by repealing the requirement that
an institution be a nonprofit in order to participate in the grant program.
The fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminate. See Fiscal Comments.
The bill takes effect on July 1, 2022.
STORAGE NAME: h6067c.HEA PAGE: 2
DATE: 2/8/2022
FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Florida Tuition Assistance Grant Programs
Present Situation
William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) Tuition Assistance Grant Program
The William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) program
1
provides tuition
assistance to Florida undergraduate students attending an eligible private, non-profit Florida college or
university.
2
The program is not related to a student’s financial need or other criteria upon which
financial aid programs are based.
3
The program is administered by the Department of Education
(DOE)
4
with the following parameters:
Student initial eligibility requirements:
5
o Must be a resident of Florida and meet the eligibility requirements for receipt of state
aid.
6
o Must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at an eligible college or university
in a program of study leading to a baccalaureate degree.
7
o Must not be enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree in theology or divinity.
o Must be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the State Board of
Education.
o Must not have completed more than 110 percent of the degree program in which the
student is enrolled.
Institutional eligibility requirements:
8
o Must be an independent nonprofit college or university.
o Must be located in and chartered by the state of Florida.
o Must be accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC).
o Must grant baccalaureate degrees.
o Must not be a state university or Florida College System (FCS) institution.
o Must have a secular purpose, so long as the receipt of state aid by students at the
institution would not have the primary effect of advancing or impeding religion or result in
an excessive entanglement between the state and any religious group.
Funding for the EASE program is appropriated in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
9
Award
disbursements may be prorated if the funds available are insufficient to provide a full award to all
eligible students.
10
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022, the Legislature appropriated $114,861,630 million for
EASE to support 40,430 eligible students at an award amount of $2,841 per student for tuition
assistance.
11
Currently, 34 institutions participate in EASE.
12
1
Section 471, ch. 2002-387, L.O.F.; the EASE program was formerly known as the Florida Resident Access Grant, or FRAG.
2
Section 1009.89(3)-(4), F.S.
3
Section 1009.89(1), F.S.
4
Section 1009.89(2), F.S.; See also Rule 6A-20.007, F.A.C.
5
Section 1009.89(4)(a)-(b), F.S.
6
Section 1009.89(4)(a), F.S. See also s. 1009.40, F.S.
7
The student may not have previously received a baccalaureate degree. Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial
Assistance, EASE 2021-22 End of Year Fact Sheet, at 1, available at
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/factsheets/EASE.pdf
8
Section 1009.89(3), F.S.
9
Section 1009.89(5)(a), F.S.
10
Specific Appropriation 64, s. 2, ch. 2021-36, L.O.F.
11
Id.
12
Florida Department of Education, Presentation to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (Oct. 21, 2021), at 18,
available at STORAGE NAME: h6067c.HEA PAGE: 3
DATE: 2/8/2022
All institutions that receive EASE funding are required to submit an annual accountability report to the
DOE with the most recently available information on Florida resident students and include, at a
minimum, the following performance metrics, by institution:
13
Access rate based upon percentage of Pell-eligible students;
Affordability rate based upon average student load debt; federal, state, and institutional financial
assistance; and average tuition and fees;
Graduation rate;
Retention rate; and
Postgraduate employment or continuing education rate.
The DOE must recommend minimum performance standards that EASE institutions must meet to
remain eligible to receive grant funding.
14
By October 1 of each year, the DOE must submit a report to
the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee,
and the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget on the performance of eligible institutions and the
institutions which have not met the minimum performance standards recommended by the
department.
15
During the October 2021 reporting period, the DOE recommended the following performance
standards:
Ease Eligibility Metric Benchmark
Access Rate 53%
Affordability Rate $6,343
Graduation Rate 53%
Retention Rate 68%
Postgraduate Employment/Continuing
Education Rate
49%
In 2021, the Legislature established additional requirements for postsecondary educational institutions
that receive state funds for state financial aid and tuition assistance programs.
16
The new requirements
include, but are not limited to, the following:
17
Maintenance of complete, accurate, and auditable records documenting the institution’s
administration of state financial aid and tuition assistance funds.
Verification of student eligibility with the DOE each academic term.
Timely completion of reporting requirements implemented by the DOE and the Legislature.
Retention of records for the later of 5 years or until the completion of an audit (including the
resolution of any audit exceptions).
The DOE is required to adopt rules implementing the new requirements and is permitted to adopt
higher standards than those in statute.
18
Institutions that fail to comply must be placed on probationary
status and may be suspended or revoked if they fail to provide required audits, fail to resolve audit
findings, or fail to timely provide required reports.
19
The Access to Better Learning and Education (ABLE) Tuition Assistance Grant Program
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?PublicationType=Committees&CommitteeId=3089&Session=20
22&DocumentType=Meeting+Packets&FileName=hea+10-21-21.pdf.
13
Section. 4, ch. 2021-46, L.O.F., codified at s. 1009.89(5)(c), F.S.
14
Section 1009.89(5)(c), F.S. (flush left provision at the end of the subparagraph)
15
Section 1009.89(5)(d), F.S.
16
Chapter 2021-232, L.O.F.
17
Section 1009.46(1), F.S.
18
Section 1009.46(2), F.S.
19
Section 1009.46(3), F.S. STORAGE NAME: h6067c.HEA PAGE: 4
DATE: 2/8/2022
In 2003, the Legislature established the Access to Better Learning and Education (ABLE) Tuition
Assistance Grant Program.
20
The grant program provided tuition assistance to Florida undergraduate
students at eligible institutions until its repeal by the Legislature in 2021.
21
Previously under ABLE, Florida undergraduate students attending an eligible private, for-profit Florida
college or university or an eligible non-profit college or university were eligible for tuition assistance.
22
The program was not related to a student’s financial need or other criteria upon which financial aid
programs are based.
23
The grant program was administered by the DOE with the following parameters:
Student eligibility requirements:
24
o Must be a resident of Florida and meet the eligibility requirements for receipt of state aid.
o Must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at an eligible college or university
in a program of study leading to a baccalaureate degree.
o Must not be enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree in theology or divinity.
o Must be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college or university in
which they are enrolled
Institutional eligibility requirements:
25
o For-profit college or university
Must be located in and chartered by the state of Florida.
Must be accredited by the SACSCOC .
o Nonprofit college or university
Must be chartered out of the state.
Must have been located in the state for 10 years or more.
Must be accredited by one of the following:
SACSCOC;
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools;
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; or
New England Association of Colleges and Schools.
o Must grant baccalaureate degrees.
o Must not be a state university or FCS institution.
o Must have a secular purpose, so long as the receipt of state aid by students at the
institution would not have the primary effect of advancing or impeding religion or result in
an excessive entanglement between the state and any religious group.
In the FY 2020-21 GAA, the Legislature appropriated $5,025,729 for ABLE to support 1,769 eligible
students with an average award amount per student of $2,841 in tuition assistance.
26
No funds were
appropriated for this purpose in FY 2021-22.
Effect of the Bill
The bill repeals the requirement for an institution to be a nonprofit in order to be eligible to participate in
the William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) grant program.
B. SECTION DIRECTORY:
Section 1. Amends s. 1009.89, F.S.; revising the institutions a student must attend to receive an
EASE grant to include certain for-profit independent colleges and universities.
Section 2. Provides an effective date of July 1, 2022.
20
Section 1, ch. 2003-65, L.O.F., codified at s. 1009.891
21
Section 5, ch. 2021-46, L.O.F.
22
Section 1009.891(3), F.S. (2020) repealed s. 5, ch. 2021-46, L.O.F.
23
Id. at (1)
24
Id. at (4)(a)-(b)
25
Id. at (3)
26
Specific Appropriation 64, s. 2, ch. 2020-111, L.O.F. STORAGE NAME: h6067c.HEA PAGE: 5
DATE: 2/8/2022
II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
See Fiscal Comments.
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
None.
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR:
The bill may provide a cost savings to eligible students by way of tuition assistance for those students
who are enrolled in a postsecondary institution which may now be eligible to participate in the EASE
grant program.
D. FISCAL COMMENTS:
The fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminate. By removing the nonprofit requirement for institutions to
participate in the EASE program, the number of institutions and students that may be eligible to receive
EASE grants would increase.
It is estimated that one additional institution, Florida National University, will meet the eligibility
requirements to receive EASE grant awards.
27
In 2020-21, Florida National University disbursed 795
ABLE awards.
28
If all 795 ABLE award recipients were to receive fully funded/non-prorated EASE
awards, the total amount disbursed would be $2,258,595.
III. COMMENTS
A. CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES:
1. Applicability of Municipality/County Mandates Provision:
None.
2. Other:
None.
B. RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY:
None.
C. DRAFTING ISSUES OR OTHER COMMENTS:
27
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Accredited and Candidate List (Jul, 2021), at 8,
available at https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2019/11/Institutionswebmemlist.pdf
28
Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance, 2020-21 End of Year Reports – Access to Better Learning
and Education Grant Program (ABLE) (Sept. 1, 2021), at 2, available at
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/PSI/ABLE_2020_2021.pdf STORAGE NAME: h6067c.HEA PAGE: 6
DATE: 2/8/2022
None.
IV. AMENDMENTS/COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE CHANGES
None.