The Florida Senate
BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
(This document is based on the provisions contained in the legislation as of the latest date listed below.)
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Committee on Education Pre-K -12
BILL: SB 644
INTRODUCER: Senator Wright
SUBJECT: Dual Enrollment Student Eligibility
DATE: March 10, 2025
ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR REFERENCE ACTION
1. Brick Bouck ED Pre-meeting
2. AED
3. FP
I. Summary:
SB 644 expands the definition of a secondary student eligible for dual enrollment to include
students aged 16 to 18 who are enrolled in an adult education program and working toward a
standard high school diploma.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
II. Present Situation:
Dual Enrollment Eligibility
Florida’s dual enrollment program allows eligible secondary students to enroll in postsecondary
courses that count toward both a high school diploma and a career certificate, associate degree,
or baccalaureate degree. A student enrolled in a postsecondary course that does not apply toward
high school graduation is not considered a dual enrollment student.
1
An eligible secondary student is a student enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in a public school,
private school, or home education program that meets statutory requirements.
2
Students not
seeking a high school diploma or who are not meeting academic eligibility standards cannot
participate in dual enrollment.
3
1
Section 1007.271(1), F.S.
2
Section 1007.271(2), F.S.
3
Section 1007.271(3), F.S. Exceptions to the required grade point average may be granted on a case-by-case basis as
determined in the articulation agreement. Id.
REVISED: BILL: SB 644 Page 2
GPA and Course Eligibility Requirements
Students must meet specific academic eligibility requirements for initial and continued
enrollment in dual enrollment courses:
4
• Enrollment in college credit courses requires a 3.0 unweighted GPA and demonstration of
college-level communication and computation skills.
• Enrollment in career certificate courses requires a 2.0 unweighted GPA.
• Continued eligibility requires maintaining the minimum postsecondary GPA set by the
institution and compliance with academic and behavioral standards. Students may lose
eligibility if they fail to meet GPA requirements or disrupt the learning environment.
In the 2023-2024 school year, 85,527 students were enrolled in a dual enrollment course.
5
Articulation Agreements and Institutional Responsibilities
Each district school superintendent and public postsecondary institution president must enter into
a comprehensive dual enrollment articulation agreement, which must:
6
• Define eligible students and participating institutions.
• Outline registration procedures and funding provisions.
• Ensure compliance with college-level academic expectations.
Each public postsecondary institution that offers dual enrollment must enter into an articulation
agreement with any home education program students who wish to participate in dual
enrollment.
7
Tuition and Fee Waivers for Dual Enrollment Students
A student enrolled in an eligible dual enrollment course is exempt from the payment of
registration, tuition, and laboratory fees. This exemption applies to students enrolled in public
high schools, private schools, and home education programs.
8
The resident tuition rate for:
• The State University System (SUS) is set at $105.07 per credit hour.
9
• The Florida College System (FCS) is $71.98 per credit hour for college credit courses and
$91.79 per credit hour for baccalaureate degree programs.
10
• College credit courses at a career center is $71.98 per credit hour.
11
School districts must pay postsecondary institutions the standard tuition rate per credit hour
when dual enrollment courses are taken on a postsecondary campus during the fall or spring
4
Section 1007.271(3), F.S.
5
Florida Department of Education, Know Your School Portal – Acceleration – Accelerated Course Enrollment,
https://edudata.fldoe.org/ReportCards/Schools.html?school=0000&district=00 (last visited Mar. 6, 2025) (Accelerated
Course Enrollment Data Table Creation: “Year”: “2023-24”; “Acceleration Type”: “Dual Enrollment”).
6
Section 1007.271(21), F.S.
7
Section 1007.271(13), F.S.
8
Section 1007.271(2), F.S.
9
Section 1009.24(4)(a), F.S.
10
Section 1009.23(3), F.S.
11
Section 1009.22(4), F.S. BILL: SB 644 Page 3
term.
12
These tuition payments must come from funds provided in the Florida Education Finance
Program (FEFP).
13
When dual enrollment courses are taught on a high school campus by school district faculty, the
district is not required to make tuition payments to postsecondary institutions.
14
Adult Education Programs and Enrollment
Florida’s adult education programs were established to provide educational services that help
adults acquire:
15
• The basic skills necessary to attain basic and functional literacy.
• A high school diploma or successfully complete the high school equivalency examination.
• An educational foundation that will enable them to become more employable, productive,
and self-sufficient citizens.
The major program areas include Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult Secondary Education
(ASE), GED
®
Preparation, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). These
programs emphasize basic skills such as reading, writing, math, and English language
competency. Adult education programs also help adult learners gain the knowledge and skills
they need to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.
16
ASE consists of courses through which a person receives high school credit that leads to the
award of a high school diploma or a course of instruction through which a student prepares to
take the high school equivalency examination.
17
A block tuition of $45 per half year or $30 per term is assessed for students enrolled in adult
general education, which includes adult secondary education programs.
18
Each district school
board and FCS institution may adopt tuition that is within the range of five percent below to five
percent above the standard tuition.
19
In the 2023-24 program year, 9,988 students were enrolled in Adult Secondary Education (ASE)
programs statewide. Of these, 4,792 students were aged 16-18.
20
12
Section 1007.271(21)(n)1., F.S.
13
Section 1007.271(21)(n)1., F.S.
14
Section 1007.271(21)(n)2., F.S.
15
Section 1004.93(1)(a), F.S.
16
Florida Department of Education, Adult Education, https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/adult-edu/, (last
visited Mar. 6, 2025).
17
Section 1004.02(4), F.S.
18
Section 1009.22(3)(c), F.S.
19
Section 1009.22(3)(d), F.S. Florida Department of Education, State Funding for Districts: 2023-24 District Workforce
Education Tuition and Fees (Attachment), available at https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7529/urlt/2023-24-
Workforce-Education-Tuition-and-Fees-Attachment.pdf at 1.
20
Florida Department of Education, 2023-24 Statewide National Reporting System (NRS) Report, available at
https://www.fldoe.org/file/9904/2324StatewideNRSReport.pdf at 4. BILL: SB 644 Page 4
Funding for Dual Enrollment in Public High Schools
School districts may include dual enrollment students in their calculations of full-time equivalent
(FTE) student membership for basic education programs in grades 9 through 12. The number of
FTE students is determined by the instructional hours required for an equivalent course if it were
taught in the school district.
21
For students enrolled in early college programs or other dual enrollment programs, school
districts receive additional FTE funding under specific conditions:
22
• Students in an early college program generate 0.16 FTE for completing a general education
core course through dual enrollment with a grade of "A" or better.
• Students not in an early college program generate 0.08 FTE for completing a general
education core course through dual enrollment with a grade of "A."
• Students completing a career course through dual enrollment in a pathway leading to an
industry certification included on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List generate 0.08
FTE for receiving an "A" grade.
• Students earning an associate degree through dual enrollment with a 3.0 GPA or higher
generate 0.3 FTE.
School districts received approximately 10,670 weighted full-time equivalent student
membership related to dual enrollment performance in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
23
Each school district must allocate at least 50 percent of the funds received from dual enrollment
bonus FTE funding to the schools that generated the funds, supporting student academic
guidance and postsecondary readiness.
24
Students in adult education programs do not generate FEFP funding.
25
Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program
The Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program provides state-funded reimbursement to
postsecondary institutions for tuition and instructional materials for private school and home
education students participating in dual enrollment. The program aims to expand access to dual
enrollment by offsetting costs for non-public school students, allowing participation without
tuition or fee burdens.
26
21
Section 1011.62(1)(i), F.S.
22
Section 1011.62(1)(i)2., F.S.
23
Florida Department of Education, 2023-24 FEFP Final Calculation, available at https://www.fldoe.org/file/7507/23-
24FEFPFinalCalc.pdf, at 18.
24
Section 1011.62(1)(i)2., F.S.
25
Section 1011.62, F.S.
26
Section 1009.30(1), F.S. BILL: SB 644 Page 5
III. Effect of Proposed Changes:
SB 644 amends s. 1007.271, F.S., to expand the definition of a secondary student eligible for
dual enrollment to include students aged 16 to 18 who are enrolled in an adult education program
and working toward a standard high school diploma.
Expanding dual enrollment eligibility to adult education students may require modifications to
school district articulation agreements to accommodate these students and to address funding
considerations for students who do not generate Florida Education Finance program (FEFP)
funding.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
IV. Constitutional Issues:
A. Municipality/County Mandates Restrictions:
None.
B. Public Records/Open Meetings Issues:
None.
C. Trust Funds Restrictions:
None.
D. State Tax or Fee Increases:
None.
E. Other Constitutional Issues:
None.
V. Fiscal Impact Statement:
A. Tax/Fee Issues:
None.
B. Private Sector Impact:
None.
C. Government Sector Impact:
School districts and Florida College System (FCS) institutions with adult education
students that participate in dual enrollment through articulation agreements may BILL: SB 644 Page 6
experience fiscal impacts. The extent of these impacts will depend on student demand
and the payment terms of individual agreements.
VI. Technical Deficiencies:
None.
VII. Related Issues:
None.
VIII. Statutes Affected:
This bill substantially amends s. 1007.271, F.S.
IX. Additional Information:
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Changes:
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.)
None.
B. Amendments:
None.
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.