No. SB 2516
Filed under Education.
Higher Education; Establishing the Florida Center for Nursing within the University of South Florida; providing that a specified fee waiver applies to a student’s out-of-pocket expenses for tuition and fees after other aid is applied; providing that the LINE Fund was established for shortages in health science professions in addition to nursing; requiring institutions awarded grant funds to submit an annual report by a certain date to the center instead of the Board of Governors or the Department of Education; requiring the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help to provide specified data to the department, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDThe Florida Center for Nursing at USF now solely administers the LINE Fund, replacing the Board of Governors and Department of Education. This centralizes grant evaluation, distribution, and reporting under one entity.
The fund's scope expands from nursing to include related health science programs. Eligible programs must align with the State Board of Education's Career and Technical Education Health Science curriculum framework.
Institutions may now receive matching funds for nonmonetary contributions, such as donated equipment or staff time. The center must quantify these values in dollars to approve the match.
The tuition waiver for strategic emphasis programs now applies only to a student's out-of-pocket expenses after all other federal, state, and institutional gift aid is applied.
AIMoves the center from a standalone entity to within the University of South Florida and assigns it administration of the LINE Fund.
AIBroadens the fund’s scope beyond nursing to include related health science programs, with nursing programs retaining priority.
AIChanges eligibility standards from fixed percentages to a relative measure, allowing programs with lower absolute rates to qualify if within 10% of the national average.
AIConsolidates proposal review, evaluation, award, and reporting under the Florida Center for Nursing instead of the previous split oversight.
AIPermits donated services, space, equipment, and staff time to be quantified and certified as matching contributions, expanding the types of partner support that trigger state matching dollars.
AIRemoves the prior restriction that funds could not be used for construction, allowing capital improvements to existing buildings if they increase enrollment or modernize educational space.
AINarrows the 100% tuition and fee waiver for Programs of Strategic Emphasis to cover only the student’s remaining balance after federal, state, and institutional gift aid is applied.
AIRemoves the obligation for institutions to report waived amounts for state funding purposes and disburse the award amount directly to the student.