Galvano files bill to expand, secure scholarships for students

Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, filed a bill Wednesday that would secure permanent expansion of scholarships for Florida students.

Senate Bill 4, Florida Excellence in Higher Education Act of 2018, aims to expand merit-based and need-based financial aid funding and establish flexible tuition policies available to families, according to the release.

It would include a permanent expansion of the Bright Futures Academic Scholar award and the Bright Futures Medallion Scholar award.

Senate President Joe Negron said in a released statement that 94,000 students are expected to qualify for new or renewed Bright Futures Academic and Medallion Scholarships.

The academic scholar award would permanently expand to 100 percent of tuition and fees while the medallion scholar award would permanently expand to 75 percent of tuition and fees.

The bill would also expand the First Generation Matching Grant program and create a new Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship for children of migrant families.

Should the bill be passed into law, it would require universities to implement an institutional block tuition and fee policy for full-time, in-state, undergraduate resident students.

The bill also aims to establish a faculty scholar program in efforts to help universities bring in, recognize and keep exemplary faculty.

It would also refine performance expectations for universities, incentivizing and rewarding those that graduate students in four years with a bachelor’s degree.

“A college or university education is a significant investment of both time and money. The permanent expansion of Bright Futures Academic and Medallion Scholarships, along with flexible tuition policies for full-time students, will incentivize on-time graduation. Providing an opportunity for advanced planning will help reduce the financial burden on students and families and improve both student retention and on-time graduation,” Galvano said in a statement.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Galvano files bill to expand, secure scholarships for students."