Fla. Stat. § 1009.895
Open Door Grant Program
Redline — January 1, 2022 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2025
As of January 1, 2022
(1) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Cost of the program” means the cost of tuition, fees, examination, books, and materials to a student enrolled in an eligible program.
(b) “Department” means the Department of Education.
(c) “Institution” means school district postsecondary technical career centers under s. 1001.44, Florida College System institutions under s. 1000.21(3), charter technical career centers under s. 1002.34, and school districts with eligible integrated education and training programs.
(d) “Program” means a noncredit industry certification preparation, clock hour career certificate programs, or for-credit short-term career and technical education programs that result in the award of credentials identified under s. 445.004(4).
(e) “Student” means a person who is a resident of this state as determined under s. 1009.21 and is unemployed, underemployed, or furloughed.
(2) The Open Door Grant Program is established for the purpose of:
(a) Creating and sustaining a demand-driven supply of credentialed workers for high-demand occupations by addressing and closing the gap between the skills needed by workers in the state and the skills of the available workforce in the state.
(b) Expanding the affordability of workforce training and credentialing.
(c) Increasing the interest of current and future workers in short-term, high-demand career and technical education credentialing and certificate programs.
(3) The department shall provide grants to institutions on a first-come, first-serve basis for students who enroll in an eligible program. The department shall prioritize funding for integrated education and training programs in which institutions establish partnerships with local workforce development boards to provide basic skills instruction, contextually and concurrently, with workforce training that results in the award of credentials under s. 445.004(4). One-quarter of the appropriated funds must be prioritized to serve students attending rural institutions. No more than one-quarter of the appropriated funds may be disbursed annually to any eligible institution.
(4) Subject to the availability of funds:
(a) A student who enrolls in an eligible program offered by an institution and who does not receive state or federal financial aid may apply for and be awarded a grant to cover two-thirds of the cost of the program, if at the time of enrollment the student pays one-third of the cost of the program and signs an agreement to either complete the program or pay an additional one-third of the cost of the program in the event of noncompletion. The department shall reimburse the institution in an amount equal to one-third of the cost of the program upon a student’s completion of the program. An additional one-third shall be provided upon attainment of a workforce credential or certificate by the student. Grant funds may be used to cover the student’s one-third of the cost of the program for students in integrated education and training programs and students who do not have a high school diploma and meet the requirements established by the department. An institution may cover the student’s one-third of the cost of the program based on student need, as determined by the institution.
(b) A student receiving state or federal financial aid who enrolls in an eligible program offered by an institution may apply for and be awarded a grant to cover the unmet need of the cost of the program after the application of all eligible financial aid. Financial aid and grants received by the student shall be credited first to the student’s costs before the award of an open door grant. After a student is enrolled in an eligible program, the department shall award the grant to the institution for the amount of unmet need for the eligible student.
(5) The department may not reimburse any institution more than $3,000 per completed workforce training program by an eligible student.
(1) ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE.—The Open Door Grant Program is established and shall be administered by participating institutions in accordance with rules of the State Board of Education. The program is created to incentivize current and future workers to enroll in career and technical education that leads to a credential, certificate, or degree.
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to be eligible for the program, a student must:
(a) Meet the requirements under s. 1009.40(1)(a)2. and 3.;
(b) Be enrolled in an adult secondary education program or an integrated education and training program in which institutions establish partnerships with local workforce development boards to provide basic skills instruction, contextually and concurrently, with workforce training that results in the award of credentials under s. 445.004(4) or a workforce education program as defined under s. 1011.80(1)(b)-(f) that is included on the Master Credentials List under s. 445.004(4); and
(c) Be enrolled at a school district postsecondary technical career center under s. 1001.44, a Florida College System institution under s. 1000.21(5), or a charter technical career center under s. 1002.34.An institution may not impose additional criteria to determine a student’s eligibility to receive a grant under this section.
(3) GRANT AWARD.—A student is eligible to receive a maximum award equal to the amount needed to cover 100 percent of tuition and fees, exam or assessment costs, books, and related materials for eligible programs after all other federal and state financial aid is applied. In addition, a student may receive a stipend of up to $1,500, or an amount specified in the General Appropriations Act, per academic year to cover other education expenses related to the institutional cost of attendance. The institution shall make awards and stipends subject to availability of funding. Returning students must be given priority over new students.
(4) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—
(a) Beginning in fiscal year 2024-2025, the funds appropriated for the Open Door Grant Program must be distributed to eligible institutions in accordance with a formula approved by the State Board of Education. The formula must consider at least the prior year’s distribution of funds and the number of eligible applicants who did not receive awards.
(b) Subject to the appropriation of funds by the Legislature, the Department of Education shall transmit payment of grants to the institution in advance of the registration period. Institutions shall notify students of the amount of their awards.
(c) The eligibility status of each student to receive a disbursement must be determined by each institution as of the end of its regular registration period, inclusive of a drop-add period. Institutions may not be required to reevaluate a student’s eligibility status after this date for purposes of changing eligibility determinations previously made.
(d) Each term, institutions shall certify to the department within 30 days after the end of the regular registration period the amount of funds disbursed to each student. Institutions shall remit to the department any undisbursed advances for the fall, spring, and summer terms within 30 days after the end of the summer term.
(5) INSTITUTIONAL REPORTING.—Each institution shall report to the department by the established date: (a) The number of students eligible for the program for each academic term. Each institution shall also report to the department any necessary demographic and eligibility data for students; and (b) Data from the previous fiscal year on program completion and credential attainment by students participating in the grant program that, at a minimum, includes: 1. A list of the programs offered. 2. The number of students who enrolled in the programs. 3. The number of students who completed the programs. 4. The number of students who attained workforce credentials, categorized by credential name and relevant occupation, after completing training programs.
(6) REPORTING.—The department shall compile the data provided under paragraph (5)(b) and annually report such aggregate data to the State Board of Education.
(7) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement this section.
Official source: Online Sunshine (Florida Legislature). Reproduced from public-domain Florida statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.