ORLANDO, Fla. — More than 60 students, parents and teachers sat in a large conference room three blocks away from the Florida Capitol ready to oppose the state’s most sweeping changes to the popular Bright Futures scholarship program in more than a decade.
They were unsuccessful.
On a 5-4 party-line vote, the Senate Education Committee advanced the bill (SB 86) sending it to its next stop in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.
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The bill, which was amended before the meeting by the sponsor Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Marino County), would have the Florida Board of Governors create a yearly list of ineligible degree programs. As amended, if a student on a Bright Futures scholarship wanted to take more than 60 credit hours they would have to select a major not on the ineligible list.
“We are trying to push the world the real world of the economy and the world of education closer together,” said Baxley. “This is going to rearrange some of the priorities in order to make sure not just to make sure we have the best educated students, but that we have the best ability to perform because we’re aligning with the real world.”
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While Baxley stresses the bill is about encouraging students to pursue careers that will lead to gainful employment, critics argue it forces students into fields chosen by the state.
“Does the government have the right to tell a student who’s worked hard followed all the rules to earn the scholarship to use it for any purpose other than what we decide,” asked Sen. Perry Thurston (D – Broward County).
Thurston and others pointed out that such a list doesn’t exist and could change year to year, leaving high school students wondering if the major they want would be allowed when they go to college.
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Bright Futures, which was created by the Florida Legislature in 1997, uses money from the Florida Lottery to pay for scholarships for Florida high school students to attend Florida post-secondary institutions. In 2011 lawmakers increased the minimum SAT score required to qualify for the scholarship.
While the changes proposed by Baxley would not impact current college students using Bright Futures, it would make a change that would take effect this year. According to the language of the bill, the set rates of Bright Futures would be eliminated and instead the scholarship amounts would be made each year by the legislature through the budget process; a budget process that is happening now. Staff analyses of the bill shows this would save the state money.
Cox Media Group
