Sunshine Sentinel

The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill that aims to increase enrollment for high-demand fields of study and expanding educational possibilities in the state.

House Bill 1261 was one of several bills recently passed by the Legislature, with House Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-Palm Harbor) stating that House members and staff rose to the occasion in helping improve the lives of Floridians.

"The Florida House seized opportunities, took risks and transformed Floridians' lives," Sprowls said, as reported by Patch. "I asked our members and their staff to meet the challenges of today, and I could not be more proud of the results."

The Legislature answered the challenge of lowering the cost of attendance at Florida state universities during its 123rd regular session. The current average tuition and fees for 30 credits at a Florida public university for in-state students is $5,991.79, and $20,719.07 for out-of-state students.

HB 1261 will help students overcome the financial barriers associated with high tuition by introducing a "Buy One, Get One" tuition waiver program for in-demand STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) degrees. Students will also get a discount on a second class after enrolling in a qualifying STEM class.

The classification of in-demand majors is based on a number of elements, including majors that provide job placement for 36 hours or more per week, the average full-time wages earned by graduates of the degree program one to five years after graduation, and the Board of Governors' data-driven gap analysis of the state's labor market demands.

"Together we not only prepared Florida for the next year; we prepared Florida for the next decade," Sprowls said, as reported by Patch.

Legislation like HB 1261, according to Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby), will establish long-term benefits for the state.

"As we are now coming out on the other side [of the COVID-19 pandemic], I believe this session we have created a framework that will benefit our state for generations to come as Florida's best days are ahead," Simpson said, as reported by Patch.

HB 1261 also waives out-of-state tuition costs for students whose grandparents live in Florida and provides more educational opportunities for veterans. Additionally, the bill would safeguard colleges and universities against COVID-19-related lawsuits.

The bill, which is still subject to the governor's veto, would take effect July 1.