Anyone know if there is a time limit for Desantis to sign the bill (if he hasn’t already)? I haven’t seen word after it passed both chambers.
He has 15 days from April 28th, so May 13th is when he needs to sign or veto it by.
I misunderstood Florida law – the governor has 15 days from WHEN HE IS OFFICIALLY PRESENTED WITH THE BILL, not from when the bill is passed. And since he hasn’t been presented with 1261 yet, the clock hasn’t started on the bill’s 15 days. DeSantis signed a different bill today that passed both Florida houses over a month ago, but it was only presented to him on Monday. Why so long? I dunno.
mdpmdp, learning more about Florida law than any Midwesterner ought
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Because it is a process. The legislative office has to fix any error and print it in a final form. They are dealing with hundreds of bills at this time of year and some bills take priority (political reasons, emergencies) so others get moved to the end of the line.
There are only so many hours in the day, and for that office, this is the busiest time of the year.
Maybe 1261 will get lost in the shuffle, lol.
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I actually thought about that, but as it turns out Florida bills that the governor ignores/forgets about still become law anyway after those 15 days (or 7 days if the legislature is in session). 1261 will only fail if DeSantis actively vetoes it.
I just became aware of HB 1261. My son is enrolling at UF as an out-of-state Benacquisto Scholarship recipient this fall – how will this effect him if the bill becomes law?
I have read the relevant section of the bill, Sec. 11, and it seems to me that with the amendment that would result from HB 1261, this school year, i.e., academic year 2021-22 is the last year that out-of-state students can receive Benacquisto Scholarships. However, since he will have “initially enrolled” this school year as a Benacquisto Scholar, would he continue to get all 4 years of the scholarship, or does he only get the scholarship for his freshman year?
I haven’t found a good answer for this and the financial aid office is probably reluctant to comment on something that isn’t law yet.
Thanks to anyone that can help explain it!
That is the big question for me. My son is an OOS at UF this Fall (SY 2021022) primarily because of the Benacquisto Scholarship. Will he only have it for his Freshman year or will he have it for all 4 years?
The intent of 1261 appears to be that 2021-22 enrolling OOS freshmen are the last class eligible but will receive the scholarship for 4 years. They could always make other changes in future legislative sessions, but that is where we are now.
Benacquisto has never been guaranteed for more than the current year. I agree with @vistajay that the intention is that this group will be included for 4 years, but that’s not set in stone. There is also not a guarantee that if it is continued for the next 4 years the funding will be the same (tuition, r&b, book money, etc).
According to this link, it appears that the bill died in messages. Does this mean the OOS benacquisto scholarship is safe for all four years?
The benacquisto has never been a 4 year award. It is year to year based on funding (old way funding directly to the agency that runs it; current bills place it in the general budget).
A different bill (Senate 1261) was amended to make this year’s graduating HS class the last to receive OOS Benacquisto. It passed the Florida House and Senate and is expected to be signed by Governor DeSantis.
Ok but if I am class of 2021 that bill wouldn’t affect me right? Since I’d be grandfathered in?
Oh, sorry, I misunderstood. Yes, only for class of 2022 and after.
You’ll be grandfathered in but future years still depend on funding.
If you are an out of state student anticipating being a finalist for the class of 2022, you can still receive the same benefits of being a finalist at the University of South Florida, regardless of whether benaquisto funds it or not. I called USF yesterday, and I was told that out of state students will receive a scholarship package similar or even identical to what is currently given (I listed it below) even after benaquisto stops funding out of state students.
Current scholarship package for national merit finalists at USF:
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Full cost of attendance scholarship for fall and spring semesters
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5k a year stipend
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2k study abroad
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Actually that is sort of misleading. It is a four year award that is renewed based by funding from the state, as all Department of Education Funding must be.
Do we have any idea when this bill will arrive on DeSantis’s desk? Thank you.
It goes into effect on July 1st if passed, so I assume very soon – but I would have also assumed that almost two months after being passed by the Florida House and Senate this would be long since signed or vetoed. No idea why this hasn’t made it into DeSantis’ desk yet.
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