Senate passes measure to cap Bright Futures

No student would get more than $3,200 a year in scholarship aid under the legislation, which lacks support in the House.

By STEPHEN HEGARTY

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 26, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- Sen. Don Sullivan long has wanted to curb the state's Bright Futures program, hoping to keep the academic scholarships from eating up the education budget.

On Thursday, he got fellow senators to agree.

But Sullivan's plan to cap the program might not get much further -- at least not in a special session devoted to plugging the state's $1.3-billion budget hole.

The House has not taken up a companion bill. And it is unlikely that Gov. Jeb Bush and Education Secretary Jim Horne think this is the time to significantly change the popular program, which is gobbling more of the state's lottery funds every year.

"I think it's probably best to handle it during the regular session when we have more time to deal with all the issues," Horne said.

Sullivan's bill would cap the academic scholarship at $3,200 per student in the year 2006. That doesn't help this year's budget at all.

But Sullivan for three years has wanted to put some limits on the $200-million program that pays in-state tuition to students who graduate from high school with a B average.

The merit-based program is particularly popular with middle-class parents, and roughly a third of Florida's high school graduates get the scholarships.

But it has caused big problems for universities and budget builders because every tuition increase triggers greater costs to the state in Bright Futures awards.

Sullivan, R-Seminole, also wanted to raise the grade point average requirement from a 3.0 to a 3.25, but that proposal was taken out.

Sullivan's timing was challenged by Sen. Steven Geller.

"On something this significant and this controversial, something that doesn't take effect until 2006, why are we doing this in the haste of a special session?" Geller asked.

He said that during a regular session, students and parents would show up to advocate for the program.

University of Florida Student Government president Marc Adler agreed.

"This program costs a lot of money, but education is one of the biggest priorities in this state," Adler said. "It rewards students for studying hard. I can't think of a more deserving program."

Adler said student leaders from around the state are prepared to lobby for the program during the regular legislative session in January. But with the semester drawing to a close, they were unprepared to fight for Bright Futures right now.

Sullivan defended his timing by pointing out that his proposals have been studied and debated in the past. Now, he said, is the right time because the state is focused on both the budget and on education. The bill passed by a vote of 20 to 10.

Along with the changes proposed for 2006, the budget passed by both the House and Senate on Thursday would prevent students from using Bright Futures during summer school. That is expected to save the state about $14-million.

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