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A Florida state representative has proposed a bill that would make community college free for Florida students -- as long as they stay in the state to work.
The new Sunshine Scholarship has passed through committees in both chambers of the state Legislature, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. It's now in the higher education appropriations subcommittee.
The scholarship would be last dollar, meaning it would pay for any tuition and fees at community or public career colleges left over after a student uses the federal Pell Grant and state-based merit scholarships.
Eligible students would need to be Florida residents with a high school diploma or equivalent, who come from a family with an income of $50,000 or less.
Beyond these requirements, students would have to stay in Florida after graduation to work for the same amount of time that they received the aid. If they don't, they risk having to repay the funds with interest.
State officials told the Sun Sentinel it's unclear how many students would benefit from the program or how much it would cost the state. The equivalent of 282,000 full-time students are currently enrolled in programs for associate degrees or career certificates.
