Section 6A-6.0951 - The Hope Scholarship Program(1) Eligibility of nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations. A nonprofit scholarship-funding organization (SFO) that is approved pursuant to Section 1002.395, F.S., may establish Hope Scholarships for eligible students.(2) Eligibility of private schools. A private school is eligible to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program if it complies with all requirements for private schools participating in state school choice scholarship programs pursuant to Sections 1002.40, and 1002.421, F.S., and State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.03315, F.A.C.(3) Parent notification requirements. (a) Pursuant to the requirements of Section 1002.40(6), F.S., a school district must timely notify a parent of the Hope Scholarship program and provide the parent a completed Hope Scholarship Notification Form (Form IEPC-HS1), available on the Department's website, www.floridaschoolchoice.org. Form IEPC-HS1 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15153) is hereby incorporated by reference, effective February 2023.(b) A school district must include the reported incident type, location and time/date of reported incident on Form IEPC-HS1.(c) Regardless of whether substantiated or not, the types of incidents that qualify a kindergarten through grade 12 public school student for a Hope Scholarship are aggravated battery, harassment, hazing, bullying, kidnapping, simple battery, robbery, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual harassment, sexual offenses-other, threat or intimidation and fighting, as defined in Rule 6A-1.0017, F.A.C., School Environmental Safety Incident (SESIR).(4) Hope Scholarship application procedure. To receive a Hope Scholarship a parent must apply to an eligible and participating SFO according to the SFO's application procedures and deadlines. The application submitted by a parent must include, at a minimum, the following information:(a) Student's name, student's Florida Education Identifier (FLEID), date of birth, gender, race, current public school district, current public school attended, grade level, parent's name, telephone number, mailing address and email address.(b) A completed Form IEPC-HS1 must be included with the application and submitted to the scholarship funding organization to which the application is made.(5) The nonprofit scholarship-funding organization shall confirm eligibility for each student and award all scholarships consistent with the requirements of Section 1002.40, F.S. The process used to confirm the eligibility of students and award scholarships is subject to the annual financial and compliance audit required by law.(6) Public school Hope Scholarship option. Pursuant to Section 1002.40(6), F.S., a student meeting the Hope Scholarship eligibility requirements may choose to attend another public school in the student's school district or in another school district. Public school options are subject to the receiving school's capacity.(7) Quarterly and annual reports. Participating eligible SFOs shall provide quarterly reports no later than August 10, October 10, January 10, and March 10, and an annual report no later than July 15 of each fiscal year the SFO received any contributions, as defined in Section 1002.40(2), F.S. The quarterly and annual reports must be submitted in a format to be specified by the Department and must include an electronic list of all participating scholarship students. The list shall include the following information:(a) Demographic information for each student, including name, date of birth, Florida Education Identifier, grade level, gender, race, parent's name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number;(b) The name and Master School ID of the public school and district in which the student was enrolled when the incident was reported;(c) Information on the student's school of attendance, including tuition, fees, and transportation amounts;(d) The amount and type of each student's scholarship;(e) The incident type as reported on Form IEPC-HS1; and,(f) Year-to-date information on the amount paid for each scholarship student during the school year and the school attended, including the first data of attendance and withdraw date. If a student attended more than one school, the summary shall detail the amount of the scholarship payments that the student generated by each school.(8) School District Reporting Requirements. Each school district must report during the survey periods and using the elements set forth in Rule 6A-1.0014, F.A.C., Comprehensive Management Information System, the following information: For each substantiated and unsubstantiated incident listed in Section 1002.40(3), F.S., the number of Hope Scholarship Notification Forms provided to parents.(9) Nothing in this rule shall limit the Department's authority to request any other information related to the scholarship program.Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 6A-6.0951
Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(2)(n), 1002.40(16) FS. Law Implemented 1002.40, 1008.385 F.S.
Adopted by Florida Register Volume 44, Number 153, August 7, 2018 effective 8/21/2018, Amended by Florida Register Volume 46, Number 151, August 4, 2020 effective 8/18/2020, Amended by Florida Register Volume 47, Number 218, November 9, 2021 effective 11/23/2021, Amended by Florida Register Volume 49, Number 025, February 7, 2023 effective 2/21/2023.New 8-21-18, Amended 8-18-20, 11-23-21, 2-21-23.