Florida bill could restrict scholarship funds for students in “woke” majors that don’t lead directly to employment
A new bill in the Florida State Senate, Senate Bill 86, is designed to restrict scholarship funds from college students who opt for majors that do not directly lead to employment. In essence, the bill will severely impact a number of “woke” majors, such as gender studies and English.
If passed, the bill will restrict Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship to students who choose a major approved by the Board of Governors and the Board of Education. Campus Reform reports that the scholarship receives funding through the Florida Lottery and covers 100 per cent of tuition and all applicable fees at Florida’s public institutions for eligible students.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on March 16 and is set for review by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education next week.
Campus Reform reports:
In the bill's first iteration, students whose fields of study are not on the approved list would have their scholarships limited to a maximum of 60 credit hours, or around half of a typical four-year degree. But WKMG-TV reported that the Senate has revised the bill so that scholarships for disfavored majors wouldn't be cut, just decreased by a set amount per student.
The Board of Governors and State Board of Education would be required to publish annually a list of "career certificate and undergraduate and graduate degree programs that they determine lead directly to employment." Students in those programs who meet the scholarship requirements would continue to receive state scholarship dollars, but students in other programs would not enjoy the same access to that pool of funding.
According to Action News Jax, students who take unapproved career paths will be limited to 60 hours worth of financial aid.
Accordingly, students are encouraged to select a degree on the approved list, thereby enabling them to pursue employment instead of spending their time on a subject that will not lead to direct employment.
Furthermore, students who retake the same classes will not be eligible to receive the benefits of the scholarship, as taxpayers do not want to fund students who waste their time in college.
“We want all of our students to succeed in meaningful careers that provide for their families and serve our communities. As taxpayers we should all be concerned about subsidizing degrees that just lead to debt, instead of the jobs our students want and need. We encourage all students to pursue their passions, but when it comes to taxpayer subsidized education, there needs to be a link to our economy, and that is the goal of this legislation,” said Florida state Sen. Dennis Baxley, who introduced the bill.
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