Woman worried changes in Bright Futures funding could jeopardize her son's scholarship

Woman worried changes in Bright Futures funding could jeopardize her son's scholarship

AUTHORITIES WILL REACT.

THATWILL BE HB1’S FIRST TRUE TEST.FORREST SAUNDERS REPORTING.A PORT CHARLOTTE MOM IS RAISINGCONCERNS ABOUT A BILL THAT WOULDAFFECT THE BRIGHT FUTURESSCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.SHE SAYS, IF IT’S PASSED INTOLAW, IT COULD JEOPARDIZE HERSON’S TUITION AND MAYBE YOURKIDS’ TOO?

FOX 4’S ROB MANCH ISIN PORT CHARLOTTE TO EXPLAIN.2-729-3446-51I SPOKE WITH A WOMAN NAMEDChristina Hester HERE IN PORTCHARLOTTE.SHE SAYS HER SON WORKED HARD ANDEANRED A FULL-RIDE TO THEUNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.BUT NOW, ONE YEAR INTO HISCOLLEGE CAREER, THE FUTURE OFHIS SCHOLARSHIP IS SUDDENLYUNCERTAIN.PKG:HESTER’S SON ETHAN GOT THAT 100PERCENT TUITION FUNDING DUE TOHIS GOOD GRADES.THE PROGRAM REQUIRES AT LEAST A3 POINT 5 GRADE POINT AVERAGE,AT LEAST A 13-30 ON THE S-A-T,AND 100 HOURS OF COMMUNITYSERVICE.Christina Hester, Son ReceivedBright Futures Scholarship: "Hedid not even apply to out ofstate universities knowing thathis undergraduate degree wasgoing to be free."(9s)SO HESTER SAYS SHE WAS SHOCKEDWHEN STATE SENATOR Dennis BaxleyANNOUNCED SENATE BILL 86, WHICHWOULD CHANGE HOW BRIGHT FUTURESIS FUNDED.State Sen.

Dennis Baxley,(R)District 12: "What we’re doingis, instead of putting numbersin a bill for these differentcategories, we’re moving thatover to appropriations where,that’s where the dollars getallocated."(14s)THAT MEANS, THE APPROPRIATIONSCOMMITTEE WOULD DETERMINE THEFUNDING FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS ONA YEARLY BASIS, INSTEAD OF THEFUNDING COMING FROM THE FLORIDALOTTERY.WHICH MEANS ETHAN’S FULL-RIDECOULD CHANGE.Christina Hester, Son ReceivedBright Futures Scholarship: "Wedon’t know what he’ll bereceiving for his sophomore,junior, and senior years.

That’sa problem."(9s)BUT HESTER THINKS, THIS COULDALSO AFFECT FUTURE STUDENTSTRYING TO DECIDE WHERE THEY WANTTO GO TO SCHOOL.Christina Hester, Son ReceivedBright Futures Scholarship: "Ifyou don’t have that guaranteedfunding, I can’t imagine thatyou’d want to stay in-state ifyou can get guaranteed fundingelsewhere."(11s)TAG:THE BILL COULD BE HEARD BY THEFLORIDA House of RepresentativesTHIS WEEK.SENATOR BAXLEY ARGUES THE BILLWOULD GIVE THE LEGISLATUREMUCH-NEEDED BUDGET FLEXIBI