If you need assistance, please call 561-660-4437

New law lets out-of-state grandkids save big by attending Florida’s public universities

Thursday, April 21, 2022   /   by Jill Perry-Zaborowski

New law lets out-of-state grandkids save big by attending Florida’s public universities

FLORIDA NEWS

New law lets out-of-state grandkids save big by attending Florida’s public universities

Florida colllege map.jpeg


For the first time this fall, hundreds of high-performing students who live outside of Florida only will need to pay in-state tuition and fees to attend universities, saving thousands of dollars.

It’s all thanks to a new Florida law, taking effect in August, that lets them pay lower prices as a result of their grandparents living in Florida. The plan has proven so popular that most, if not all, the universities say they already have all their allotted openings filled up for the coming year. So anyone applying now may face a wait list.

Consider:

  • At Florida State University in Tallahassee, the school used up all of its 55 grandparent waivers, “and we have a running waitlist of 100 [plus] students,” according to spokesman Bill Wellock.
  • The University of Florida has been allotted 60 waivers, which have all been awarded, and there are 143 on the waitlist.
  • The University of Central Florida in Orlando has allocated all of its 49 grandparent waivers for the incoming first-year class, and there’s a waiting list there, too, of five students, according to a spokeswoman.

“Take advantage of that,” Gov. Ron DeSantis urged at a news conference Tuesday.

Enacting a new law

House Bill 1261, approved by the Legislature last year, is dubbed the “grandparent tuition waiver,” intended to attract high-performing students to the Sunshine State.

A “grandparent” is defined as a person who has a legal relationship to a student’s parent as the natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian of the student’s parent. The fee waivers are capped statewide to 350 students a year, according to the bill.

It can lead to thousands of dollars in savings for out-of-state students. For example, in-state tuition for the University of Florida is $6,380, when out-of-state students would typically need to tack on an additional $22,278 for tuition and fees. At the University of South Florida in Tampa, in-state tuition and fees is $6,410 and out-of-state tuition and fees is $17,324.

Getting good scores

The bill allows out-of-state students scoring in the 89th percentile or higher on the ACT or SAT exams enroll as full-time students at Florida universities and pay cheaper in-state tuition.

That translates to an SAT combined score of 1330 or greater; or an ACT composite score of 29, according to the University of South Florida in Tampa, which reported an allotment of 34 grandparent waivers for the 2022-23 incoming first-year class.

Chris Sprowls, the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, touted the opportunity on Tuesday.

“If you’re a student in another state and you’re a high-performing student, we want you to come, but we especially want you to come and be affordable if you have a grandparent that is a Floridian.”

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com or 954-572-2008 or Twitter @LisaHuriash


  real estate news, palm beach county, florida news

JACK AND JILL TEAM
3200 N Military Trail, Suite 110
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-660-4437

UP5DB701E1507748.jpg All listings featuring the BMLS logo are provided by BeachesMLS, Inc. This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed. Copyright ©2024 BeachesMLS, Inc.
The source of this real property information is the copyrighted and proprietary database compilation of the Southwest Florida MLS organizations Copyright 2024. Southwest Florida MLS organizations. All rights reserved. The accuracy of this information is not warranted or guaranteed. This information should be independently verified if any person intends to engage in a transaction in reliance upon it. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification.
2024 Royal Palm Coast REALTOR® Association. All rights reserved. Information has not been verified, is not guaranteed, and is subject to change. The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) of the Florida Gulf Coast Multiple Listing Service, Inc. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Jack W. Zaborowski - Jack and Jill At The Shore / eXp Realty IDX logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers. The information being provided is for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Last Updated: 12/7/2024 2:19 AM CST
The data relating to real estate for sale on this limited electronic display comes in part from the Southwest Florida Multiple Listing Services. Properties listed with brokerage firms other than Jack W. Zaborowski - Jack and Jill At The Shore / eXp Realty are marked with the BR Program Icon or the BR House Icon and detailed information about them includes the name of the Listing Brokers. The properties displayed may not be all the properties available through the BR Program. The source of this real property information is the copyrighted and proprietary database compilation of the participating Southwest Florida MLS organizations and is Copyright 2017 Southwest Florida MLS organizations. All rights reserved. The accuracy of this information is not warranted or guaranteed. This information should be independently verified if any person intends to engage in a transaction in reliance upon it. Some properties that appear for sale on this limited electronic display may no longer be available. For the most current information, contact Jack W. Zaborowski - Jack and Jill At The Shore / eXp Realty Data last updated 12/7/2024 2:19 AM CST.
The source of this real property information is the copyrighted and proprietary database compilation of the Southwest Florida MLS organizations Copyright 2024. Southwest Florida MLS organizations. All rights reserved. The accuracy of this information is not warranted or guaranteed. This information should be independently verified if any person intends to engage in a transaction in reliance upon it. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification.
This site powered by CINC: www.cincpro.com