Florida Bill Would Restrict Scholarships for Majors that Don't Lead to Jobs

A bill currently in Florida’s state senate would restrict college scholarship funds for students who select majors that do not promise a return on investment — such as social justice majors that are not expected to directly lead to employment.

Senate Bill 86, which would reduce Florida’s “Bright Futures” scholarships for students who pursue degrees deemed unlikely to lead to jobs, was approved last week by a Senate committee, according to a report by WKMG-TV.

This means that students who have chosen “woke” majors might have to find another way to pay their tuition.

In the bill’s first iteration, students’ Bright Futures aid would be cut “completely” for certain majors, but an amendment adopted by the committee now has the bill reducing the scholarship amounts awarded to students.

The report added that the majors at risk of reduced scholarship funds would be on a list of degrees deemed as not leading to employment, which will be created by higher education governing boards.

The bill states that it would require that “that eligibility for such funds is contingent on enrollment in certain career certificate or degree programs,” and require “the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education to each approve, by a specified date, a list of career certificate and undergraduate and graduate degree programs that they determine lead directly to employment.”

Students who choose majors that are not included in the list of degrees that are determined to lead directly to employment would be limited to 60 credit hours of financial aid, according to a report by WJAX-TV.

Sixty credit hours equates to roughly two years of courses.

Florida State Senator Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala), who sponsored the bill, told WJAX-TV, “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,” Baxley added. “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.”

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler @alana, and on Instagram.