Notice of Development of Rulemaking

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Commission for Independent Education
RULE NO.: RULE TITLE:
6E-4.001: Fees and Expenses
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose and effect of the proposed rule is to delete the fee charged a student by the Commission when the Commission provides the student with a copy of his transcript, to reduce the charge to institutions licensed-by-means of accreditation for adding or modifying a program, to correct the language describing the circumstances when fees will be reduced and to include a date for the end of the fiscal year. The purpose is also to include the description of a Florida student for traditional and distance education.
SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: To adjust the fee schedule charged to prospective institutions and licensed institutions.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 1005.35, 1005.37, 1005.38 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1005.22, 1005.35, 1005.37, 1005.38 FS.
A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: September 20, 2011, 3:00 p.m.
PLACE: Orlando Marriott Lake Mary, 1501 International Parkway, Lake Mary, Florida 32646
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Commission for Independent Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Samuel L. Ferguson, Executive Director

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS:

6E-4.001 Fees and Expenses.

(1) The Base Fee and the Workload Fee shall be assessed at one of six levels based upon the Florida student enrollment (per license issued) for the last reported fiscal year ending on June 30th. For each licensed institution, Florida student enrollment consists of all students enrolled at a Florida campus of a licensed an institution and for plus all Florida residents enrolled in any CIE licensed distance education, a student whose mailing address for purposes of receiving distance education lessons and materials from the school, is a Florida address program. If an institution that holds a license has not submitted enrollment data to the Commission (using the CIE Annual Data Collection) they shall be assessed at the highest level.

(a) Level 1 = 0 to 100 students

(b) Level 2 = 101-500 students

(c) Level 3 = 501-1,000 students

(d) Level 4 = 1,001 to 5,000 students

(e) Level 5 = 5,001 to 10,000 students

(f) Level 6 = over 10,000 students

If the total revenue collected by the Commission during a fiscal year is greater than 12% or greater than of the Commission’s budgeted expenditures for the same fiscal year, the Commission is authorized to reduce the Base Fee and Workload Fee up to 3%. If the total revenue collected by the Commission during a fiscal year is less than the Commission’s budgeted expenditures for the same fiscal year, the Commission is authorized to increase the Base Fee and Workload Fee up to 3%.

(2) No change.

(3) Workload Fees. Each licensed institution receives technical assistance from the Commission, along with help in developing and implementing institutional articulation agreements and achieving candidacy status with accrediting agencies; and significant amounts of staff and administrative time are spent on evaluating applications, traveling to institutions for onsite visits, assisting institutions which are experiencing problems with financial aid or financial stability, and other duties assigned by the Commission. The following workload fees are assessed in addition to the Base Fee, and must be received prior to Commission consideration of each action.

Initial Application for License, or Moving from Nondegree to Degree:

New Nondegree Institutions                              $2,000 + $200 per program

New Degree-Granting Institutions                    $3,000 + $200 per program

Annual Review of Licensure and License by Means of Accreditation Review:

Level 1 = $1,500

Level 2 = $2,000

Level 3 = $5,000

Level 4 = $7,000

Level 5 = $8,500

Level 6 = $10,000

Institutions not Licensed by Means of Accreditation shall pay $50 per licensed program (not to exceed $500) as part of the Annual Review of License.

Substantive Change Review                                                              $1,000

Provisional or Annual Licensure Extension (first)                          $500

Provisional or Annual Licensure Extension (second)                    $750

Provisional or Annual Licensure Extension (third)                        $1,500

New Program or Program Modifications, Less than Substantive Change or More than One Minor Modification per Year:

Nondegree Programs for Annually Licensed Institutions                                                            $500

Degree Programs for Annually Licensed Institutions                                                                   $1,000

Nondegree and Degree Programs for Institutions Licensed by Means of Acreditation:         $ 250

Site Visits:

One Visit per Year                                                                                                                Included in licensure fee

Subsequent Visits directed by Commission                                                                    $300 per day

Approval to Use College or “University”, First Time or Special Review                $500

Annual Licensure of Recruiting Agents (nontransferable)                                          $200

Criminal Justice Information Investigation                                                                      $50

Copy of Student Academic Transcript on File                                                                $10

(4) through (9) No change.

(10) Institutions shall use CIE Form 801 or 802, as applicable to report enrollment information. CIE Form 801, Annual Student Data Collection for Non-Institutionally Accredited Institutions, effective_______, and CIE Form 802, Annual Student Data Collection for Institutionally Accredited Institutions, effective_______, are incorporated by reference and may be obtained without cost from the Commission’s website at www.fldoe.org/cie or by writing to the Commission for Independent Education at 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

Rulemaking Specific Authority 1005.22(1)(e), 1005.35, 1005.37, 1005.38 FS. Law Implemented 1005.22, 1005.35, 1005.37, 1005.38 FS. History–New 1-7-03, Amended 7-27-04, 1-30-08, 7-21-08, _______.