GATE Scholarship Program.

(1) The GATE Scholarship Program is created to financially support institutions participating in the GATE Program established pursuant to s. 1004.933.

(2) The Department of Education shall administer the GATE Scholarship Program in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education.

(3) The GATE Scholarship Program shall reimburse eligible institutions for registration, tuition, laboratory, and examination fees and related instructional materials costs for students enrolled in the GATE Program. Institutions must be reimbursed at the in-state resident tuition rate established in s. 1009.22(3)(c).

(4) Each participating institution shall report to the department all students enrolled in the GATE Program during the fall, spring, or summer terms within 30 days after the end of regular registration. For each eligible student, the institution shall report the total reimbursable expenses by category, which the department must consider in determining an institution’s award under this section. The department shall reimburse each participating institution no later than 30 days after the institution has reported enrollment for that term.

(5) Reimbursements from the GATE Scholarship Program are contingent upon an annual appropriation in the General Appropriations Act. If the statewide reimbursement amount is greater than the appropriation, the institutional reimbursement amounts specified in subsection (3) must be prorated among the institutions that have timely reported eligible students to the department.

(6) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to implement this section.