Happy Tuesday Friends, Clients & Colleagues,
We hope this brief note finds you and yours well.
As you may know, Marile and I are life-long donors, volunteers and advocates for access to quality education in our community.
Today, we reach out to you and your friends and colleagues asking to join us in raising your voices in support of Florida’s future nurses, teachers, engineers, and more earn their degrees.
Please act now, time is of the essence and it’s easy, just click www.advocacyicuf.org to send an email to Legislators.
This year, a bill in the Florida House of Representatives proposes drastic changes to the Effective Access to Student Education (E.A.S.E.) vital tuition assistance that helps Florida residents pay their college tuition at independent, nonprofit colleges and universities.
These thirty (30) colleges and universities are diverse in their students, campuses, and missions—offering a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, professional, and continuing education programs — and serve 159,000 students at more than 200 sites in Florida. Florida students choose to attend these institutions, in part because EASE makes that possible.
As a Trustee for St. Thomas University (STU), in Miami Gardens, FL, I can confirm that 78% of the STU incoming 2021 undergraduate first-year students received the E.A.S.E. vital tuition assistance .
Under proposed HB 5201, students in at least three Florida schools will become ineligible to receive a single cent of E.A.S.E. assistance; plus, 6,421 students would experience a 50% cut next year.
In many cases, the E.A.S.E. tuition assistance — which goes directly to the student — can make a difference in their decision to remain in school or drop out altogether.
As always, thank you your time and friendship.
Warmest personal regards,
Marile & Jorge Luis Lopez, Esq.
PS Feel free to share with your family, friends and colleagues.