Agenda Item
14.A) A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF PALMETTO, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY INC., TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PALMETTO BAY RESIDENTS AS PART OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA’S 2:1 MATCHING GRANT, WITH THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FUNDING FROM VILLAGE NOT TO EXCEED FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($15,000) FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2023-24; AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE MANAGER TO EXECUTE AGREEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROGRAM; AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE. (Sponsored by Mayor Karyn Cunningham) (Continued from Regular Council Meeting - January 8, 2024)
1) It discriminates against students with financial needs who are not first generation college students. It also does not help first generation students who live in Palmetto Bay and go to other colleges located in Miami-Dade County.
2) The First Generation Initiative at FIU requires recipients to only be enrolled for six credit hours per semester. The Initiative does not have work requirements. But Palmetto Bay cannot change this.
3) The Resolution states that funding will be “meet the needs of students who are degree seeking undergrad students with a permanent address in the Village….” There is no way to know if a student will be living “permanently” in the Village. The term "Permanent Resident" does not mean forever legally. It only means not temporarily.
4. The Resolution says that the scholarships may be renewable, but doesn’t specify that the recipient have demonstrated minimum grades the preceding semesters.
7. People who wish to support “First-Generation initiatives at FIU” can do so directly from its website.