HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: CS/HB 1401 Articulation Agreements
SPONSOR(S): Postsecondary Education & Workforce Subcommittee, Michael and others
TIED BILLS: None. IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SB 750
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Postsecondary Education & Workforce 16 Y, 0 N, As CS Wolff Kiner
Subcommittee
2) Education & Employment Committee 19 Y, 0 N Wolff Hassell
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
To improve access to baccalaureate degrees for Florida’s postsecondary students as well as to simplify and
streamline existing articulation agreements, the bill provides for the review and modification, as needed, of
statewide articulation agreements, the statewide course numbering system, transfer credit processes, and the
Common Prerequisite Manual.
The bill requires the Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC) to convene a workgroup to develop statewide
“2+2” Associate in Science (AS) degree to baccalaureate degree articulation agreements in high-demand
fields. State universities must establish at least one local “2+2” AS degree to baccalaureate degree articulation
agreement with one or more Florida College System (FCS) institutions. Additionally, the bill requires the ACC
to convene a workgroup to strengthen educator preparation programs in the state and provide seamless
pathways to continued educational opportunities.
The bill requires institutions to award transfer credit toward institutional and program-specified requirements
before it is applied as elective credit. To provide for consistent application of this requirement, the bill requires
the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt rules for the collection and review of course information. The SBE
and the Board of Governors (BOG) of the State University System must provide recommendations on a
process to review and approve the existing statewide course numbering system.
The Department of Education and BOG must collaborate on a review of the Common Prerequisite Manual as
well as a redevelopment of the Common Prerequisite database. Once this database is updated, the bill
requires that state universities and FCS institutions provide access to the database to students through their
admissions and program websites.
The bill creates an Associate in Arts specialized transfer degree to allow students to complete required lower-
level coursework at a FCS institution in preparation for transfer to a baccalaureate degree program, and
requires the SBE to establish criteria for the review and approval of new specialized transfer degrees.
The bill does not appear to have a fiscal impact.
The bill has an effective date of July 1, 2023.
This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
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FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Present Situation
Associate in Arts Degree
The Associate in Arts degree (AA) is designed for students who plan to transfer from a Florida College
System (FCS) institution to a baccalaureate degree program, either at a FCS or state university system
(SUS) institution.1
The AA degree requirements consist of 60 total credit hours and include 36 credit hours of general
education and 24 credit hours of electives. Students should choose elective courses required for
admission to their intended program of study or major at the desired college or university. The Common
Prerequisites Manual2 is a catalog of lower-level courses that are prerequisites for entrance into
baccalaureate programs offered by FCS and SUS institutions. Students are encouraged to discuss
their intended program of study with an academic advisor at their college to ensure they are meeting all
requirements to transfer upon completing their AA degree.3
A baccalaureate degree must be no more than 120 semester hours of college credit, unless prior
approval has been granted by the Board of Governors (BOG) or the State Board of Education (SBE),
as applicable, and include 36 semester hours of general education coursework. 4
Associate in Science Degree
The Associate in Science (AS) degree is offered by each FCS institution. The AS degree is intended to
provide programs of career and technical instruction consisting of lower division college credit courses
to prepare for entry into employment. The AS degree is also a transfer degree and a basis for
admission to a related bachelor’s degree. The AS degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of a
planned program of instruction comprised of the standard credit hour length established, after
demonstration of the attainment of predetermined and specified performance requirements. The
standard credit hour length of all associate in science degree programs is defined in SBE rule, 5 and
must include a minimum of 15 college credits of general education coursework. 6 Courses taken as a
part of the AS degree to meet the 36-hour general education requirement will transfer and apply to the
baccalaureate degree.7
General Education Core Courses
Students initially entering a FCS or SUS institution in 2015-2016 and thereafter, are required to
complete at least one identified general education core course in each of the subject areas of
communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. All public
postsecondary educational institutions are required to accept these courses as meeting general
education core course requirements.8 Beginning in 2022-2023, the general education core course
1 Florida Department of Education, Florida College System, Academics, https://www.fldoe.org/schools/higher-ed/fl-college-
system/academics/ (last visited March 20, 2023).
2 Florida Shines, Common Prerequisites Manual, https://cpm.flvc.org/advance-search (last visited March 20, 2023).
3 Florida Department of Education, Florida College System, Academics, https://www.fldoe.org/schools/higher-ed/fl-college-
system/academics/ (last visited March 20, 2023).
4 Section 1007.25(10), F.S. and Board of Governors Regulation 6.017
5 Rule 6A-6.0571, F.A.C.
6 Rule 6A-14.030(4), F.A.C.
7 Rule 6A-10.024(6), F.A.C.
8 Section 1007.25, F.S.
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requirement is extended to students in an associate in applied science (AAS) and associate in science
(AS) degree program.9
General education core course options consist of a maximum of five courses in each identified subject
area, but may exceed that limit with the approval of the SBE or the BOG. The general education core
courses are established in SBE rule10 and BOG regulation.11
Transfer of General Education Courses
Each public postsecondary institution must accept transfer general education core courses taken at
another institution. After completing the general education core course requirements, the remaining
courses and credits that fulfill the total 36-hour general education requirement for an associate in arts
or baccalaureate degree are at the discretion of the FCS or SUS institution. 12
General education programs in Florida, while consistent at the general education core requirements
and the total of 36 hours for completion, vary in the selection of institutionally-required courses.
Students who transfer with an AA or AS degree, or who have completed their block of 36 general
education hours do not have to meet the receiving institution’s general education program
requirements. If a student does not complete the total 36-hour general education curriculum prior to
transfer, each course, outside of courses taken as general education courses, will be reviewed
individually to determine if it meets the general education requirements of the new institution. 13
Articulation Coordinating Committee
The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Chancellor of the SUS, establishes the
Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC), whose primary role is to recommend statewide articulation
policies.14 Specifically, the ACC must monitor articulation between education systems, propose
guidelines for articulation agreements, publish lists of general education and common prerequisite
courses, establish dual enrollment course equivalencies to high school credit, and annually review the
Statewide Articulation Agreement.15 The Office of K-20 Articulation within the Department of Education
(DOE) provides administrative support to the ACC.16
Statewide Articulation Agreements
Each state university board of trustees, FCS board of trustees, and district school board must plan and
adopt policies and procedures to provide articulated programs so that students can proceed toward
their educational objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. 17
Statewide articulation agreements help facilitate the seamless transition of students across and among
Florida’s educational entities. This supports the DOE’s focus to expand opportunities for postsecondary
degrees and certificates. These agreements are intended to be a minimum guarantee of articulated
credit and do not preclude institutions from granting additional credit based on local agreements. 18
2+2 Articulation in Florida
9 Id.
10 Rule 6A-14.0303, F.A.C.
11 Board of Governors Regulation 8.005.
12 Id. and r. 6A -14.0303(5), F.A.C.
13 Florida Department of Education, Statewide Postsecondary Articulation Manual (Jan. 2021), at 15, available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5421/urlt/Statewide-Articulation-Manual.pdf. See also r. 6A-10.024(2)(c), F.A.C.
14 Section 1007.01(3), F.S.
15 Section 1007.01(3)(a) and (b), F.S.
16 Section 1007.01(3), F.S.; s. 20.15(3)(h), F.S.
17 Rule 6A-10.024(1), F.A.C.
18 Florida Department of Education, Career & Adult Education, Statewide Articulation Agreements,
https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-technical-edu-agreements/ (last visited March 20, 2023).
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The SBE and the BOG are required to enter into a statewide articulation agreement which the SBE
must adopt by rule. The agreement must preserve Florida’s “2+2” system of articulation and facilitate
the seamless articulation of student credit across and among Florida’s educational entities.19
The Florida Statewide Articulation Agreement20 is the most comprehensive articulation agreement in
the nation. Critical components of the statewide articulation agreement include: 21
Defining the AA degree as the transfer degree.
Establishing requirements for awarding degrees and degree definitions.
Guaranteeing transfer of the general education block of credit.
Creating the ACC, its purpose, role, and membership.
Guaranteeing transfer of credit via the State Course Numbering System (SCNS).
Establishing a process for determining credit-by-examination equivalencies.
Providing for AS degree articulation.
Establishing a common college transcript.
Students who graduate from an institution within the FCS with an AA degree are guaranteed the
following rights under the Statewide Articulation Agreement:22
Admission to an upper-division program at a SUS or FCS institution if it offers baccalaureate
degree programs, except for limited-access programs.23
Acceptance of at least 60 semester hours by the SUS and FCS baccalaureate degree-granting
institutions.
Adherence to the university or college requirements and policies, based on the catalog in effect
at the time the student first enters the FCS institution, provided the student maintains
continuous enrollment.
Transfer of equivalent courses under the SCNS.
Acceptance by the SUS and baccalaureate degree-granting FCS institutions of credits earned in
accelerated programs (e.g. Dual Enrollment, CLEP, Advanced Placement, International
Baccalaureate, and Advanced International Certificate of Education).
No additional general education core or general education institutional requirements.
Advance knowledge of selection criteria for limited access programs.
Equal opportunity for native university students to enter limited-access programs.
A student who completes an AA degree may continue to earn additional credits at a FCS institution if
courses to be completed are listed in the university catalog as required for the degree or as prerequisite
to a course required for the degree.24 However, in order to be eligible for federal financial aid, a student
must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate
program.25 Therefore, a student who completes an AA but needs additional courses for university
requirements may not be eligible for additional federal student aid.
Targeted 2+2 Pathway Articulation Agreements
To strengthen Florida’s “2+2” system of articulation and improve student retention and on-time
graduation, each FCS institution was required to, by the 2019-2020 academic year, execute at least
one “2+2” targeted pathway articulation agreement with one or more state universities, and each state
19 Section 1007.23(1), F.S.
20 Section 1007.23, F.S., r. 6A-10.024, F.A.C, and Board of Governors, Articulation Resolution, available at
https://www.flbog.edu/wp-content/uploads/ArticulationRegulation.pdf.
21 Florida Department of Education, Statewide Postsecondary Articulation Manual (Jan. 2021), at 14, available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5421/urlt/Statewide-Articulation-Manual.pdf.
22 Id.
23 Board of Governors Regulation 8.013. Limited-access programs are degree programs may include additional admission
requirements (e.g., higher grade point average and/or higher test scores, additional courses or prerequisites, or auditions and/or
portfolios).
24 Section 1007.25(12), F.S.
25 Federal Student Aid, Eligibility Requirements, https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements (last visited Mar. 20,
2023).
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university was required to execute at least one such agreement with one or more FCS institutions to
establish “2+2” targeted pathway programs. The agreements were established to provide students who
graduate with an associate in arts degree and who meet specified requirements guaranteed access to
the state university and a degree program at that university, in accordance with the terms of the “2+2”
targeted pathway articulation agreement. To participate in a “2+2” targeted pathway program, a student
must:26
Enroll in the program before completing 30 credit hours, including, but not limited to, college
credits earned through articulated acceleration mechanisms. 27
Complete an AA degree.
Meet the university’s transfer requirements.
State universities were required to, as a part of the “2+2” targeted pathway articulation agreement: 28
Establish a 4-year, on-time graduation plan for a baccalaureate degree program, including, but
not limited to, a plan for students to complete an associate in arts degree programs, general
education courses, common prerequisite courses, and elective courses.
Advise students enrolled in the program about the university’s transfer and degree program
requirements.
Provide students who meet the requirements under this paragraph with access to academic
advisors and campus events and with guaranteed admittance to the state university and a
degree program of the state university, in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
Some examples of the “2+2” targeted pathway agreements are DirectConnect to UCF 29, FUSE at the
University of South Florida30, and Connect4Success at Florida International University.31
Statewide Career Pathways Articulation Agreements
Statewide career pathways articulation agreements help to facilitate the seamless transition of students
across and among Florida’s educational entities. These agreements are intended to be a minimum
guarantee of articulated credit and do not preclude institutions from granting additional credit based on
local agreements.32
Associate in Science to Bachelor of Science Degree Articulation Agreements
The SBE and the BOG authorize several provisions for statewide articulation from an AS to a
baccalaureate degree. The DOE, in consultation with institutions, periodically review, as necessary, the
provisions of the state articulation agreements and the prescribed curricula to ensure the continued
effectiveness of the articulation between the AS and baccalaureate degree programs. In addition, the
AS degree is considered fully transferable within the FCS, and many FCS baccalaureate degree
programs are directly aligned with related AS degrees.33
There are currently nine approved statewide AS d