Significant negative legislation is currently moving through the Florida House of Representatives that will impact students who receive the Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) grant. The EASE grant is a tuition assistance program awarded to students who attend schools like Keiser University and Florida’s other 29 private, independent, non-profit colleges and universities that are part of ICUF (Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida).

HB 5201 develops EASE metrics and creates five benchmarks for each ICUF institution to meet to be eligible for EASE funding. These benchmarks are broken down into five tiers ranging from $4,000 per student to $0. Due to this legislation, some ICUF students will receive not EASE funding, requiring them to seek other funding mechanisms including taking on additional loan debt. Currently, Keiser University falls into Tier 3, which funds students at the current amount of $2,841 per year.

Students choose ICUF schools because they meet their educational needs and rely on this funding to reduce the cost of attending. Here’s what you can do to ensure legislators know how important EASE funding is for our students, Keiser University and the ICUF community.

Here’s what you can do to ensure legislators know how important EASE funding is for our students, Keiser University and the ICUF community. Send a letter: Visit this link and follow the process to submit a letter to members of the House and Senate, urging them to Save EASE.

Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Co-founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, Keiser University currently offers more than 100 degrees from associates to the doctoral level. Keiser University is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and was ranked No. 11 in the U.S. in Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Reports in 2021.