(1) The Commission for Independent Education shall annually establish a fee schedule to generate, from fees, the amount of revenue appropriated for its operation.

(2) The commission shall include, as a part of its legislative budget request, a proposed fee schedule to generate the appropriated fee revenue required in the General Appropriations Act. The commission may adjust the fee amounts to generate the fee revenue required in the General Appropriations Act but may not add fee categories without the Legislature’s approval. The fee schedule proposed in the legislative budget request takes effect unless the Legislature requires changes.

(3) The commission shall charge each licensed institution a base fee to cover the cost of routine services, such as data collection and dissemination. The base fee may be higher for institutions with a large enrollment but may not exceed one-half of 1 percent of the amount appropriated for the commission.

(4) The commission shall assess workload fees to institutions for specific services that relate to:

(a) Licensure.

(b) Annual reviews.

(c) Special reviews.

(d) Site visits.

(e) Resolution of complaints.

(f) Approval to use the term “college” or “university.”

(g) Participation in the Student Protection Fund established pursuant to s. 1005.37.

(h) Other workload activities as allowed by law.

(5) The commission may assess late fees for an institution’s failure to timely submit required materials.

(6) All fees shall be submitted through the Department of Education to the Chief Financial Officer, to be deposited in the Institutional Assessment Trust Fund.

(7) All fees authorized in this section are administrative fees and are not refundable unless paid in error. The commission may deduct from an institution’s future fee collection any unintentional overpayment.

History.—s. 258, ch. 2002-387.