Scope FLORIDA
State Colleges/ Universities Offer In-State Tuition to Hurricane-Hit Students
Florida Offers Online Voter Registration
Technology is making it easier for us to register to vote. Florida joined 35 others states in launching an online voter registration site. RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov is in compliance with a 2015 law that required online registration to be available by Oct. 1. On the site, residents will be able to register to vote, update their current registrations or fill out and print registration forms to submit at a local supervisor of elections office. Voters will need a Florida driver’s license or state identification card and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers to register online, according to the Department of State. For those concerned about privacy matters, “multiple safeguards” were put in place to verify the registrations and protect personal information, officials said. Safeguards include a “state-of-the-art” firewall, data encryption, captcha boxes, which are designed to prevent bots, and session timeouts after inactivity.
Correction Beverly Kuykendall is president of Government Business for American Medical Depot in Mirimar, Fla. The September/October issue of ONYX stated the business was in Gainesville. 32 ONYX MAGAZINE
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With the recent devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, Gov. Rick Scott asked all Florida state colleges and universities to offer in-state tuition to any student who was displaced from their home in Puerto Rico. Several colleges around the state have already announced they will adhere to the governor’s clarion call. At St. Petersburg College, students from the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Houston area also are welcome to the special rate. “As Floridians, we know all too well the pain and anxiety that a destructive hurricane can cause. Our hearts are with all of the storm victims,” said SPC President Tonjua Williams. “At SPC, we are solution-oriented in helping students continue their education. Returning to class is a huge part of restoring a sense of normalcy and routine.”