Car Buyers Can Now Shift Sales Tax Money To Hope Scholarship Contributions

October 7, 2018

Florida auto dealers were required Monday to begin carrying out part of a new law that will allow car buyers to help fund the controversial “Hope” scholarship program.

Under the law, car buyers can voluntarily shift up to $105 from the sales taxes they would normally pay on vehicle transactions to the Hope scholarship program. The scholarships, approved during this year’s legislative session, will allow students who are victims of bullying or other violence to receive public funding to move to private schools.

Opponents have argued, in part, that the bullying issue is being used to expand school vouchers to thousands of students. If vehicle buyers want to make contributions, they have to fill out a form designating the money to go to the scholarship program, according to information posted on the Florida Automobile Dealers Association website.

Dealers then will send the money to the non-profit group Step Up for Students, which helps administer the program.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

7 Responses to “Car Buyers Can Now Shift Sales Tax Money To Hope Scholarship Contributions”

  1. Bewildered on October 11th, 2018 11:06 am

    Typical government response- don’t confront the problem directly. Kick the bullies out of the school system for a year and let their parents take the necessary steps to deal with the problem on their dime!!! (Regardless of income). If they chose to come back into the public school system after their time out without continuing their education, have them repeat the grade. Maybe this will get the message across to the parents to do a better job raising their offspring! The

  2. nod on October 8th, 2018 1:02 pm

    Car buyers or anyone can contribute all they want to this fund. To me it sounds like a dumb law. It contributes no new money to the budget.

  3. ROBERT on October 8th, 2018 7:21 am

    Why not punish the bully and make them change schools and get counseling???

  4. Anne on October 7th, 2018 11:36 am

    “Bullying” and unwarranted intimidation is tough.
    My guess is most everyone has been bullied or intimidated at some point in their life and that we have all done some form of bullying at some time.
    Think “Mean Girls” where the gossip line picks on someone to spread rumors and hurtful thoughts or the boys in PE who tease the kid who isn’t an athlete.
    However, to cloak a “solution” to the bullying by donating to a Charter School is just flat out WRONG.
    No, there is no requirement that the bullied kids go to the Charter School.
    There is no promise that every bullied kid can have access to a Charter School.
    If you buy a vehicle and are offered the Sales Tax shift to Charter Schools my advice to my family and friends is to NOT do that.
    Bullying needs to be resolved on a local and personal level.
    On a final note, what is Bullying to one may not be Bullying to another.

  5. Sidney Sharp on October 7th, 2018 8:34 am

    It’s using tax money to help fund private schools. That’s what it boils down to.

  6. A Momma on October 7th, 2018 7:35 am

    I’m sorry I’m all for the positive but what exactly is this because I’m kinda torn on this scholarship. In a way it kinda sounds like the kids are being rewarded but punished at the same time & maybe covering the teachers or other school officials that either do not want to or can’t do anything about the bullying or anything to the bullies because it’s personal to them or a certain family might be involved. Shouldn’t we take care of the bullying? Maybe send them off and let the parents deal with the hassle and the extra expenses of getting their child education and to and from. stoporting parents when they do discipline

  7. David Huie Green on October 7th, 2018 3:38 am

    And if they are bullied in the private schools…?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News