TALLAHASSEE -- Over the past three years, Florida A&M has been used as  what the university has called a "pass through" to send millions in taxpayer  dollars to nonprofit groups with close ties to two term-limited state  senators.

The money was secured by Jacksonville Republican Stephen Wise and Orlando  Democrat Gary Siplin during final budget negotiations and did not go through the  normal appropriations process. It was put in FAMU's budget for the "Targeted  Student Assistance Program," whose purpose is to "guide, motivate and prepare  high school students from low performing schools for future success."

The program exists only on paper. None of the money is meant for FAMU, emails  and state records reviewed by the Times-Union show.

"The Targeted Student Assistance grant funds included in the FAMU 2010-11 and  2011-12 budgets are pass-through funds in which the university serves solely as  the fiscal agent," wrote Sharon Saunders, a FAMU spokeswoman, in a  statement.