Universities face cash cuts

House plan to slash $164M also affects colleges, hits UCF

TALLAHASSEE — A House higher-education plan released Monday would cut $164 million from state colleges and universities, including $5 million for the University of Central Florida that is part of a new program designed to help improve its ranking nationwide.

The budget cuts would eliminate $10 million for the Emerging Preeminence program, passed by the Legislature last year and split evenly between UCF and the University of South Florida.

“There’s not enough money in the budget right now to continue to fund it,” said Rep. Larry Ahern, R-Seminole, the top higher-education budget writer in the House.

UCF is using Emerging Preeminence

money to pay for professors with expertise in research. It was anticipating using future funds to pay for labs and equipment related to biology, life sciences and other high-tech research areas.

“Anything that we get is invested back in helping us to move up that climb for pre-eminence,” said UCF vice president Dan Holsenbeck. “That would concern us if we don’t receive that funding.”

The House plan for the $7 billion university and college budget may put it at odds with the Senate, which this month passed a comprehensive higher-education reform bill designed to boost spending at universities and increase funding for scholarship programs.

Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, has pushed for improving Florida’s university system to place it on par with the top public colleges in the country. His bill, SB 2, would increase Bright Futures Scholarship funding to pay for 100 percent of tuition and summer classes and increase funding for hiring elite faculty.

A spokeswoman for Negron said that he doesn’t think the House plan is incompatible with his push for higher-quality universities and that Negron will seek funding for scholarships for lowincome students.

Although there is a projected surplus of more than $100 million in state revenue for next year, House leaders are pressing for massive reductions to account for estimated shortfalls of more than $1 billion in future years. The House plan is the first step in the budget process, which must be negotiated with the Senate and be in place by May 5, the scheduled end of the legislative session.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, has criticized Florida’s 12 public universities for having excessive reserves — about $300 million — and wastefully spending money that goes to their foundations for fundraisers and overseas trips.

The House plan calls for a $120.6 million cut to all universities, which are to use their reserves to make up the difference. State colleges, including Valencia and Seminole State, would also face a total of $62.7 million in reductions. Increases in other areas would dial back the total reduction to $164 million.

There also is a $53.2 million reduction to university foundations.

“When you hit shortfalls and you can’t afford to fund certain things, then you can take the reductions that we feel are necessary to balance the budget,” Ahern said.

The proposed cuts are across all universities, so it is unclear exactly how much UCF would be cut under the plan or how much of its reserves it would have to use.

Holsenbeck said the school has large reserves because of its size. In addition, lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott have frozen tuition rates for colleges — already among the lowest in the country — while pouring more state funding into their budgets.

“Tuition in Florida is so low that our dependence on public funds is great,” Holsenbeck said.

Specific UCF projects would also be cut under the House plan. The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts would lose $3.9 million in a partnership it has with UCF, and Istation, a program providing online learning, would lose $2.5 million, about half its budget.

Bright Futures Scholarships would also be cut by $11.5 million, although Ahern said that number is likely to change as lawmakers debate bills that would boost funding for the program.