Private-school funding bill would limit college choice
Florida college students’ choice of educational institutions may be severely limited next fall if certain members of the Florida House of Representatives have their way. House Bill 5601 would limit students’ ability to access state funding when they choose to attend one of 30 Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) which are private, not-for-profit institutions.
Under the House education bill, 16 of the 30 ICUF institutions would be ineligible to use the Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) Grant to help pay for their college education. The Senate, led by President Wilton Simpson, conversely sees the value of EASE and has proposed to return it to a funding level of $3,500 per student. Passing this House legislation would affect students’ ability to finish their education, which could mean one less nurse or IT professional on the front lines of the next pandemic.
Students choose private colleges in Central Florida because of the small classes, personalized attention, and programs that meet their needs.
A college education is expensive, at both a public university or a private university, and, consequently, students must choose the right school to meet their needs. Studies have shown that those who do attain a college degree earn more over their lifetime than those who do not. Students who do not complete their education find the cost of failing far exceeds the cost of completing their education.
The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard in 2018-19 provides some insightful statistics when comparing public and private higher education. A student attending a private four-year college has a 54.9 percent chance of completing their degree versus 46.7 percent of public-sector students. Pell recipient students at private colleges complete 53 percent of their degrees versus 42 percent at public universities. This can be attributed to the smaller classes at private colleges. The studentteacher ratio at a public college is 17:1 compared to 12:1 at private, nonprofit universities.
Incredibly, some House members try to compare the cost of private education to a public one. While the student’s gross tuition price is higher because state subsidies provided by taxpayer dollars are not awarded to private colleges (close to 75% of the direct cost to the student at a state university), scholarships and grants like EASE bring the costs much closer than people realize.
For example, one would think students attending private institutions would have to borrow significantly more money to attend a college of their choice. However, the College Scorecard shows the difference in borrowing to be very minimal. Average debt for private four-year, not-for-profit institutions is $23,584 versus public four-year colleges at $19,579.
EASE’s return on investment for the state is striking. In Fiscal Year 2021, Florida provided an investment of $2,841 per student through EASE. In return, ICUF schools produced 305 bachelor’s degrees per $1 million invested versus just 45 degrees for public universities. But the ROI to taxpayers goes beyond the numbers. ICUF graduates continue to answer the call by filling Florida’s critical workforce needs as teachers, business leaders, IT professionals, and frontline health-care workers. It is counterintuitive to take money from these students at a time when our state needs them the most. EASE makes a significant difference for Florida students. Let your state legislators know how important this program is to our state.
Studies have shown that those who do attain a college degree earn more over their lifetime than those who do not. Students who do not complete their education find the cost of failing far exceeds the cost of completing their education.