Tuition battle looms
Governor, Legislature differ on how much state and students should pay for school
Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature could be in for a battle over who pays the greater share of costs for a college education — the state or students.
Scott and members of a task force he created met with the State University System’s Board of Governors Wednesday to discuss proposals to overhaul higher education. The task force has recommended everything from funding universities based on how well they perform to charging students different tuition for different degrees. Many of the proposals would require legislative approval.
While the board took no action, Scott said he didn’t support a legislative directive that allows for tuition increases of as much as 15 percent a year until Florida’s traditionally low tuition reaches the national average. “We like the fact that we’re one of the lowest- tax states in the country,” Scott said. “Tuition is a tax.”
But state funding for higher education has been decreasing in recent years, with the Legislature directing universities to use tuition increases to offset the cuts.
The task forcewants to freeze tuition for programs of strategic importance to the state, such as science, technology, engineering and math, or others that individual universities may see as priorities. That could mean reducing state dollars and increasing tuition for programs with fewer job prospects, such as liberal arts.
“The governor has been very clear that students and families are paying enough for their education, and we concur and honor that,” task force Chairman Dale Brill said. “But we couldn’t just leave it with, ‘ fund us more.’ What if that doesn’t happen?”
The state’s economic problems have contributed to declining funding, university system Chancellor Frank Brogan said. But there’s also a philosophical disagreement between Scott and the Legislature as tohow to pay for college.
Scott’s budget recommended no cuts to higher education. But legislators have argued Florida students pay less than others and there is plenty of financial aid available through Bright Futures and other programs.
The task force said any changes could have a big affect on Bright Futures scholarships, which provide thousands of dollars to students who graduate with at least a 3.0 GPA, get certain test scores and do volunteer work. Critics have said it provides free money to affluent families.
“It may be a time to be looking at programs like Bright Futures,” said Norman Tripp of Fort Lauderdale, a member of the Board of Governors. “It may have been great at its time. But is itnowputtingmoney into the hands of people who don’t really need it? Andthe middle and lower class, are they being frozen out?”
Financial data requested by the Legislature found that 40 percent of Bright Futures recipients make less than $ 50,000 a year. Legislators also say low- income students have access to federal Pell Grants.