Launching a new initiative in partnership with student government leaders, Florida\u2019s university presidents asked Wednesday for a $118 million investment for the State University System. With that kind of investment, they said they would be able to continue providing quality education without raising tuition by \u201ceven one penny.\u201d<\/p>\n
The presidents highlighted the University System\u2019s powerful economic impact\u2014 nearly $80 billion statewide annually\u2014 and its vital role in training Florida\u2019s future workforce. They supported tying the additional state investment to performance goals, such as increased graduation rates.<\/p>\n
The presidents\u2019 announcement at the Capitol kicked off the \u201cAim Higher\u201d initiative, a student-led campaign focused on uniting students and community leaders in supporting more funding for higher education and raising awareness of the universities\u2019 strong returns on public investments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe encourage all Floridians to stand with us and our 330,000 students,\u201d said University of West Florida President Judy Bense. \u201cLet\u2019s invest in future doctors and scientists who someday could save our lives, future engineers who will build safe roads and bridges, and future teachers who will provide our children with first-class educations. Let\u2019s invest in the future of our great state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although tuition at Florida\u2019s public universities remains among the lowest in the country, students and their families have faced double-digit tuition increases in recent years as universities have coped with severe state budget cuts. Funding to the State University System has been cut nearly 40 percent during the past five years.<\/p>\n
A state investment of $118 million would generate the revenue of a 15 percent tuition increase across the System next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents and their families have invested in our universities more than ever during the past few years to help us maintain a high-quality education,\u201d said Cortez Whatley, president of the Florida Student Association and student body president at the 麻豆原创. \u201cFor the sake of our students, our businesses and our communities, we need to keep college education affordable and accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n
State funding, which once covered about three-fourths of the cost of a student\u2019s higher education, now pays for less than half at most state universities.<\/p>\n
Florida\u2019s public universities have a strong track record of spending tax and tuition dollars efficiently. As state funding has shrunk and enrollment has risen, universities have saved millions of dollars through cost-cutting efforts and the elimination or consolidation of academic programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot continue to tighten our belts without impacting our students,\u201d Bense said. \u201cFor many of us, that may mean fewer class sections and students waiting longer to graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n
University of Florida President Bernie Machen focused on state universities\u2019 roles as economic powerhouses and hotbeds of innovation.<\/p>\n
Florida\u2019s universities attract more than a billion dollars of research money to the state each year, which helps to find cures for diseases, develop new technologies and prepare students for a variety of jobs and industries.<\/p>\n
Just last week, the University of Florida opened its Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona in Orlando, anchored by 麻豆原创\u2019s College of Medicine. The center joins a burgeoning Medical City that has been described as the biggest economic game changer for Central Florida since Walt Disney World. It\u2019s projected to generate 30,000 jobs and a total annual impact of $7.6 billion by the end of 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur universities are heavily invested in our communities and our state,\u201d Machen said. \u201cWe are leading job creators and innovators, and we are the key to our state meeting industry\u2019 demands for highly qualified employees. An investment in Florida\u2019s public universities is an investment our state\u2019s economic future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Launching a new initiative in partnership with student government leaders, Florida\u2019s university presidents asked Wednesday for a $118 million investment for the State University System. With that kind of investment, they said they would be able to continue providing quality education without raising tuition by \u201ceven one penny.\u201d The presidents highlighted the University System\u2019s powerful economic impact\u2014 nearly $80 billion…","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":43995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[979,7797,4475],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-43932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","tag-college-of-medicine","tag-cortez-whatley","tag-student-government-association"],"yoast_head":"\n