About 30 students and faculty gathered in Pugh Hall Monday night for a forum about the looming issue of block tuition.
The forum was held in advance of this week’s Board of Governors meeting, which will be held Wednesday and Thursday at Emerson Alumni Hall.
Under one proposal for block tuition, full-time undergraduates would pay flat tuition, likely set at the cost of 15 credit hours, if 12 to 18 credit hours are taken.
UF students currently pay per credit hour.
Provost Joe Glover said such a change could help increase UF’s graduation rate.
He said the university estimates the switch would generate about $4 million of extra recurring revenue, which would be reinvested in the form of adding sections to classes and hiring faculty to accommodate more students.
But he emphasized that it isn’t about the bottom line.
“This is not a program to generate revenue,” he said.
Some students raised concerns over the pressure they would face to take 15 credits or more, since it would be more economical.
Glover took a different perspective, saying students who worry about whether they should register for classes because of costs could shift their focus on meeting their requirements instead.
By the end, he said he was pleased with the tone of the forum and the students who participated.
