Back in July, the Board of Governors decided to raise tuition at Florida universities by 5 percent - without the Legislature's approval.
Florida Senate President Ken Pruitt's response? "We'll see you in court."
You see, the Board of Governors, even though it oversees education, has never raised tuition. That is traditionally the duty of the Legislature - a group of people who clearly have students' best interests, not its financial supporters', in mind.
OK, Legislature. Five percent. That would mean about ,55 more on our tuition bills, assuming we take 15 credits.
That's about the same as a keg of Natural Light. Most people spend at least that much money in one trip to Target. That's about how many burritos it takes to fill up one Moe's punch card.
Almost everyone can afford to spend an extra ,55 on tuition - especially since Bright Futures will cover the rest of tuition for almost every UF student. No one knows for sure that it will cover the extra.
Now the Legislature plans to haggle that percent down, we can only assume to zero.
If the Legislature wants to finally do something right, it will allow the Board of Governors' decision to stand. This shouldn't become a power struggle just because the Senate is miffed by the board's audacity.
This is about students who are trying to receive the best possible public education.
