UF students may be happy to hear that their tuition won’t greatly increase this fall, but it may mean cuts to academic programs and employee benefits.
In Thursday’s Faculty Senate meeting, UF President Bernie Machen said his proposed 30 percent tuition increase would be a far stretch to get by state legislators.
“I haven’t given up,” he said, “but I’d say it’s a Hail Mary at this point.”
Machen’s proposal would be a one-time 30 percent increase that would help UF keep core programs and benefits for employees. It was suggested to counteract the budget cuts proposed by Gov. Rick Scott.
The possible increase would raise in-state tuition at UF from $5,000 to $6,500 a year.
Even after the increase, tuition would still be lower than the national average of about $7,600, according to CollegeBoard.com.
The state allows universities to increase tuition up to 15 percent a year.
For UF, that would be $750 more for tuition per semester.
Machen said the 15 percent increase might cover the proposed $17.5 million cut to faculty benefits at UF, but it won’t cover the base budget that is also proposed to be cut by legislation.
