For the the third straight year, the cost of tuition for UF students is increasing by 15 percent this fall.
The increase was approved by the UF Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors, the state university system's governing body, in June.
The measure will raise $26 million in revenue for UF. According to officials, the revenue will help keep the quality of education high for a university that has faced budget cuts in four of the past five years.
State legislators approved an 8-percent increase in tuition in the spring. Each state university has the power to raise tuition another 7 percent, bringing the total increase to 15 percent.
At the June Trustees meeting, UF President Bernie Machen also addressed a $9-million shortfall in need-based financial aid - an issue Student Body President Ben Meyers wanted resolved before supporting the tuition increase.
In addition to the tuition increase, the state is now requiring additional documentation before dispersing Bright Futures awards.
All students eligible for the Bright Futures Scholarship funds must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, before aid is dispersed.
The state is requiring the paperwork to collect data on the population of students who received the scholarships and the students' families.
According to data from the 2009-2010 school year, about 95 percent of incoming freshman and 79 percent of all incoming students at UF receive Bright Futures.
The FAFSA form can be filled out online and takes about 10 days to process.
