Florida legislators voted to approve a budget that will give UF about $120 million in new funding.
About $55 million will go toward research, $33 million toward building renovations and $17 million toward building maintenance, UF spokesperson Janine Sikes wrote in an email. Florida Bright Futures scholarships will also receive funding from the budget, which was passed Monday afternoon.
The $83 billion budget allocates money for state agencies, universities and public schools for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Although the budget was approved by the Florida Senate and House of Representatives, it can still be vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott.
Sikes said specific funds have been allocated for renovations at Norman Hall, which will receive $17.4 million, as well as the Engineering Innovation Nexus Building and the New Music Building.
“We are especially pleased that the legislature provided enough funding to complete the Norman Hall project a year earlier than expected,” Sikes said.
Sikes said the money allocated to research endeavors will help the university achieve its goal of becoming a top-ranked public research university through increased stipends for graduate students and compensation for faculty.
The budget also makes enhancements to Florida Bright Futures scholarships. Now, the Florida Academic Scholars Award will cover 100 percent of tuition and associated fees, as opposed to $103 per credit hour.
Students who receive this award will also be rewarded with $300 each semester to cover textbook fees. This change will affect all those with the scholarship in the upcoming fiscal year.
Robert Crockett, a UF information systems junior and recipient of the Bright Future’s Florida Academic Scholars Award, said he thinks the change will benefit college students across the state.
“I think this will bring more gifted students to great schools now that they have the opportunity to afford high tuition costs,” the 19-year-old said.
On Tuesday, UF President Kent Fuchs issued a statement expressing his gratitude to the Florida House and Senate for their support of higher education and UF.
“The 2017-18 budget includes significant investments in our programs and educational spaces, scholarships for our students and support for faculty and graduate students — all bolstering UF’s push to become one of the nation’s top public institutions,” he said.
Contact Catie Wegman at cwegman@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter: @catie_wegman.
